Installing the helper app

The free helper app unlocks VR headset and VR game support on ToyControl. Install instructions for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

The helper app is a small free download for your computer. You only need it if you want to use ToyControl with a VR headset or with a VR game like Captain Hardcore or Heat VR. For everything else (scripts on your computer, patterns, remote control, basic pairing), you do not need the helper app.

This article walks you through the install.

Why a helper app at all

Browsers are not allowed to do two things that VR setups need: open raw network connections to your VR headset, and listen for incoming connections from a VR game. The helper app does only those two things. It is tiny (about 8 MB), runs quietly in your system tray, and never sends any data outside your network.

Step 1: Download

Download the version for your computer:

If you are not sure which Mac or Windows you have, almost any computer made in the last five years uses the standard 64-bit version.

Step 2: Install

The Helper is not yet code-signed, so on first launch your computer warns that it is from an unidentified developer. This is expected and safe to allow. You only do it once.

On a Mac:

  1. Open the .dmg file.
  2. Drag the helper app icon to your Applications folder.
  3. Open your Applications folder and try to open ToyControl Helper. Mac blocks it and says it cannot check the app for malicious software.
  4. Allow it either way:
    • Right-click: right-click (or Control-click) ToyControl Helper, choose Open, then click Open in the dialog.
    • Newer macOS: open the Apple menu > System Settings > Privacy & Security, scroll to the Security section, and click Open Anyway next to the "ToyControl Helper was blocked" message. Confirm with your password or Touch ID.
  5. After that it opens normally. A tiny icon appears in your menu bar at the top of the screen.

On Windows:

  1. Run the .exe file.
  2. If Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
  3. If Windows blocked the file, right-click the .exe > Properties, tick Unblock, click OK, then run it again.
  4. Open ToyControl Helper from the Start menu if it did not launch. A tiny icon appears in your system tray, bottom-right.

On Linux:

  1. Make the .AppImage file executable: right-click > Properties > Permissions, tick Allow executing file as program. Or in a terminal: chmod +x ToyControl-Helper.AppImage.
  2. Double-click to run (or ./ToyControl-Helper.AppImage).
  3. Connecting a USB stroker (T-Code / OSR2 / SR6)? Your user also needs serial-port access: run sudo usermod -aG dialout $USER once, then log out and back in.

Step 3: Check it is running

Look at the menu bar (Mac) or system tray (Windows). You should see a small ToyControl Helper icon there. That means it is running.

Now open toycontrol.app; the sidebar shows a green dot next to the Helper status when the app can see it.

If the icon is missing, open the app again from your Applications (Mac) or Start menu (Windows).

Step 4: Use it

Once the helper is running, go back to toycontrol.app. The Connect to VR and Game Link tabs will now work.

Privacy note

The helper app is a small bridge between your browser, your VR headset, and any VR game running on your computer. It does not send anything outside your home network. It is open about what it does: a single port for your browser to call (8765), and a single port for VR games to find (6010). That is it.

Firewall and network notes

The helper opens two local ports on your computer:

On Windows, the first time you run the helper the firewall asks whether to allow it. Click Allow for Private networks (or both Private and Public if asked). On Mac and Linux, the firewall is more permissive; you usually do not need to do anything.

If a VPN is running on your computer, it may block the local network. Turn the VPN off when using Connect to VR or Game Link.

Troubleshooting

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