diff --git a/Editor/Core/SplashControlPanel.cs b/Editor/Core/SplashControlPanel.cs
index 2b920a6..92945b5 100644
--- a/Editor/Core/SplashControlPanel.cs
+++ b/Editor/Core/SplashControlPanel.cs
@@ -60,6 +60,13 @@ namespace SplashEdit.EditorCode
         private string _nativeInstallStatus = "";
         private string _manualNativePath = "";
 
+        // ───── Release selector ─────
+        private int _selectedReleaseIndex = 0;
+        private string[] _releaseDisplayNames = new string[0];
+        private bool _isFetchingReleases;
+        private string _currentTag = "";
+        private bool _isSwitchingRelease;
+
         // PCdrv serial host instance (for real hardware file serving)
         private static PCdrvSerialHost _pcdrvHost;
 
@@ -89,6 +96,8 @@ namespace SplashEdit.EditorCode
             RefreshToolchainStatus();
             LoadSceneList();
             _manualNativePath = SplashSettings.NativeProjectPath;
+            FetchGitHubReleases();
+            RefreshCurrentTag();
         }
 
         private void OnDisable()
@@ -215,44 +224,106 @@ namespace SplashEdit.EditorCode
             }
             else
             {
-                GUILayout.Label("Not found — clone from GitHub or set path manually", EditorStyles.miniLabel);
+                GUILayout.Label("Not found — download from GitHub or set path manually", EditorStyles.miniLabel);
             }
             EditorGUILayout.EndHorizontal();
 
             EditorGUILayout.Space(6);
 
-            // ── Option 1: Auto-clone from GitHub ──
+            // ── Option 1: Download a release from GitHub ──
             PSXEditorStyles.DrawSeparator(4, 4);
-            GUILayout.Label("Clone from GitHub", PSXEditorStyles.SectionHeader);
-            EditorGUILayout.BeginHorizontal();
-            GUILayout.Label(PSXSplashInstaller.RepoUrl, EditorStyles.miniLabel);
-            GUILayout.FlexibleSpace();
-            EditorGUI.BeginDisabledGroup(_isInstallingNative || PSXSplashInstaller.IsInstalled());
-            if (GUILayout.Button(PSXSplashInstaller.IsInstalled() ? "Installed" : "Clone", GUILayout.Width(80)))
+            GUILayout.Label("Download from GitHub", PSXEditorStyles.SectionHeader);
+
+            // Git availability check
+            if (!PSXSplashInstaller.IsGitAvailable())
             {
-                CloneNativeProject();
+                EditorGUILayout.HelpBox(
+                    "git is required to download the native project (submodules need recursive clone).\n" +
+                    "Install git from: https://git-scm.com/downloads",
+                    MessageType.Warning);
+            }
+
+            // Release selector
+            EditorGUILayout.BeginHorizontal();
+            GUILayout.Label("Release:", GUILayout.Width(55));
+            if (_isFetchingReleases)
+            {
+                GUILayout.Label("Fetching releases...", EditorStyles.miniLabel);
+            }
+            else if (_releaseDisplayNames.Length == 0)
+            {
+                GUILayout.Label("No releases found", EditorStyles.miniLabel);
+                if (GUILayout.Button("Refresh", EditorStyles.miniButton, GUILayout.Width(60)))
+                    FetchGitHubReleases();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                _selectedReleaseIndex = EditorGUILayout.Popup(_selectedReleaseIndex, _releaseDisplayNames);
+                if (GUILayout.Button("↻", EditorStyles.miniButton, GUILayout.Width(22)))
+                    FetchGitHubReleases();
             }
-            EditorGUI.EndDisabledGroup();
             EditorGUILayout.EndHorizontal();
 
-            if (_isInstallingNative)
+            // Current version display (when installed)
+            if (PSXSplashInstaller.IsInstalled() && !string.IsNullOrEmpty(_currentTag))
             {
-                GUILayout.Label(_nativeInstallStatus, PSXEditorStyles.InfoBox);
+                var prevColor = GUI.contentColor;
+                GUI.contentColor = PSXEditorStyles.Success;
+                GUILayout.Label($"Current version: {_currentTag}", EditorStyles.miniLabel);
+                GUI.contentColor = prevColor;
             }
 
-            // If already cloned, show version management
-            if (PSXSplashInstaller.IsInstalled())
+            // Clone / Switch / Open buttons
+            EditorGUILayout.BeginHorizontal();
+            if (!PSXSplashInstaller.IsInstalled())
             {
-                EditorGUILayout.BeginHorizontal();
-                if (GUILayout.Button("Fetch Latest", EditorStyles.miniButton, GUILayout.Width(90)))
+                // Not installed yet — show Clone button
+                EditorGUI.BeginDisabledGroup(
+                    _isInstallingNative || _releaseDisplayNames.Length == 0 ||
+                    !PSXSplashInstaller.IsGitAvailable());
+                if (GUILayout.Button("Download Release", GUILayout.Width(130)))
                 {
-                    FetchNativeLatest();
+                    CloneNativeProject();
                 }
+                EditorGUI.EndDisabledGroup();
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                // Already installed — show Switch and Open buttons
+                EditorGUI.BeginDisabledGroup(
+                    _isSwitchingRelease || _isInstallingNative ||
+                    _releaseDisplayNames.Length == 0 || !PSXSplashInstaller.IsGitAvailable());
+                if (GUILayout.Button("Switch Release", EditorStyles.miniButton, GUILayout.Width(100)))
+                {
+                    SwitchNativeRelease();
+                }
+                EditorGUI.EndDisabledGroup();
+
                 if (GUILayout.Button("Open Folder", EditorStyles.miniButton, GUILayout.Width(90)))
                 {
                     EditorUtility.RevealInFinder(PSXSplashInstaller.FullInstallPath);
                 }
-                EditorGUILayout.EndHorizontal();
+            }
+            EditorGUILayout.EndHorizontal();
+
+            // Progress / status message
+            if (_isInstallingNative || _isSwitchingRelease)
+            {
+                GUILayout.Label(_nativeInstallStatus, PSXEditorStyles.InfoBox);
+            }
+
+            // Show release notes for selected release
+            if (_releaseDisplayNames.Length > 0 && _selectedReleaseIndex < PSXSplashInstaller.CachedReleases.Count)
+            {
+                var selected = PSXSplashInstaller.CachedReleases[_selectedReleaseIndex];
+                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(selected.Body))
+                {
+                    EditorGUILayout.Space(2);
+                    string trimmedNotes = selected.Body.Length > 200
+                        ? selected.Body.Substring(0, 200) + "..."
+                        : selected.Body;
+                    GUILayout.Label(trimmedNotes, EditorStyles.wordWrappedMiniLabel);
+                }
             }
 
             EditorGUILayout.Space(6);
@@ -1840,34 +1911,99 @@ namespace SplashEdit.EditorCode
             }
         }
 
-        // ───── Native Project Clone/Fetch ─────
+        // ───── Release fetching & management ─────
 
-        private async void CloneNativeProject()
+        private async void FetchGitHubReleases()
         {
-            _isInstallingNative = true;
-            _nativeInstallStatus = "Cloning psxsplash repository (this may take a minute)...";
+            _isFetchingReleases = true;
             Repaint();
 
-            Log("Cloning psxsplash native project from GitHub...", LogType.Log);
-
             try
             {
-                bool success = await PSXSplashInstaller.Install();
-                if (success)
+                var releases = await PSXSplashInstaller.FetchReleasesAsync();
+                if (releases.Count > 0)
                 {
-                    Log("psxsplash cloned successfully!", LogType.Log);
-                    _nativeInstallStatus = "";
-                    RefreshToolchainStatus();
+                    _releaseDisplayNames = releases
+                        .Select(r =>
+                        {
+                            string label = r.TagName;
+                            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(r.Name) && r.Name != r.TagName)
+                                label += $" — {r.Name}";
+                            if (r.IsPrerelease)
+                                label += " (pre-release)";
+                            return label;
+                        })
+                        .ToArray();
+
+                    // Try to select the currently checked-out tag
+                    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(_currentTag))
+                    {
+                        int idx = releases.FindIndex(r => r.TagName == _currentTag);
+                        if (idx >= 0) _selectedReleaseIndex = idx;
+                    }
+
+                    _selectedReleaseIndex = Mathf.Clamp(_selectedReleaseIndex, 0, _releaseDisplayNames.Length - 1);
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    Log("Clone failed. Check console for errors.", LogType.Error);
-                    _nativeInstallStatus = "Clone failed — check console for details.";
+                    _releaseDisplayNames = new string[0];
                 }
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                Log($"Clone error: {ex.Message}", LogType.Error);
+                Log($"Failed to fetch releases: {ex.Message}", LogType.Warning);
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                _isFetchingReleases = false;
+                Repaint();
+            }
+        }
+
+        private void RefreshCurrentTag()
+        {
+            _currentTag = PSXSplashInstaller.GetCurrentTag() ?? "";
+        }
+
+        // ───── Native Project Clone/Switch ─────
+
+        private async void CloneNativeProject()
+        {
+            if (_selectedReleaseIndex < 0 || _selectedReleaseIndex >= PSXSplashInstaller.CachedReleases.Count)
+                return;
+
+            string tag = PSXSplashInstaller.CachedReleases[_selectedReleaseIndex].TagName;
+
+            _isInstallingNative = true;
+            _nativeInstallStatus = $"Downloading psxsplash {tag} (this may take a minute)...";
+            Repaint();
+
+            Log($"Downloading psxsplash {tag} from GitHub...", LogType.Log);
+
+            try
+            {
+                bool success = await PSXSplashInstaller.InstallRelease(tag, msg =>
+                {
+                    _nativeInstallStatus = msg;
+                    Repaint();
+                });
+
+                if (success)
+                {
+                    Log($"psxsplash {tag} downloaded successfully!", LogType.Log);
+                    _nativeInstallStatus = "";
+                    RefreshToolchainStatus();
+                    RefreshCurrentTag();
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    Log("Download failed. Check console for errors.", LogType.Error);
+                    _nativeInstallStatus = "Download failed — check console for details.";
+                }
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                Log($"Download error: {ex.Message}", LogType.Error);
                 _nativeInstallStatus = $"Error: {ex.Message}";
             }
             finally
@@ -1877,22 +2013,55 @@ namespace SplashEdit.EditorCode
             }
         }
 
-        private async void FetchNativeLatest()
+        private async void SwitchNativeRelease()
         {
-            Log("Fetching latest changes...", LogType.Log);
+            if (_selectedReleaseIndex < 0 || _selectedReleaseIndex >= PSXSplashInstaller.CachedReleases.Count)
+                return;
+
+            string tag = PSXSplashInstaller.CachedReleases[_selectedReleaseIndex].TagName;
+
+            if (tag == _currentTag)
+            {
+                Log($"Already on {tag}.", LogType.Log);
+                return;
+            }
+
+            _isSwitchingRelease = true;
+            _nativeInstallStatus = $"Switching to {tag}...";
+            Repaint();
+
+            Log($"Switching native project to {tag}...", LogType.Log);
+
             try
             {
-                bool success = await PSXSplashInstaller.FetchLatestAsync();
+                bool success = await PSXSplashInstaller.SwitchToReleaseAsync(tag, msg =>
+                {
+                    _nativeInstallStatus = msg;
+                    Repaint();
+                });
+
                 if (success)
-                    Log("Fetch complete. Use 'git pull' to apply updates.", LogType.Log);
+                {
+                    Log($"Switched to {tag}.", LogType.Log);
+                    _nativeInstallStatus = "";
+                    RefreshCurrentTag();
+                }
                 else
-                    Log("Fetch failed.", LogType.Warning);
+                {
+                    Log($"Failed to switch to {tag}.", LogType.Error);
+                    _nativeInstallStatus = "Switch failed — check console for details.";
+                }
             }
             catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                Log($"Fetch error: {ex.Message}", LogType.Error);
+                Log($"Switch error: {ex.Message}", LogType.Error);
+                _nativeInstallStatus = $"Error: {ex.Message}";
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                _isSwitchingRelease = false;
+                Repaint();
             }
-            Repaint();
         }
 
         // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
diff --git a/Editor/PSXSplashInstaller.cs b/Editor/PSXSplashInstaller.cs
index 525c2a2..3aa09d3 100644
--- a/Editor/PSXSplashInstaller.cs
+++ b/Editor/PSXSplashInstaller.cs
@@ -1,149 +1,307 @@
 using UnityEngine;
+using UnityEngine.Networking;
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
-using System;
 
 namespace SplashEdit.EditorCode
 {
-
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Manages downloading and updating the psxsplash native project from GitHub releases.
+    /// Uses the GitHub REST API (HTTP) to list releases and git to clone/checkout
+    /// (required for recursive submodule support).
+    /// </summary>
     public static class PSXSplashInstaller
     {
+        // ───── Public config ─────
+        public static readonly string RepoOwner = "psxsplash";
+        public static readonly string RepoName = "psxsplash";
         public static readonly string RepoUrl = "https://github.com/psxsplash/psxsplash.git";
         public static readonly string InstallPath = "Assets/psxsplash";
         public static readonly string FullInstallPath;
 
+        private static readonly string GitHubApiReleasesUrl =
+            $"https://api.github.com/repos/{RepoOwner}/{RepoName}/releases";
+
+        // ───── Cached release list ─────
+        private static List<ReleaseInfo> _cachedReleases = new List<ReleaseInfo>();
+        private static bool _isFetchingReleases;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Represents a GitHub release.
+        /// </summary>
+        [Serializable]
+        public class ReleaseInfo
+        {
+            public string TagName;      // e.g. "v1.2.0"
+            public string Name;         // human-readable name
+            public string Body;         // release notes (markdown)
+            public string PublishedAt;  // ISO 8601 date
+            public bool IsPrerelease;
+            public bool IsDraft;
+        }
+
         static PSXSplashInstaller()
         {
             FullInstallPath = Path.Combine(Application.dataPath, "psxsplash");
         }
 
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+        // Queries
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+        /// <summary>Is the native project cloned on disk?</summary>
         public static bool IsInstalled()
         {
             return Directory.Exists(FullInstallPath) &&
                    Directory.EnumerateFileSystemEntries(FullInstallPath).Any();
         }
 
-        public static async Task<bool> Install()
-        {
-            if (IsInstalled()) return true;
+        /// <summary>Are we currently fetching releases from GitHub?</summary>
+        public static bool IsFetchingReleases => _isFetchingReleases;
 
+        /// <summary>Cached list of releases (call FetchReleasesAsync to populate).</summary>
+        public static IReadOnlyList<ReleaseInfo> CachedReleases => _cachedReleases;
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Returns the tag currently checked out, or null if unknown / not a git repo.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static string GetCurrentTag()
+        {
+            if (!IsInstalled()) return null;
             try
             {
-                // Create the parent directory if it doesn't exist
-                Directory.CreateDirectory(Application.dataPath);
-
-                // Clone the repository
-                var result = await RunGitCommandAsync($"clone --recursive {RepoUrl} \"{FullInstallPath}\"", Application.dataPath);
-                return !result.Contains("error");
+                string result = RunGitCommandSync("describe --tags --exact-match HEAD", FullInstallPath);
+                return string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(result) ? null : result.Trim();
             }
-            catch (Exception e)
+            catch
             {
-                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"Failed to install PSXSplash: {e.Message}");
-                return false;
+                return null;
             }
         }
 
-        public static async Task<Dictionary<string, string>> GetBranchesWithLatestCommitsAsync()
-        {
-            if (!IsInstalled()) return new Dictionary<string, string>();
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+        // Fetch Releases (HTTP — no git required)
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Fetches the list of releases from the GitHub REST API.
+        /// Does NOT require git — uses UnityWebRequest.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static async Task<List<ReleaseInfo>> FetchReleasesAsync()
+        {
+            _isFetchingReleases = true;
             try
             {
-                // Fetch all branches and tags
-                await RunGitCommandAsync("fetch --all", FullInstallPath);
-
-                // Get all remote branches
-                var branchesOutput = await RunGitCommandAsync("branch -r", FullInstallPath);
-                var branches = branchesOutput.Split('\n')
-                    .Where(b => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(b.Trim()))
-                    .Select(b => b.Trim().Replace("origin/", ""))
-                    .Where(b => !b.Contains("HEAD"))
-                    .ToList();
-
-                var branchesWithCommits = new Dictionary<string, string>();
-
-                // Get the latest commit for each branch
-                foreach (var branch in branches)
+                string json = await HttpGetAsync(GitHubApiReleasesUrl);
+                if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(json))
                 {
-                    var commitOutput = await RunGitCommandAsync($"log origin/{branch} -1 --pretty=format:%h", FullInstallPath);
-                    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(commitOutput))
-                    {
-                        branchesWithCommits[branch] = commitOutput.Trim();
-                    }
+                    UnityEngine.Debug.LogWarning("[PSXSplashInstaller] Failed to fetch releases from GitHub.");
+                    return _cachedReleases;
                 }
 
-                return branchesWithCommits;
-            }
-            catch (Exception e)
-            {
-                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"Failed to get branches: {e.Message}");
-                return new Dictionary<string, string>();
-            }
-        }
-
-        public static async Task<List<string>> GetReleasesAsync()
-        {
-            if (!IsInstalled()) return new List<string>();
-
-            try
-            {
-                await RunGitCommandAsync("fetch --tags", FullInstallPath);
-                var output = await RunGitCommandAsync("tag -l", FullInstallPath);
-
-                return output.Split('\n')
-                    .Where(t => !string.IsNullOrEmpty(t.Trim()))
-                    .Select(t => t.Trim())
+                var releases = ParseReleasesJson(json);
+                // Filter out drafts, sort by newest first
+                releases = releases
+                    .Where(r => !r.IsDraft)
+                    .OrderByDescending(r => r.PublishedAt)
                     .ToList();
+
+                _cachedReleases = releases;
+                return releases;
             }
-            catch (Exception e)
+            catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"Failed to get releases: {e.Message}");
-                return new List<string>();
+                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"[PSXSplashInstaller] Error fetching releases: {ex.Message}");
+                return _cachedReleases;
+            }
+            finally
+            {
+                _isFetchingReleases = false;
             }
         }
 
-        public static async Task<bool> CheckoutVersionAsync(string version)
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+        // Install / Clone at a specific release tag
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Clones the repository at the specified release tag with --recursive.
+        /// Uses a shallow clone (--depth 1) for speed.
+        /// Requires git to be installed (submodules cannot be fetched via HTTP archives).
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="tag">The release tag to clone, e.g. "v1.2.0". If null, clones the default branch.</param>
+        /// <param name="onProgress">Optional progress callback.</param>
+        public static async Task<bool> InstallRelease(string tag, Action<string> onProgress = null)
         {
-            if (!IsInstalled()) return false;
+            if (IsInstalled())
+            {
+                onProgress?.Invoke("Already installed. Use SwitchToRelease to change version.");
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            if (!IsGitAvailable())
+            {
+                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError(
+                    "[PSXSplashInstaller] git is required for recursive submodule clone but was not found on PATH.\n" +
+                    "Please install git: https://git-scm.com/downloads");
+                return false;
+            }
 
             try
             {
-                // If it's a branch name, checkout the branch
-                // If it's a commit hash, checkout the commit
-                var result = await RunGitCommandAsync($"checkout {version}", FullInstallPath);
-                var result2 = await RunGitCommandAsync("submodule update --init --recursive", FullInstallPath);
+                Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.GetDirectoryName(FullInstallPath));
 
-                return !result.Contains("error") && !result2.Contains("error");
+                string branchArg = string.IsNullOrEmpty(tag) ? "" : $"--branch {tag}";
+                string cmd = $"clone --recursive --depth 1 {branchArg} {RepoUrl} \"{FullInstallPath}\"";
+
+                onProgress?.Invoke($"Cloning {RepoUrl} at {tag ?? "HEAD"}...");
+                string result = await RunGitCommandAsync(cmd, Application.dataPath, onProgress);
+
+                if (!IsInstalled())
+                {
+                    UnityEngine.Debug.LogError("[PSXSplashInstaller] Clone completed but directory is empty.");
+                    return false;
+                }
+
+                onProgress?.Invoke("Clone complete.");
+                return true;
             }
-            catch (Exception e)
+            catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"Failed to checkout version: {e.Message}");
+                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"[PSXSplashInstaller] Clone failed: {ex.Message}");
                 return false;
             }
         }
 
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Switches an existing clone to a different release tag.
+        /// Fetches tags, checks out the tag, and updates submodules recursively.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static async Task<bool> SwitchToReleaseAsync(string tag, Action<string> onProgress = null)
+        {
+            if (!IsInstalled())
+            {
+                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError("[PSXSplashInstaller] Not installed — clone first.");
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            if (!IsGitAvailable())
+            {
+                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError("[PSXSplashInstaller] git not found on PATH.");
+                return false;
+            }
+
+            try
+            {
+                onProgress?.Invoke("Fetching tags...");
+                await RunGitCommandAsync("fetch --tags --depth=1", FullInstallPath, onProgress);
+                await RunGitCommandAsync($"fetch origin tag {tag} --no-tags", FullInstallPath, onProgress);
+
+                onProgress?.Invoke($"Checking out {tag}...");
+                await RunGitCommandAsync($"checkout {tag}", FullInstallPath, onProgress);
+
+                onProgress?.Invoke("Updating submodules...");
+                await RunGitCommandAsync("submodule update --init --recursive", FullInstallPath, onProgress);
+
+                onProgress?.Invoke($"Switched to {tag}.");
+                return true;
+            }
+            catch (Exception ex)
+            {
+                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"[PSXSplashInstaller] Switch failed: {ex.Message}");
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Legacy compatibility: Install without specifying a tag (clones default branch).
+        /// </summary>
+        public static Task<bool> Install()
+        {
+            return InstallRelease(null);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Fetches latest remote data (tags, branches).
+        /// Requires git.
+        /// </summary>
         public static async Task<bool> FetchLatestAsync()
         {
             if (!IsInstalled()) return false;
 
             try
             {
-                var result = await RunGitCommandAsync("fetch --all", FullInstallPath);
-                return !result.Contains("error");
+                await RunGitCommandAsync("fetch --all --tags", FullInstallPath);
+                return true;
             }
-            catch (Exception e)
+            catch (Exception ex)
             {
-                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"Failed to fetch latest: {e.Message}");
+                UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"[PSXSplashInstaller] Fetch failed: {ex.Message}");
                 return false;
             }
         }
 
-        private static async Task<string> RunGitCommandAsync(string arguments, string workingDirectory)
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+        // Git helpers
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Checks whether git is available on the system PATH.
+        /// </summary>
+        public static bool IsGitAvailable()
         {
-            var processInfo = new ProcessStartInfo
+            try
+            {
+                var psi = new ProcessStartInfo
+                {
+                    FileName = "git",
+                    Arguments = "--version",
+                    UseShellExecute = false,
+                    RedirectStandardOutput = true,
+                    RedirectStandardError = true,
+                    CreateNoWindow = true
+                };
+                using (var p = Process.Start(psi))
+                {
+                    p.WaitForExit(5000);
+                    return p.ExitCode == 0;
+                }
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return false;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static string RunGitCommandSync(string arguments, string workingDirectory)
+        {
+            var psi = new ProcessStartInfo
+            {
+                FileName = "git",
+                Arguments = arguments,
+                WorkingDirectory = workingDirectory,
+                UseShellExecute = false,
+                RedirectStandardOutput = true,
+                RedirectStandardError = true,
+                CreateNoWindow = true
+            };
+
+            using (var process = Process.Start(psi))
+            {
+                string output = process.StandardOutput.ReadToEnd();
+                process.WaitForExit(10000);
+                return output;
+            }
+        }
+
+        private static async Task<string> RunGitCommandAsync(
+            string arguments, string workingDirectory, Action<string> onProgress = null)
+        {
+            var psi = new ProcessStartInfo
             {
                 FileName = "git",
                 Arguments = arguments,
@@ -156,47 +314,136 @@ namespace SplashEdit.EditorCode
 
             using (var process = new Process())
             {
-                process.StartInfo = processInfo;
-                var outputBuilder = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
-                var errorBuilder = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
+                process.StartInfo = psi;
+                process.EnableRaisingEvents = true;
 
-                process.OutputDataReceived += (sender, e) =>
+                var stdout = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
+                var stderr = new System.Text.StringBuilder();
+
+                process.OutputDataReceived += (s, e) =>
                 {
                     if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(e.Data))
-                        outputBuilder.AppendLine(e.Data);
+                    {
+                        stdout.AppendLine(e.Data);
+                        onProgress?.Invoke(e.Data);
+                    }
                 };
-
-                process.ErrorDataReceived += (sender, e) =>
+                process.ErrorDataReceived += (s, e) =>
                 {
                     if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(e.Data))
-                        errorBuilder.AppendLine(e.Data);
+                    {
+                        stderr.AppendLine(e.Data);
+                        // git writes progress to stderr (clone progress, etc.)
+                        onProgress?.Invoke(e.Data);
+                    }
                 };
 
+                var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<int>();
+                process.Exited += (s, e) => tcs.TrySetResult(process.ExitCode);
+
                 process.Start();
                 process.BeginOutputReadLine();
                 process.BeginErrorReadLine();
 
-                var timeout = TimeSpan.FromMinutes(10);
-                if (await Task.Run(() => process.WaitForExit((int)timeout.TotalMilliseconds)))
+                var timeoutTask = Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromMinutes(10));
+                var completedTask = await Task.WhenAny(tcs.Task, timeoutTask);
+
+                if (completedTask == timeoutTask)
                 {
-                    process.WaitForExit(); // Ensure all output is processed
-
-                    string output = outputBuilder.ToString();
-                    string error = errorBuilder.ToString();
-
-                    if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(error))
-                    {
-                        UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"Git error: {error}");
-                    }
-
-                    return output;
+                    try { process.Kill(); } catch { }
+                    throw new TimeoutException("Git command timed out after 10 minutes.");
                 }
+
+                int exitCode = await tcs.Task;
+                process.Dispose();
+
+                string output = stdout.ToString();
+                string error = stderr.ToString();
+
+                if (exitCode != 0)
+                {
+                    UnityEngine.Debug.LogError($"[git {arguments}] exit code {exitCode}\n{error}");
+                }
+
+                return output + error;
+            }
+        }
+
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+        // HTTP helpers (no git needed)
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+        private static Task<string> HttpGetAsync(string url)
+        {
+            var tcs = new TaskCompletionSource<string>();
+            var request = UnityWebRequest.Get(url);
+            request.SetRequestHeader("User-Agent", "SplashEdit-Unity");
+            request.SetRequestHeader("Accept", "application/vnd.github.v3+json");
+
+            var op = request.SendWebRequest();
+            op.completed += _ =>
+            {
+                if (request.result == UnityWebRequest.Result.Success)
+                    tcs.TrySetResult(request.downloadHandler.text);
                 else
                 {
-                    process.Kill();
-                    throw new TimeoutException("Git command timed out");
+                    UnityEngine.Debug.LogWarning($"[PSXSplashInstaller] HTTP GET {url} failed: {request.error}");
+                    tcs.TrySetResult(null);
                 }
+                request.Dispose();
+            };
+
+            return tcs.Task;
+        }
+
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+        // JSON parsing (minimal, avoids external dependency)
+        // ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Minimal JSON parser for the GitHub releases API response.
+        /// Uses Unity's JsonUtility via a wrapper since it can't parse top-level arrays.
+        /// </summary>
+        private static List<ReleaseInfo> ParseReleasesJson(string json)
+        {
+            var releases = new List<ReleaseInfo>();
+
+            string wrapped = "{\"items\":" + json + "}";
+            var wrapper = JsonUtility.FromJson<GitHubReleaseArrayWrapper>(wrapped);
+
+            if (wrapper?.items == null) return releases;
+
+            foreach (var item in wrapper.items)
+            {
+                releases.Add(new ReleaseInfo
+                {
+                    TagName = item.tag_name ?? "",
+                    Name = item.name ?? item.tag_name ?? "",
+                    Body = item.body ?? "",
+                    PublishedAt = item.published_at ?? "",
+                    IsPrerelease = item.prerelease,
+                    IsDraft = item.draft
+                });
             }
+
+            return releases;
+        }
+
+        [Serializable]
+        private class GitHubReleaseArrayWrapper
+        {
+            public GitHubReleaseJson[] items;
+        }
+
+        [Serializable]
+        private class GitHubReleaseJson
+        {
+            public string tag_name;
+            public string name;
+            public string body;
+            public string published_at;
+            public bool prerelease;
+            public bool draft;
         }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file