There are two downloads. A Windows machine can host the server and also be the screen you watch on, and plenty of people want exactly that, while others keep the server on a box in a cupboard they never sit in front of. The Server + Desktop bundle is for the first kind of machine. Server-only is for the one that runs headless.
Choose the release by the job of the machine
Which one do you want? If the Windows computer is both the home server and a screen you watch on, take the Bundle: the server and the desktop client share one update lifecycle, so the local UI can’t drift away from the host it talks to. Server-only suits an always-on box, a compact home server, or a machine you’d rather keep free of a desktop client.
Direct play first, transcoding when necessary
The native desktop player handles a broad range of containers, codecs, lossless audio tracks and subtitle formats on its own. So a compatible file takes the DirectFile path, and nothing on that route touches the picture. It’s only when another device needs a different codec, a lower bitrate or an HDR conversion that the Windows server does any work, and even then it doesn’t assume one fixed acceleration path: it uses whichever NVIDIA, Intel or CPU capability it found on that machine.
Installation expectations
Windows packages are unsigned today. That means SmartScreen will show a reputation warning even when the file you downloaded matches the published release byte for byte. The file’s fine. You can check the package against the current public feed, and it’s worth reading the notice on the download page before you go on.
ARM64 packages are published and statically verified. What hasn’t happened yet, though, is the hardware gate: a real installation, real playback and a real update on a Windows-on-ARM machine. Until that gate closes, you should treat the ARM64 build as available but unproven.
Best fit. The Bundle is the clearest path for a personal Windows workstation or a living-room PC. Server-only is the better fit when every viewing device connects over the network.
Frequently asked questions
Do I want the Bundle or Server-only?
The Bundle, if the same Windows machine is both the server and a screen you watch on, because the two update together and can’t drift apart. Server-only if the box runs headless or every viewing device reaches it over the network.
Why does SmartScreen warn me about the download?
The Windows packages are unsigned today, so the warning shows up even when the file matches the published release exactly. Check the package against the current public feed, and read the notice on the download page before you continue.
Does Quven run on Windows on ARM?
ARM64 packages are published and statically verified. But nobody has yet validated them on real Windows-on-ARM hardware, from installation through to a live update, so for now it’s available and unproven.