Your first step.
One small launcher. It sets up Ultimate on your PC from your own copy of the game, then keeps everything up to date.
How rollback netcode worksWindows says “Windows protected your PC”?
SSBU Arena is a new app and Windows SmartScreen asks before its first start. Choose More info, then Run anyway. If a double-click does nothing, right-click SSBU-Arena.exe, open Properties, tick Unblock and press OK, then open it again. It never needs to run as administrator.
Before you start
Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
A graphics card with a Vulkan 1.3 driver.
Your own copy of the game
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate with update 13.0.4 or 13.0.5, and the keys and firmware from your own console. The setup finds them in the folders of the usual emulators.
About 25 GB free
Space for the game unpacked from your copy and the files built from it.
About 20 minutes, once
The first setup builds the game for your PC. Updates afterwards take a few minutes.
Three steps to your first set
- 01
Download the launcher
Save SSBU-Arena.exe in a new, empty folder: SSBU Arena installs itself next to it. Windows may warn about a new app: choose More info, then Run anyway.
Download for Windows - 02
Let it set up the game
The first start opens the setup. It checks your PC, finds your game, keys and firmware, and builds Ultimate for your PC. Nothing from the game leaves your PC.
- 03
Create your Arena account
Your player name for online rooms, friends and ranked. Create it here, then sign in from the launcher: it opens this site to sign in.
Always up to date
Every time it starts, the launcher checks for a new release. It updates itself and the game in place: your saves and settings stay.
No game files here
SSBU Arena contains no game code, assets, keys or firmware, and does not help to obtain them. Everything is built on your PC from the copy you own.
Build it yourself
Prefer the source? Everything the launcher does can be done by hand.