Penko Vox: Japanese
Learn Japanese by talking
Our complete app for learning Japanese. A local-first AI immersion engine with 38 conversation scenarios across JLPT N5 to N1, plus your own custom scenarios, and a private AI tutor that listens, speaks, and gently corrects you, all running offline on your own computer. No cloud, no subscriptions.
- 38 Scenarios · N5–N1
- 100% Offline AI Tutor
- Voice Calls
- Kana & Kanji Writing
- Kotoba Islands RPG
Windows · Linux · Steam Deck
Price varies by region. See the current price on Steam.
Runs a full AI model on your PC: needs an AVX2 CPU and at least 16 GB of RAM. Check the requirements
Every purchase directly funds the free apps.
See it in action
New in v2.1
- Kotoba Islands, an RPG where you talk freely with every resident
- Natural voice calls, with turn-taking, interrupting and echo cancellation
- A new Study Hub with FSRS spaced repetition, plus an offline dictionary with tap-to-lookup
- Controller and Steam Deck support (experimental)
How it works: everything runs on your computer
Listens
Speech recognition and word-by-word analysis of your Japanese, running locally.
Thinks
An offline AI tutor keeps the conversation going and adapts the story to what you say.
Corrects
Gentle corrections are woven into the dialogue, so you learn without breaking the flow.
Speaks
Natural-sounding Japanese speech, generated on your own machine.
Features
Kotoba Islands
An RPG where you explore and talk freely with every resident, using the Japanese you're learning.
Natural voice calls
Speak out loud with natural turn-taking. You can interrupt, and echo cancellation lets you use speakers.
Study Hub and dictionary
Words you meet go into reviews scheduled with FSRS spaced repetition, and an offline dictionary lets you tap any word to look it up.
Writing practice
Practice writing hiragana, katakana, beginner kanji and words, with real-time visual feedback.
Mastery by using it
Your progress grows when you use a word or grammar pattern correctly in a real conversation, not by flipping flashcards.
Private and offline
Your voice, lookups and conversations never leave your computer. No accounts, no cloud, no telemetry.
Yours to keep
A one-time purchase. No subscriptions, no token limits and no usage tiers.
Steam Achievements · Steam Cloud · Family Sharing
Just want to practice languages for fun? Penko Adventure is free and covers 12 languages. Vox is our in-depth app for truly learning Japanese.
The Early Access plan
Local AI language learning is changing fast, so we launched in Early Access to shape Penko Vox together with students and language learners.
We plan the full release for August 2027. Until then, updates add content and improvements regularly.
The price is lower during Early Access and will rise gradually as major updates ship.
We read the Steam Community forums and run polls there so players can vote on the next scenarios.
Planned for the full release
- A much larger library of conversation scenarios
- More specialized JLPT learning paths
- More voice options for speech synthesis
- Deeper progress analytics and more Steam features
System requirements
Penko Vox runs a full AI language model on your own computer, so performance depends on your hardware. A CPU with AVX2 support is required.
Windows
| — | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (64-bit) | Windows 11 (64-bit) |
| Processor | Quad-core CPU with AVX2 (Intel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 3 3100) | 6 cores / 12 threads or better (Intel Core i5-12400 / AMD Ryzen 5 5600X) |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 630 / AMD Radeon Vega 8 (DirectX 11) | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 / RTX 3060 (4 GB+ VRAM) or AMD Radeon RX 6600 (DirectX 12) |
| Storage | 15 GB available space | 20 GB available space |
| Sound | Windows-compatible sound card | Windows-compatible sound card |
| Notes | AVX2 support required; SSD strongly recommended | An SSD and a dedicated GPU give the fastest responses |
SteamOS + Linux
| — | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | SteamOS 3.0 or a modern Linux (Fedora 40+, Ubuntu 22.04+) | SteamOS 3.5+ or Fedora 43 |
| Processor | Quad-core CPU with AVX2 (Steam Deck APU / AMD Ryzen 3 / Intel Core i5) | AMD Ryzen 5 5600G / Intel Core i7 (10th gen) or better |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| Graphics | Integrated or dedicated GPU with Vulkan support | Dedicated GPU with 4 GB+ VRAM and Vulkan support |
| Storage | 15 GB available space | 20 GB available space |
| Sound | PulseAudio or PipeWire | PulseAudio or PipeWire |
| Notes | Tested on Steam Deck; AVX2 required | An NVMe SSD gives the fastest conversational responses |
Languages
The interface and subtitles are available in 8 languages. The tutor speaks Japanese, the language you're learning.
| Languages | Interface | Audio | Subtitles |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | |||
| French | |||
| German | |||
| Japanese | |||
| Korean | |||
| Simplified Chinese | |||
| Latin American Spanish | |||
| Vietnamese |
About the AI
Penko Vox: Japanese uses generative AI that runs locally. A large language model acts as your Japanese tutor and writes dialogue in real time based on what you say, and a neural text-to-speech engine voices it. Like any AI, it can make mistakes, so treat it as a practice partner rather than an authority.
For schools & universities
Penko Vox: Japanese is available for classroom pilots and yearly institutional licences. It runs entirely on each computer and collects no personal data, so it's ready for the classroom.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an internet connection?
Not to use it. Once installed through Steam, the AI, speech recognition and speech synthesis all run on your computer.
Is my voice recorded or uploaded?
No. Microphone audio is processed on your computer and is never uploaded or stored.
Why does it need 16 GB of RAM and an AVX2 CPU?
Penko Vox runs a full AI language model locally instead of on a server. That needs memory and a CPU with AVX2 instructions. It's what keeps your data private and the app usable offline.
Does it work on Steam Deck?
Yes. It has been tested on Steam Deck, and controller support arrived in version 2.1 as an experimental feature.
Is there a Mac version?
Not at the moment. Penko Vox is available for Windows and Linux, including SteamOS.
What level of Japanese do I need?
Conversation scenarios range from JLPT N5 (beginner) to N1 (advanced), and writing practice helps if you're just starting to read.
Is it a subscription?
No. It's a one-time purchase on Steam, with no subscriptions, token limits or usage tiers.
Is the AI always right?
No. It's a strong practice partner, but it can make mistakes. For exams or important translations, double-check with a teacher or a reliable reference.
Is Penko Vox open source?
No. Penko Vox is a closed-source paid app. Its sales fund Penko Plaza, our free, open-source apps.
Can I get a refund?
Purchases are made through Steam, so Steam's refund policy applies.
Support
Stuck, found a bug, or have an idea? Read the getting-started guide, ask on the Steam forums, or email us.
Learn Japanese by talking