Buying FAQ
Questions about Pulsar F1 before you order, followed by selected product discussions from our Kickstarter campaign.
Official Buying FAQ
Last reviewed: October 11, 2026. We update these answers as product information and preorder arrangements are confirmed.
Do I Need to Download a Mobile App?
Pulsar's connected experience uses a web app. You do not need a dedicated Pulsar mobile app to access the browser interface. See the Product User Guide for setup instructions.
How Does the Connected Experience Work?
The device connects over Wi-Fi, and the interface runs in your browser. Connected functions use Pulsar's online services. Browser access does not mean all connected features work without an internet connection.
Can I Use Videos Stored on My Computer?
The documented Video Sync workflow includes opening a compatible local video in the Pulsar web player. “Browser-based” describes the player; it does not mean your video must come from a streaming website. See Video Sync for the documented workflow. The guide is being updated, and file-format details and current demonstrations will be added as they are confirmed.
How Can I Check My Device or VR Setup Before Ordering?
Please contact support@pulsarfuture.com with your device, operating system, browser and intended video player or service. Browser access and direct integration with a third-party player are different capabilities; do not assume a particular headset, player or streaming service is supported unless that combination has been confirmed.
Will Preorder Pricing and Product Bundles Match Kickstarter?
Yes. Website preorders will offer the same pricing and product bundles offered during our Kickstarter campaign. The available options and their contents will be shown before you place an order.
What Shipping and Delivery Information Will I Receive?
Shipping availability and costs, the estimated delivery schedule, and cancellation and refund conditions will be provided before you place an order. Preorder opening does not mean the product is ready for immediate shipment. Please do not use historical shipping estimates as a current quote.
Does Joining the Notification List Create an Order?
No. Email registration is free and does not create an order or a purchase commitment. Register on the Pulsar F1 product page to receive the opening notification.
Product Questions from Kickstarter Backers
These are selected excerpts and a complete question-and-reply exchange from public campaign discussions captured on October 9, 2026. Usernames, avatars and personal greetings have been removed. Questions and reply excerpts retain their original wording; […] marks omitted passages. The headings and context notes below were added for this page.
These exchanges record what was discussed during the campaign. They are not a new verification of current features, compatibility or purchase terms. Use the official answers above and confirmed information shown before ordering for current guidance.
Local videos and browser playback
Backer question — original
The app seems to be browser-compatible. How do you play videos? Do I need to upload them to the cloud before playing? Please explain clearly how video playback is synchronized.
Pulsar team reply — excerpt
Great question. No, you do not need to upload your videos to our cloud before playing them.
Pulsar’s Video Sync runs through the browser. You can select a supported video from your local PC/Mac, and the video itself is played locally in your browser — it does not need to be uploaded to or stored on Pulsar’s servers.
The synchronization works separately from the video file itself. Pulsar uses a motion timeline associated with the video, and as the video plays, the browser keeps the current playback position synchronized with that timeline. The corresponding motion commands are then sent to your Pulsar F1 over its Wi-Fi connection.
[…]
Backer follow-up — excerpt
[…] So videos we have on our computers that we own or have rights to will not play? Only videos from streaming services like xVideo and other adult websites can be used? […] Please clarify and yes I video demo would be helpful.
Pulsar team clarification — excerpt
Sorry for the confusion — yes, videos stored locally on your computer are supported. You are absolutely not limited to streaming websites.
When we say Pulsar is “browser-based,” we mean that the Pulsar Web App runs in your browser. It does not mean the video itself has to come from a website.
You can select a compatible video file stored on your Mac or PC and play it through the Pulsar Web App. The video plays locally while Pulsar synchronizes the F1’s motion with the playback timeline.
[…]
Current context: This exchange distinguishes local files from streaming sources. Local playback does not mean the connected device-control service is entirely offline. We are preparing clearer demonstrations and supported-format information.
Using an external player such as VLC
Backer question — original
Will this also work with popular playback utilities like VLC?
Pulsar team reply — excerpt
Not directly at launch. Our current Video Sync implementation is browser-based, so playback and device synchronization are handled together within the Pulsar Web App.
Players such as VLC run independently from the browser, so they would require an additional integration layer to keep playback position and device motion synchronized.
We are currently unable to achieve this technology. For the initial release, the browser-based player will be the supported workflow.
[…]
Current context: This is a historical explanation of the supported workflow at that time. It is not a promise of a VLC integration. We will publish changes only after they have been confirmed.
Software updates and future hardware capabilities
Backer question — excerpt
“Planned after launch
Generative characters and video, pressure sensing, and new outputs such as intelligent suction and compression.”
Pressure sensing and new outputs don’t sound like a simple software update, how do you plan to release functions and features that are hardware dependent?
Pulsar team reply — excerpt
You’re correct — pressure sensing and some new physical outputs would require additional hardware and cannot simply be added to the current F1 through a software update.
That section refers to our broader technology and product roadmap, rather than suggesting that every listed capability will be added to the current F1 hardware after launch.
[…]
Hardware-dependent capabilities such as pressure sensing are part of our future hardware research and would require devices or hardware revisions with the necessary sensors or actuators built in.
[…]
Current context: A broader research roadmap is not a list of features included with your order. Check the product contents and confirmed capabilities before ordering.
Connectivity, privacy and security: eight questions from a backer
Historical exchange — complete question and team reply
The text below is transcribed from the campaign snapshot captured on October 9, 2026. Account names and avatars are omitted; paragraph layout and punctuation are normalized for readability. The eight questions and the full substantive reply are retained. The review notes below are editorial additions and are not part of the original conversation.
Current review notes — October 11, 2026
| Original item | Current context / verification status |
|---|---|
| 1. Documentation | The Product User Guide is now published and being updated. Current screenshots and complete setup demonstrations remain in preparation. |
| 2. Local video privacy | The quoted description of browser analysis and transmitted control data still needs a current data-flow review; it is not a new security or privacy audit. |
| 3. Video Sync and .funscript | Current implementation and format limitations still need versioned testing. The enhanced mode described below was explicitly under development, not a promised launch feature. |
| 4. Compatibility | The historical test list is not a current compatibility matrix. Specific device, browser and player combinations require confirmation. |
| 5. Connectivity and offline operation | Current firmware modes, service-outage behavior and infrastructure readiness still need verification. The historical infrastructure statement was a future commitment. |
| 6. AI and Remote Partner data | Hosting geography, data categories, retention and recording behavior require current confirmation. See the published Privacy Policy and AI & Data Practices; this archive does not amend those documents. |
| 7. Security and updates | Authentication, encryption, OTA behavior and the responsible-disclosure contact require current confirmation. The statements below are historical, not evidence of a completed security review or an available disclosure channel. |
| 8. Prototype demonstrations | We still need current public real-device demonstrations. The historical reply is not independent verification of the current product. |
Backer question — full text
Hi Pulsar team,
Interested in the F1, but I would like a few specifics before backing:
Documentation: Could you publish a user guide for the SmartControl web app at fun.getpulsar.io? At the moment it loads as a blank page, and there is no explanation of how to play local videos or set up sync.
Local video privacy: Can you confirm that local videos are processed entirely within the browser and are never uploaded to your servers?
Sync method: Is motion generated by analysing the video (on the device or on a server), or from script files? Do you support the .funscript format?
Compatibility: Which browsers and operating systems are supported? Safari on iPhone does not support Web Bluetooth, so how will iPhone users connect?
Connectivity: Does the device work over direct Bluetooth without an internet connection, or does it depend on a cloud relay? Will it keep working if your servers are unavailable?
Data handling: For the AI companion and remote partner features, what camera, microphone and conversation data is collected, where is it stored, in which jurisdiction, and for how long? Is there a published privacy policy?
Security: Is remote partner pairing authenticated and encrypted? Will firmware receive security updates, and do you have a vulnerability disclosure contact?
Prototype: Could you share an unedited video of the web app controlling a working prototype, including the video sync feature?
Clear answers to these would make it much easier to back with confidence.
Pulsar team reply — full text
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to put together such a detailed list of questions. We agree that the F1’s operation, connectivity, privacy and security boundaries should be clearly explained.
We’ll answer each point directly.
1 SmartControl documentation
Yes. We are currently preparing a complete online user guide for SmartControl. It will include step-by-step instructions and demonstration videos covering device setup, local video playback, Video Sync, VR/XR playback, AI features and the other major operating modes.
Some of the animations and videos already shown on our Kickstarter campaign were actually created from footage recorded during our development and testing process.
We are now preparing proper public demonstrations and documentation. The online guide will be published before delivery, will continue to be updated, and its access link will also be included with every delivered F1.
2 Local video privacy
Yes. For local Video Sync, your video file stays on your device and is not uploaded to or stored on Pulsar’s servers.
This was an intentional privacy design choice.
Video analysis is performed locally inside the browser using our JavaScript-based AI inference technology. The local model extracts the information needed for synchronization — including timeline, contextual, emotion and pose/motion information — and uses those signals to generate the motion rhythm for the F1.
In other words, Pulsar does not need a copy of your personal video in order to analyze it for synchronization.
Only the control/synchronization data required to operate the F1 may be transmitted through Pulsar’s connectivity services; the local video itself is not uploaded.
3 Video Sync method and .funscript
Our primary Video Sync method can work without requiring a pre-existing motion script. For local videos, AI analysis is performed inside the browser as described above, and the resulting motion timeline is used to synchronize the F1 with video playback.
Yes, Pulsar also supports the standard .funscript format currently used across the interactive-device ecosystem. Existing compatible .funscript files can be loaded and used as a source of motion synchronization.
We are also developing an enhanced .funscript mode that goes beyond the conventional motion track. Our goal is to use local AI inference together with the script and video context to intelligently drive additional F1 capabilities — such as suction and vibration — rather than limiting synchronization only to the motion data contained in a traditional funscript file.
This enhanced mode is still under development and is not being promised as a launch feature, but standard .funscript compatibility is already supported.
More broadly, our goal is to support users’ existing video and script libraries rather than requiring them to use only Pulsar-provided content.
4 Browser and operating-system compatibility
F1 does not rely on Web Bluetooth for SmartControl.
The device connects through 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz Wi-Fi and communicates with Pulsar’s service using encrypted MQTT, while SmartControl itself runs in the web browser. Therefore, Safari’s lack of Web Bluetooth support on iPhone does not prevent the connection architecture from working.
We have tested the web-based system across multiple environments, including Android, Windows, macOS and Apple Vision Pro, as well as multiple modern browsers.
We have also tested browser-based VR/XR video playback through XR-capable browsers, without requiring a dedicated Pulsar VR application.
Because browsers and operating systems continually change, we will publish and maintain a tested compatibility matrix rather than claiming that every possible browser/version combination will behave identically.
5 Connectivity and offline operation
For SmartControl and other online functions, F1 uses a cloud-relay architecture. The device connects securely to Pulsar’s online service, which provides communication between the browser and the F1.
Therefore, if Pulsar’s online services were temporarily unavailable, online functions — including most AI-powered features — would also be temporarily unavailable.
However, the F1 itself includes built-in offline operating modes stored directly on the device. These remain available without access to Pulsar’s servers.
Before commercial delivery, our production infrastructure will be deployed with high availability, monitoring and sufficient concurrency capacity for the expected device population.
We think it is important to be transparent about this distinction: the basic device remains usable offline, while connected and AI services require network availability.
6 AI Character, Remote Partner and data handling
There are two different architectures here, so we’d like to distinguish them clearly.
For AI Character features, certain account, character, interaction and conversation-related data needs to be processed and stored by Pulsar’s online services in order to provide the experience and maintain continuity. Our production services and related user data are hosted in the United States.
We will publish detailed Privacy Policy and AI & Data Practices documentation before commercial release. These documents will clearly describe the categories of data processed, their purposes, retention and deletion practices, and applicable user privacy rights. Specific retention periods will be documented there once our production retention policy is finalized.
For Remote Partner, the architecture is different. The live camera/audio stream is used for real-time interaction and is not recorded or stored by Pulsar as part of the normal Remote Partner experience.
Motion understanding for this feature also uses browser-side AI processing, similar in principle to our local Video Sync analysis approach.
This separation is intentional: a private live interaction between a user and their partner should not need to become a stored video asset on Pulsar’s servers.
7 Remote Partner security and firmware updates
Remote Partner sessions require authenticated access rather than exposing a publicly accessible camera connection.
Real-time audio/video communication is implemented using LiveKit/WebRTC technology with encrypted network transport.
Firmware updates will be delivered through OTA (over-the-air) updates. Updates are user-initiated — we do not intend to silently force firmware updates onto a user’s device without their action.
Security updates will be provided as necessary. We will also establish a dedicated responsible vulnerability disclosure channel before release so that security researchers and users have a clear way to report potential security issues directly to our team.
8 Working prototype and unedited demonstrations
Yes. We have working F1 prototypes and working SmartControl/Video Sync implementations.
We have previously provided unedited development and testing footage of the working system as part of Kickstarter’s project review process.
As mentioned above, much of our internal raw footage contains personal information belonging to team members — including personal devices, accounts and identifiable information — so we cannot responsibly publish those particular recordings unchanged.
We are currently preparing public-facing real-device demonstrations that show the actual workflow and working hardware. These are demonstrations of the real prototype and software, not conceptual animations, and we will publish them as they become ready.
We also agree with the broader point behind your questions: a product combining connected hardware, browser-based AI, private media, remote interaction and cloud services needs more technical documentation than can reasonably fit on a Kickstarter campaign page.
That’s why we are building the online documentation alongside the product and intend to keep it updated throughout the product’s lifecycle rather than treating it as a one-time manual.
Thank you again for asking these questions. We hope this gives you a much clearer picture of how F1 is designed, what remains local, what requires online services, and how we are approaching privacy and security.
Best, Pulsar Tech Team
Have a question that is not covered here? Email support@pulsarfuture.com.