PatchWorld has two types of settings:
Access via: Main Menu → Gear Icon (top right)
These control your personal preferences like comfort, graphics, and audio.
Access via: Radial Menu on empty space → Settings
These control permissions for the current world (only visible to world owners/editors).
Access these from Main Menu → Gear Icon
What it does: Shows or hides the 3D alignment grid that helps you place objects precisely.
When to use: Turn this on when building to help align objects perfectly. Turn it off for a cleaner view when performing or exploring.
What it does: Opens a debug console for advanced users.
When to use: Only needed for troubleshooting technical issues or running special commands.
What it does: Automatically saves your world progress at regular intervals.
When to use: Keep this enabled to avoid losing work. Disable only if you're experimenting and don't want changes saved.
What it does: Shows a reminder to save your work before leaving a world.
When to use: Great for beginners or when working on important projects. Experienced users who save regularly might prefer this off.
Options:
When to use: New users should choose "Always". As you get comfortable, switch to "Edit Mode" or "Never".
What it does: Controls the balance between audio responsiveness and system performance.
Options:
When to use: Start with the recommended setting for your device. If you experience audio glitches, increase the buffer size.
What it does: Syncs your microphone input with the world's audio.
When to use: Adjust if your voice recordings seem out of sync with the music.
What it does: Fixes timing issues when using the Patch Companion mobile app.
When to use: Only adjust if using the companion app and experiencing delay between pressing keys and hearing sounds.
Access via: Radial Menu on empty space → Settings
Only visible to world owners and editors
What it does: Controls whether visitors can modify your world.
When to use: Enable for collaborative building sessions. Disable to protect your world from changes.
What it does: Allows others to save their own copy of your world.
When to use: Enable to encourage creativity and let others build upon your work. Disable to keep your world unique.
What it does: Allows access to the quick-action radial menu.
When to use: Usually kept enabled unless you want a simplified experience for visitors.
What it does: Controls access to the asset library and spawning menu.
When to use: Disable for curated experiences where you don't want visitors adding new objects.
What it does: Enables flying/swimming movement using arm gestures.
When to use: Enable for free exploration. Disable for experiences that need grounded movement only.
What it does: Lets you use your hands without controllers (on supported devices).
When to use: Enable for a more natural interaction. Disable if hand tracking is causing issues.
What it does: Rotates your view in fixed increments instead of smooth turning.
When to use: Enable if smooth turning makes you dizzy. This is a comfort feature for VR newcomers.
What it does: How fast the snap turn animation plays.
When to use: Set to "Immediate" for instant rotation, or add time for a smoother transition.
What it does: Lets you point and jump to locations instead of walking.
When to use: Enable if continuous movement causes discomfort. Great for VR beginners.
What it does: Darkens the edges of your vision during movement.
When to use: Enable to reduce motion sickness. The darker the vignette, the more comfort it provides.
What it does: How much the edges darken (0% = off, 100% = maximum).
When to use: Start high if you're new to VR, then gradually reduce as you get comfortable.
What it does: How fast you move when swimming/flying.
When to use: Lower speeds are easier to control. Increase for faster exploration.
What it does: How quickly you slow down after swimming strokes.
When to use: Higher drag makes movement more controlled. Lower drag lets you glide further.
What it does: How hard you need to gesture to maintain continuous movement.
When to use: Lower values make it easier to keep moving. Higher values require more deliberate gestures.
What it does: How sensitive rotation is while swimming.
When to use: Lower for more stable movement. Higher for quicker direction changes.
What it does: Allows you to flip completely upside down while swimming.
When to use: Enable for full 3D exploration. Disable if inversions make you uncomfortable.
What it does: Makes bigger arm movements result in faster swimming.
When to use: Enable for more realistic swimming where effort affects speed.
What it does: Makes everything sharper (higher %) or improves performance (lower %).
When to use:
What it does: Smooths jagged edges on objects.
Options: Off, 2x, 4x, 8x (higher = smoother but more demanding)
When to use: Higher settings look better but may impact performance. Start with 2x or 4x.
What it does: How many light sources can illuminate objects at once.
When to use: Lower this if you're experiencing performance issues in worlds with many lights.
What it does: Controls shadow quality.
Options:
When to use: Soft shadows look best but may cause lag. Use Hard or None for better performance.
What it does: How far away shadows are visible.
When to use: Reduce to improve performance in large worlds. Increase for better visuals.
What it does: Adds visual effects like glow and color enhancement.
Options: None, Good, Very Good
When to use: Higher settings look amazing but need powerful hardware. Start with "Good" and adjust based on performance.