Creating themes manually

Basics

This method is generally not recommended and we recommend using Blend instead. However for smaller changes this is a usable method.

Creating theme

• Create empty folder inside of Themes directory (and Fullscreen or Desktop subdirectory).
• Create theme manifest file.
  • Set proper Mode and ThemeApiVersion fields. ThemeApiVersion of currently installed Playnite version can be found by opening About Playnite menu from Desktop mode.
• Copy original theme file you want to edit (xaml, image etc.) to the new folder (make sure you keep the directory structure).
• Make changes to copied file using any text editor.

Testing changes

To test theme in Playnite itself, just start Playnite and change theme selection in the application settings. No additional steps should be needed for Playnite to load the theme as long as theme manifest is present.

Packaging theme for distribution

See Distribution and Updates page for more details.

Warning

Please pay special attention to section about updating themes to make sure your custom theme always works with the latest Playnite version.