# What's New in CrossPoint 1.5.0 and 1.6.0rc for Xteink X3, X4, and X4 Pro
Source: https://pocketink.io/blog/crosspoint-1-5-1-6-whats-new/
Updated: 2026-08-30

CrossPoint **1.5.0** (stable, 7 Aug 2026) added an offline StarDict dictionary, finished Arabic/Farsi/Urdu RTL, opened big books in seconds, and upgraded KOReader sync. **1.6.0rc** (pre-release, 17 Aug 2026) is the first official X4 Pro build, plus reader Night Mode and dictionary polish. Flash CrossPoint 1.5.0 for those X3 and original-X4 reading features. Flash 1.6.0rc only if you have an X4 Pro or want the RC extras. Stay on 1.4.x if that already does your reading. To install either build, use the [CrossPoint flash guide](/blog/flash-crosspoint-xteink-x3-x4/).

<p class="kicker">CrossPoint 1.5.0 stable · 1.6.0rc for X4 Pro</p>

<div class="stats">
  <div class="stat">
    <span class="stat__num">1.5.0</span>
    <span class="stat__label">latest stable CrossPoint for the Xteink X3 and original X4, published 7 Aug 2026</span>
    <span class="stat__src">CrossPoint v1.5.0 on GitHub</span>
  </div>
  <div class="stat">
    <span class="stat__num">1.6.0rc</span>
    <span class="stat__label">first official X4 Pro image, still a pre-release as of 17 Aug 2026</span>
    <span class="stat__src">CrossPoint 1.6.0rc on GitHub</span>
  </div>
</div>

Current tags are on the [firmware hub](/firmware/) and the [CrossPoint firmware page](/firmware/crosspoint/). This page follows GitHub: Night Mode is in 1.6.0rc, not 1.5.0.

## What's new in CrossPoint 1.5.0 vs 1.6.0rc?

CrossPoint 1.5.0 is the X3 and original-X4 stable reading upgrade. CrossPoint 1.6.0rc is mostly post-1.5.0 fixes plus official X4 Pro support and reader Night Mode.

<p class="kicker">The two current CrossPoint lines</p>

<div class="compare">
  <div class="compare__col">
    <p class="compare__head">1.5.0 <span class="pill pill--ok">Stable</span></p>
    <p>StarDict dictionary, Arabic/Farsi/Urdu RTL finished, big books open in about 5 seconds, KOSync custom server plus Sign Up plus metadata, what-to-read-next, and a text-settings rework. Ships for the Xteink X3 and original X4. No X4 Pro image.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="compare__col">
    <p class="compare__head">1.6.0rc <span class="pill pill--flame">X4 Pro / RC</span></p>
    <p>Official X4 Pro binary (front light, swipe, capacitive Home key), reader Night Mode (in-reader invert only), transparent sleep overlays, and dictionary <code>.syn</code> plus HTML defs. Still a release candidate. X3 and original X4 can take this bin for the extras; the X4 Pro must.</p>
  </div>
</div>

<span class="pill">Dictionary</span> <span class="pill">RTL</span> <span class="pill">KOSync</span> <span class="pill">Night Mode</span> <span class="pill">Transparent sleep</span>

## What did CrossPoint 1.5.0 add on the Xteink X3 and X4?

CrossPoint 1.5.0 added a StarDict dictionary, finished Arabic/Farsi/Urdu RTL, opened large books in about five seconds, upgraded KOSync, unified text settings, and a "what to read next" prompt. It did **not** add Night Mode, X4 Pro support, or Hardcover on the device.

The [v1.5.0 release notes](https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-reader/releases/tag/v1.5.0) are the receipt for every item below.

- **StarDict dictionary.** Drop dictionary files on the SD card under `/dictionaries/` or `/.dictionaries/`. Reader → Dictionary appears only after a usable folder exists. Dictionaries are not bundled; you bring the files. [The eBook Reader](https://blog.the-ebook-reader.com/2026/08/08/crosspoint-1-5-for-xteink-x3-and-x4-adds-dictionary-support/) notes you still have to select the dictionary in settings after copying it: the setting "won't appear until one is installed."
- **RTL finished.** 1.4.0 started RTL in EPUB and TXT plus a Hebrew UI. 1.5.0 finishes Arabic, Farsi, and Urdu (bidi, shaping, Arabic UI fonts) and adds Hebrew niqqud.
- **Big books in about 5 seconds.** First open used to take minutes. 1.5.0 lazy-indexes sections in the background.
- **KOSync.** Custom servers, Sign Up on the device, and metadata uploads. An empty URL now hits `https://sync.crosspointreader.com`. Credentials from `sync.koreader.rocks` do not transfer. See the project's user guide.
- **What to read next** when a book ends, plus unified text settings with live preview and a selection popup for three or more choices.
- **CJK improved, not first-class.** Chinese SD UI fonts can slow menus. The release notes say this explicitly.
- **New X3 and X4 hardware variants.** Older CrossPoint builds can blank the screen or drain in a day on some newer internals. 1.5.0 claims to handle the identified variants.
- **No X4 Pro in this build.** Pro support was a site beta then. It is now the 1.6.0rc image.
- **Seeed Sticky** (first ESP32-S3 target) is in 1.5.0. It is not the Xteink story.

Other 1.5.0 notes: Vollkorn, auto Wi-Fi reconnect plus hidden SSIDs, web UI image previews plus serial, OPDS folder and format filters, and new translations (Norwegian Bokmål, Indonesian, Bosnian).

## What did CrossPoint 1.6.0rc add, including X4 Pro?

CrossPoint 1.6.0rc officially adds an X4 Pro (and PaperMono) binary, reader Night Mode, transparent sleep overlays, and dictionary `.syn` plus HTML definitions. It is still a **release candidate**. Stable for the Xteink X3 and original X4 remains 1.5.0.

The 1.6.0rc notes ship a dedicated `x4pro-1.6.0_beta_RC02.bin` with front light, swipe, and a capacitive Home key. Polish is still open: lowest brightness and a dedicated light toggle remain open tracker issues. One owner starting in the dark wrote, "you need to find the setting blind or use your smartphone."

Reader Night Mode inverts the **reader only**. Page refreshes flash white. The UI and sleep screen stay white. That is not system-wide dark mode, and it is not in 1.5.0.

Transparent PNG/BMP sleep overlays live in `.sleep`. Dictionary lookup gains `.syn` synonym files and HTML definitions rendered through the EPUB engine. Smaller extras: Extra Wide line spacing, show Wi-Fi/KOReader/OPDS passwords while typing, skip the boot screen, EPUB tables as columns, and KOSync accepting any 2xx (per the tracker).

Do not treat 1.6.0rc as a battery upgrade. A ~3.2× light-sleep figure was reverted (per the tracker); the drain fix stayed.

Open Pro reports to hedge the RC: one X4 Pro from xteink.com booted with a mirrored display and dead touch after the official web flasher; Home/touch back-stack issues are also tracked. Those are reports, not "every Pro is broken."

The X4 Pro hardware caveats (pogo pins, brightness floor on stock) still live in the [X4 Pro reality check](/blog/xteink-x4-pro-reality-check/). This page only updates the firmware line: official-but-RC as of 1.6.0rc, not beta-only as of 1.5.0.

## Should I update CrossPoint, or stay on 1.4.x?

Update to **CrossPoint 1.5.0** on an Xteink X3 or original X4 if you want dictionary, finished RTL, or faster big books. Take **1.6.0rc** only for an X4 Pro, or for Night Mode and transparent sleep overlays. Stay if 1.4.1 already reads fine, or if 1.5.0 already crashed your X3 for some users.

<div class="cards">
  <div class="tile">
    <p class="tile__kicker">X3 or original X4, 1.4.x is fine</p>
    <p class="tile__title">Stay on 1.4.1</p>
    <p>If CrossPoint 1.4.1 already opens your books, you do not owe 1.5.0 a flash. Skip it if 1.5.0 panic-looped with your library SD inserted.</p>
    <p class="tile__foot"><span class="pill">No rush</span></p>
  </div>
  <div class="tile">
    <p class="tile__kicker">X3 or original X4, want the 1.5 features</p>
    <p class="tile__title">Flash 1.5.0</p>
    <p>Dictionary, finished RTL, ~5s big-book open, and KOSync Sign Up. This is the current stable image. Do not flash the 1.5.0 <code>firmware.bin</code> onto an X4 Pro.</p>
    <p class="tile__foot"><span class="pill pill--ok">Stable</span></p>
  </div>
  <div class="tile">
    <p class="tile__kicker">X4 Pro, or you want Night Mode</p>
    <p class="tile__title">Flash 1.6.0rc</p>
    <p>The X4 Pro has no 1.5.0 image. Pick the Pro binary. X3 and original X4 can take the X3/X4 1.6.0rc bin for Night Mode and sleep overlays, knowing it is still RC.</p>
    <p class="tile__foot"><span class="pill">Release candidate</span></p>
  </div>
</div>

**Steps:**

1. **Name the device.** X4 Pro takes the 1.6.0rc Pro image, never the 1.5.0 X3/X4 `firmware.bin`.
2. **Name the job.** Dictionary, RTL, or big books: 1.5.0. Night Mode, transparent sleep, or Pro hardware: 1.6.0rc.
3. **Stay if 1.4 already works** and you do not need those features.
4. **If coming from 1.0.0 or earlier,** flash 1.4.1 first or settings reset.
5. **If 1.5.0 already panic-looped** with the library SD in (a known X3 crash report), stay on or return to 1.4.1 until that issue closes.

<div class="callout callout--warn">

<p class="kicker kicker--flame">Before you jump versions</p>

<p class="callout__title">1.6.0rc is a candidate, and old hardware paths still bite</p>

CrossPoint 1.6.0rc is a pre-release. Some newer X3/X4 internals blank or drain on old CrossPoint; 1.5.0 is the claimed fix for identified variants. Upgrading from **v1.0.0 or earlier** straight to 1.5.0 can reset settings unless you install 1.4.1 first. One X3 owner on 1.5.0 got a boot crash ("Errore di sistema") the moment the library SD went in; downgrading to 1.4.1 on the same card resolved it.

</div>

People leave stock for indexing, SD errors, and ghosting. That job is the [stock firmware issues](/blog/xteink-x4-stock-firmware-issues/) post, not this changelog.

## How do I flash CrossPoint 1.5.0 or 1.6.0rc?

The same paths as always. This page does not repeat them. Use the [CrossPoint flash guide](/blog/flash-crosspoint-xteink-x3-x4/).

Unlocked X3 or original X4: open the [web flasher](https://crosspointreader.com/) in desktop Chrome or Edge, wake the device, pick the model, and flash **1.5.0** (or the X3/X4 1.6.0rc bin if you want the RC). Unlocked X4 Pro: pick the **X4 Pro** 1.6.0rc image, not 1.5.0. Locked unit: USB stays locked; the OTA Unlocker does not turn USB back on; SD `update.bin` still works after you are on CrossPoint. Full steps, cables, Error 9, and recovery live on the flash guide, the [web-flasher page](/firmware/flash/web-flasher/), the [SD-card page](/firmware/flash/sd-card/), and the [OTA Unlocker page](/firmware/flash/ota-unlocker/). Test lock status with the [locked-or-unlocked buying guide](/blog/xteink-locked-or-unlocked-buying-guide/) if you have not already.

<div class="callout callout--warn">

<p class="kicker kicker--flame">Locked units</p>

<p class="callout__title">The OTA Unlocker does not re-enable USB</p>

After the Unlocker, USB flashing stays off. Later firmware still arrives via in-app SD or by running the Unlocker again. The Unlocker officially serves CrossPoint and CrossInk only. Never flash no-OTA forks (Papyrix) on a locked unit. On a locked X4, SD-from-stock is disputed: run the Unlocker first, then use SD after CrossPoint.

</div>

## Which devices does CrossPoint 1.5.0 and 1.6.0rc support?

CrossPoint 1.5.0 supports the Xteink X3 and original X4 (plus Sticky). CrossPoint 1.6.0rc supports those plus the **X4 Pro**. CrossInk is a typography/stats fork that tracked 1.5.0 one day later; its Pro support is a separate RC.

[CrossInk v1.5.0](https://github.com/uxjulia/CrossInk/releases/tag/v1.5.0) (8 Aug 2026) adds dictionary lookup. That tag is **not** X4 Pro compatible. Pro work is a newer pre-release tag (21 Aug 2026). Dictionary is no longer a reason to leave mainline CrossPoint for Vcodex. Vcodex still has flashcards, streaks, and a heatmap. For which firmware to flash at all, use the [firmware comparison](/blog/xteink-firmware-comparison-crosspoint-crossink-microreader-papyrix/) or the [chooser](/firmware/chooser/), not a second table here.

Original X4 shoppers: that SKU is gone. The replacement split is X3 vs X4 Pro on [what to buy now](/blog/xteink-x4-discontinued-what-to-buy/).

## How do I set up KOSync after 1.5.0, and where does Hardcover fit?

KOSync lives in Settings → System → KOReader Sync. An empty URL now hits **sync.crosspointreader.com**. Hardcover is a **server connector**, not an on-device 1.5.0 or 1.6.0rc feature.

<div class="callout">

<p class="kicker">Default KOSync URL</p>

<p class="callout__title">Empty no longer means koreader.rocks</p>

Leave the URL blank and CrossPoint uses `https://sync.crosspointreader.com`. That is a new account. A `sync.koreader.rocks` login does not exist there. To keep a legacy KOReader account, set the URL to `https://sync.koreader.rocks` explicitly (per the project's user guide).

</div>

Sign Up once on the first device; Authenticate on the others. Smart sync is the default for new configs (upload if nothing remote; apply remote if it is further; upload if local is further). Old credential files keep "Ask every time." The password is entered in plain text; CrossPoint MD5s it. CrossPoint 1.6.0rc accepts any 2xx from KOSync-compatible servers. What syncs is reading progress (percentage plus a location keyed by the document), not a literal page number. One X3 on 1.5.0 crashed during KOSync authenticate (a separate tracker report) while OPDS on the same device still worked.

Self-host the [KOReader sync server](https://github.com/koreader/koreader-sync-server) or [crosspoint-sync](https://github.com/crosspoint-reader/crosspoint-sync) if you want your own server. Hardcover and Readwise connectors belong on that server (`TOKEN_ENC_KEY`), not in the firmware. The project's scope doc closed new device-side network connectors.

<div class="callout callout--sunk">

<p class="kicker">Hardcover</p>

<p class="callout__title">Not a 1.5.0 or 1.6.0rc firmware feature</p>

There is no native Hardcover UI in mainline CrossPoint 1.5.0 or 1.6.0rc. A personal CrossInk-based X4 fork (CrossCover, unlocked only) is out of scope here.

</div>

A separate "Bluetooth Page Turner Beta" on the flasher site is not 1.5.0 stable, and it is not native BLE in 1.5.0 or 1.6.0rc mainline.

## FAQ

<details class="faq">
  <summary>Is CrossPoint 1.6.0rc stable?</summary>
  <p>No. CrossPoint 1.6.0rc is a pre-release. The latest stable CrossPoint is 1.5.0, published 7 Aug 2026, for the Xteink X3 and original X4.</p>
</details>
<details class="faq">
  <summary>Does CrossPoint 1.5.0 run on the X4 Pro?</summary>
  <p>No. CrossPoint 1.5.0 has no X4 Pro image. Flash the 1.6.0rc X4 Pro binary.</p>
</details>
<details class="faq">
  <summary>Did CrossPoint 1.5.0 add a dictionary?</summary>
  <p>Yes. CrossPoint 1.5.0 added StarDict lookup in mainline. You copy dictionary files onto the SD card; they are not bundled. Reader → Dictionary appears only after a usable <code>/dictionaries/</code> or <code>/.dictionaries/</code> folder exists.</p>
</details>
<details class="faq">
  <summary>Did CrossPoint 1.4.0 already have RTL?</summary>
  <p>Partial. CrossPoint 1.4.0 started RTL in EPUB and TXT plus a Hebrew UI. CrossPoint 1.5.0 finished Arabic, Farsi, and Urdu, with bidi, shaping, and Arabic UI fonts.</p>
</details>
<details class="faq">
  <summary>Did CrossPoint 1.5.0 or 1.6.0rc add Hardcover?</summary>
  <p>No. Hardcover is a sync-server connector, not an on-device setting in 1.5.0 or 1.6.0rc. Native Hardcover UI is a separate unlocked-only fork, not mainline.</p>
</details>
<details class="faq">
  <summary>Will the OTA Unlocker enable USB flashing?</summary>
  <p>No. The CrossPoint OTA Unlocker does not re-enable USB. After unlock, later builds still go on via SD <code>update.bin</code> or by running the Unlocker again.</p>
</details>
<details class="faq">
  <summary>Do I lose my books if I update CrossPoint?</summary>
  <p>The library lives on the SD card, and that usually survives. The documented risk is a <strong>settings reset</strong> if you jump from 1.0.0 or earlier to 1.5.0 without installing 1.4.1 first. There is no wipe guarantee either way.</p>
</details>
<details class="faq">
  <summary>Should CrossInk users update for dictionary or X4 Pro?</summary>
  <p>CrossInk v1.5.0 tracked CrossPoint's dictionary one day later and is not X4 Pro compatible. X4 Pro needs CrossInk v1.5.1-rc-4. For the CrossInk vs CrossPoint vs Vcodex split, use the firmware comparison.</p>
</details>