Node Sass Environment Compatibility Error on Windows

Problem Statement

When working with Node.js projects that use node-sass or gulp-sass, you may encounter the following error:

Error: Node Sass does not yet support your current environment: Windows 64-bit with Unsupported runtime (88)

This error occurs when your Node.js version is not compatible with the installed version of node-sass. The error message indicates that the required binary for your specific environment (Windows 64-bit with Node runtime version 88) is not available.

Root Cause

The issue arises because node-sass relies on pre-compiled binaries for specific Node.js versions. When you use a newer Node.js version (like v15.0.1 or higher), node-sass may not have the corresponding binary available, resulting in a 404 error when attempting to download it from GitHub.

As of 2020, Node Sass and LibSass are deprecated and no longer receiving new features or compatibility updates for newer Node.js versions.

Solutions

Recommended Solution: Migrate to Dart Sass

The Sass team recommends migrating to Dart Sass, which is the primary implementation of Sass and is maintained by the Sass core team.

DEPRECATION NOTICE

LibSass and Node Sass are deprecated. While they continue to receive maintenance releases, there are no plans to add new features or compatibility with newer CSS or Sass features.

Option 1: Replace node-sass with sass package

# Remove node-sass
npm uninstall node-sass

# Install Dart Sass implementation
npm install sass --save-dev

Option 2: Replace gulp-sass with gulp-dart-sass

If you're using Gulp, replace gulp-sass with gulp-dart-sass:

npm uninstall gulp-sass
npm install gulp-dart-sass --save-dev

Then update your Gulpfile:

const sass = require('gulp-dart-sass');

// Your gulp task remains the same
gulp.task('sass', function() {
  return gulp.src('./sass/**/*.scss')
    .pipe(sass().on('error', sass.logError))
    .pipe(gulp.dest('./css'));
});

Alternative Solutions (Temporary Fixes)

If you must continue using node-sass, consider these approaches:

Option 1: Downgrade Node.js Version

Downgrade to a Node.js version compatible with your node-sass version:

1. Uninstall current Node.js
2. Install Node.js LTS version (14.x recommended)
3. Reinstall dependencies:

npm cache clean --force
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

Option 2: Use Node Version Manager (nvm)

Install nvm to manage multiple Node.js versions:

# Install nvm-windows (for Windows)
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.1/install.sh | bash

# Install and use compatible Node.js version
nvm install 14.17.6
nvm use 14.17.6

Option 3: Specify Node Engine in package.json

Add engine specification to your package.json:

{
  "engines": {
    "node": "14.x"
  }
}

Prevention and Best Practices

1. Check compatibility between Node.js and node-sass versions before upgrading
2. Consider migrating to Dart Sass for long-term compatibility
3. Use Docker containers to isolate project environments and avoid version conflicts
4. Keep dependencies updated and check for deprecation notices regularly

Version Compatibility Reference

Here's a quick reference for node-sass and Node.js compatibility:

Node.js Version	Compatible node-sass Version
Node 14	node-sass 4.14+
Node 15	Limited support
Node 16+	Not recommended

MIGRATION PATH

For new projects, start with Dart Sass (sass package) instead of node-sass to avoid these compatibility issues entirely.

Conclusion

The "Node Sass does not yet support your current environment" error is a common issue when using deprecated node-sass with newer Node.js versions. The recommended solution is to migrate to Dart Sass using the sass package, which offers better compatibility and ongoing support.

If you must use node-sass, ensure you're using a compatible Node.js version (typically LTS versions like 14.x) and consider using tools like nvm to manage multiple Node.js versions for different projects.