miHoYo's 'BSide: Olivia Lin' Launches Free Early Access on Steam
The app is currently unavailable in Japan, suggesting a limited initial release strategy that may prioritize other regions before expanding.
Key Facts
- miHoYo launched 'BSide: Olivia Lin' in early access on Steam on July 13, 2026.
- The app has received over 450 user reviews, with 85% being positive, earning a 'Very Positive' rating.
- The software is free to use during early access, which is scheduled to last until the end of 2026.
- The app is currently not available in Japan, and no future release plans for the region have been announced.
- Users can upload MIDI files to generate music videos and write letters to the AI character Olivia Lin.
Reporting from 3 sources: 4Gamer.net, Inside, Game Spark.
miHoYo launched early access for its PC desktop app 'BSide: Olivia Lin' on Steam on July 13, 2026. The free software is a music and letter interaction tool centered on a fictional character, Olivia Lin, a Shanghai university student majoring in piano and minoring in psychology. Users can listen to her performances of classical pieces and Genshin Impact tracks, upload MIDI files to generate music videos, and write letters to Olivia, who responds via AI-generated text. As of the article date, over 450 Steam user reviews have been submitted, with 85% rating the app positively, earning a 'Very Positive' overall score. The early access period is scheduled to run until the end of 2026, during which the developer plans to improve music playback, video generation, and letter functions based on user feedback. The app is currently not available for download in Japan, and no future release plans for the region have been announced.
The character Olivia Lin (Lin Li) is described as a Shanghai native, a piano major with a minor in psychology, who conducts personal research on 'music and memory.' Her responses are generated or assisted by AI, handling letter text, creative advice, and music-related explanations. The letter function currently returns replies in Chinese even if the user writes in Japanese, according to one source. Early access began on July 13 and is intended for iterative polishing; the developer is asking for feedback on video generation quality, playback experience, and letter interaction. Basic experiences, including music listening and MIDI video generation, will remain free after the early access period ends. The app is a 'new-sensation simulation' of interacting with a female character, with realistic graphics. The 'Very Positive' rating is based on over 450 reviews at the time of reporting. The store page is not accessible from Japan, but it has been confirmed that the page can be viewed using special methods while logged out of a Japanese account.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.