Windows - dekay/vpinball-wiki GitHub Wiki

Learn how to set up and run Visual Pinball (VPX) on Windows. Whether you're just testing it out on a desktop or setting up a full cabinet with backglass and DMD support.

Watch a quick video overview by Just Jamie on YouTube for the Visual Pinball 2025 setup.

Table of Contents

System Requirements

Visual Pinball runs on Windows 10 or later and requires a DirectX 11-compatible GPU. A discrete graphics card (NVIDIA or AMD) is strongly recommended for smooth gameplay. Integrated graphics may work but can limit performance or compatibility.

Download Visual Pinball

Go to the official Visual Pinball GitHub page here:
https://github.com/vpinball/vpinball

On the right-hand sidebar, you will see a "Releases" section. Click on the latest release to get started.

Alternatively, you can browse all available versions directly at:
https://github.com/vpinball/vpinball/releases

Choose the Correct Release

Scroll down to the Assets section of the release (often at the bottom of the page, below the changelog or release notes).

From there, download the installer that matches your Windows system. Usually, this will be a .exe file like VisualPinball-Setup-x64.exe.

Run the Installer

Once downloaded, run the installer.

Choose a location where you want Visual Pinball to be installed. It’s a good idea to pick a short, simple path like C:\VisualPinball — you’ll be returning to this folder often for ROMs, tables, backglass files, and more.

Installer Options

During installation, you’ll be presented with several optional components. Here’s what they do:

  • B2S Backglass: This enables support for a backglass — the upright panel behind the playfield, usually displaying artwork, score, or lamps. B2S allows a second (or third) monitor to display a digital backglass for added realism. You need this if you're using a multi-monitor setup.

  • Pin2DMD / PinDMD: These options provide support for external DMDs (Dot Matrix Displays), which simulate the pixel-style scoreboards found on many real pinball machines. Like B2S, this is meant for users with more than one screen. If you're playing on a standard desktop with a single monitor, you can skip these.

First Launch

After installation, open Visual Pinball using the desktop shortcut.

You’ll see the Visual Pinball Editor interface. Some example testing tables are available but they aren't full tables.

Folder Structure

A correct folder structure is essential for Visual Pinball to function properly. Here's a basic overview of where things should go inside your Visual Pinball installation directory (e.g., C:\VisualPinball):

  • Tables\ — This is where your .vpx table files go. Place .directb2s backglass files here too.
  • VPinMAME\roms\ — This is where your ROM zip files go. Do not extract them. Also, do not place ROMs in the Tables folder — they must go here to be recognized by VPinMAME.
  • Scripts\ — This is where table scripts go (usually .vbs files). Most modern tables include scripts or reference shared ones in this folder.
  • User\ — Used for controller settings and configs. You usually don’t need to touch this unless troubleshooting.

Test a Table

To test your installation, download a simple .vpx table and the corresponding ROM. Place the .vpx file in the Tables folder, and the ROM (still zipped) in VPinMAME\roms\.

Then open the table using Visual Pinball, press Play (F5), and the game should launch.

If you get an error or nothing happens, double-check your folder paths and that the ROM name matches the script.