The ToyControl helper app

A free desktop app that unlocks VR headset and VR game support. It runs quietly in your system tray and never sends data outside your network.

The helper app is a free, small desktop download that unlocks the parts of ToyControl a browser cannot do on its own: connecting to a VR headset, driving your toy from a game (Game Link), and connecting a USB stroker such as a T-Code machine. If you do not use any of those, you do not need it.

What it is

A browser can do a lot, but not everything. It cannot open a raw connection to a VR headset, it cannot listen for a game on your computer trying to reach your toy, and it cannot talk to a USB device. The helper app does exactly those bridging jobs. Everything else (Bluetooth pairing, scripts, patterns, remote control) still happens in your browser.

It is small (about 8 MB), runs quietly in your system tray, and never sends any data outside your home network. We list every port and connection it makes in the install guide.

Who it is for

Anyone using a VR headset with ToyControl (Connect to VR).
Anyone using Game Link to drive their toy from a game. This covers games that use Lovense Game Mode (Captain Hardcore, Wild Life, Heat VR, vamX, and many more) as well as games and plugins that use Buttplug.io / Intiface (Virt-A-Mate, Skyrim, the Illusion games, and dozens more), on both desktop and VR.
Anyone connecting a USB stroker that uses a cable instead of Bluetooth, such as a T-Code machine (OSR2, SR6, SSR1) or a NimbleStroker. The browser cannot talk to USB on its own, so the Helper bridges it.
Nobody else. If you only play scripts on a Bluetooth toy, or use Patterns, you do not need the Helper.

Download

Pick the version for your computer:

These are always the latest version. After downloading, see Allowing the unsigned Helper below for the first-launch step.

What it unlocks

With the helper running, these sources work in ToyControl:

Connect to VR. ToyControl connects to HereSphere on your VR headset. The video plays on the headset; the toy follows along on your computer. See Connect to VR.
Game Link. A game on your computer drives your toy. ToyControl pretends to be the toy the game expects, whether the game uses Lovense Game Mode or Buttplug.io / Intiface, and translates its commands for your real toy. Works with desktop and VR games. See Game Link.
USB strokers. T-Code machines (OSR2, SR6, SSR1) and the NimbleStroker connect by USB cable, which the Helper bridges to the browser. See connecting a T-Code stroker.

What it does not do

The helper does not handle:

Bluetooth pairing. That stays in your browser.
Account, login, or billing. That stays in the browser too.
The script library, patterns, or remote control rooms.

It is intentionally tiny and only does the bridging jobs the browser cannot do alone.

Why the browser cannot do this alone

Three things your browser cannot do on its own:

Talk to your VR headset. The headset uses a connection your browser does not speak. The helper translates.
Let a game find ToyControl. Games look for a Lovense toy (or an Intiface server) on your network. Browsers cannot answer that knock; the helper answers instead.
Talk to a USB device. Browsers cannot open a USB serial port, so a cabled stroker (T-Code, NimbleStroker) needs the helper to relay commands.

Everything else (Bluetooth pairing, scripts, patterns, account, billing, remote control rooms) happens in your browser. The helper is the smallest possible bridge for those pieces.

Install

The full step-by-step install is in How to install the ToyControl helper app. The short version:

Download for your computer (Mac .dmg, Windows .exe, Linux .AppImage) from the Download section above.
Install.
Open it. The first time, your computer will warn that the app is unsigned, see Allowing the unsigned Helper just below.
You will see a small icon in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows).
Open toycontrol.app in your browser. The Connect to VR and Game Link tabs now work.

To confirm the helper is running, look at the small icon in your menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows). ToyControl also shows a green indicator in the sidebar when the helper is reachable.

Allowing the unsigned Helper

The Helper is not yet code-signed (signing is on our roadmap), so the first time you open it your computer warns that it comes from an unidentified developer. This is expected and safe to allow. You only have to do it once.

macOS

Open the downloaded .dmg and drag ToyControl Helper into your Applications folder.
Open your Applications folder and try to open ToyControl Helper. macOS blocks it with a message like "cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software."
Allow it in one of these two ways:
- Right-click method: in Applications, right-click (or hold Control and click) ToyControl Helper, choose Open, then click Open in the dialog.
- Settings method (newer macOS): close the warning, then open the Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security. Scroll down to the Security section, find the "ToyControl Helper was blocked" message, and click Open Anyway. Confirm with Touch ID or your password.
After this, the app opens normally every time.

On older macOS the settings path is System Preferences > Security & Privacy > General, then click Open Anyway.

Windows

Run the downloaded ToyControl-Helper.exe.
If Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
If Windows blocked the file instead of offering "Run anyway", right-click the .exe > Properties, tick Unblock at the bottom of the General tab, click OK, and run it again.
If a firewall prompt appears, click Allow (Private networks is enough).

Linux

Make the AppImage runnable: right-click ToyControl-Helper.AppImage > Properties > Permissions and tick Allow executing file as program. Or in a terminal: chmod +x ToyControl-Helper.AppImage.
Run it (double-click, or ./ToyControl-Helper.AppImage).
For a USB stroker (T-Code / OSR2 / SR6), your user also needs permission to use serial ports. Add yourself to the dialout group once with sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER, then log out and back in.

How to know if it is on

ToyControl shows an indicator in the sidebar when the helper is reachable. If you open the Connect to VR or Game Link tab and the helper is not running, you will see an "install helper app" prompt.

Privacy

The helper only talks to things on your home network. Your browser talks to it; your VR headset and VR games talk to it; nothing leaves your home. No calls back to our servers, no telemetry, no analytics.

The helper is also unsigned in early versions, so your computer warns the first time you open it. That is expected: see Allowing the unsigned Helper for the one-time step on each operating system. Code signing is on our roadmap.

Auto-update

Not in the current version. When we add auto-update, the helper will check a manifest URL on a release and prompt you to install a new version. For now, when there is a new release, we will point you to the same download page.

Roadmap

Code signing for Mac and Windows builds. Removes the "developer cannot be verified" warning.
Auto-update.
Optional support for remote control rooms in tricky home network setups.

These are nice-to-haves. The helper works fine without them.

Try it

If you use a VR headset, want a game to drive your toy, or have a USB stroker:

Download the helper for your computer.
Install and open it (see Allowing the unsigned Helper for the first launch).
Use ToyControl normally. The Connect to VR, Game Link, and T-Code device options are now active.