Release Notes

Last updated: July 3, 2026

Pixxxel is a native Mac app for making 1-bit pixel-art characters. This page tracks what ships in each release.

Version 1.0 is in final preparation for the Mac App Store. Details may change before review.

Version 1.0

The first release

Coming soon

Mac · macOS 15 or later · Free, bring your own key

The loop

  • Eight lockable character traits — type, gender, age, hair, facial hair, eyes, expression, and accessory.
  • Lock any trait and reroll the rest, or randomize everything at once.
  • Fifteen character types, from Human and Orc to Robot, Ghost, and Vampire.
  • Fourteen archetype presets, from Wizard to Necromancer, that fill the unlocked traits.

The pipeline

  • Every render is forced through the same deterministic pipeline: downsample, grayscale, background whiteout, and Floyd–Steinberg dither — at your chosen size of 32, 64, or 128 px.
  • The result is always clean 1-bit pixel art — black and white by default, recolourable through any duotone palette.

Colour & export

  • Eighteen retro duotone palettes — Game Boy, Amber CRT, Cyberpunk, Vaporwave, and more — for presentation and export.
  • Palettes are invertible: tap an active palette again to swap ink and paper. The stored render stays 1-bit.
  • Export PNG at 64, 128, and 256 px, or a scalable SVG. Copy a portrait or drag it straight to Finder.

Models & privacy

  • Seven AI image models across Google, OpenAI, and Hugging Face — pick one per render.
  • Bring your own API key and pay the provider directly. No subscription, no markup.
  • Keys are stored in the macOS Keychain. Renders stay on your Mac, saved to a local gallery with focus mode and filmstrip navigation.