Tutorial:Game Settings

This page is a Work in Progress as much of the lore/Development for the game is yet to be established.

This page serves as a Tutorial for a specific feature or system within Starship Simulator.

All Tutorials
Basic Tutorials				General Gameplay Mechanics
Game & Menu		General Ship Interaction		Directions & Movements		Interpreting Data
Role Tutorials
Command	Operations	Science	Engineering	Medical	Tactical	Passenger	Stewards

Build Compatibility: This tutorial was last verified for Build 0.277.0.8. If you notice discrepancies in a newer version, please update the guide or flag it for review.

This tutorial explains how to use the Game Settings menu in Starship Simulator to adjust the game's various settings, as well as some details on what different settings change, or mean.

Accessing the Menu

The Games Setting menu can typically be accessed at any time while in-game by pressing the Esc key and selecting Settings on the Main Menu.

Main Interface

The menu presents several tabs allowing customization of different aspects of the game. Across the bottom are three standard buttons:

• CANCEL: closes the menu without applying any pending changes
• RESTORE SAVED: resets all options on the currently viewed tab to the the last saved settings
• SAVE: applies any changes made across all tabs and closes the menu

Sections (Tabs)

PREFERENCES

The Preferences Screen lists the options to change basic settings for the overall gameplay experience.

PREFERENCES Settings Table

Setting	Description	Options
Language	Allows you to adjust the game's language.	English (Currently the only option; others will be added later in development).
Headbob	Toggles the bouncy movement for the camera when in First Person Camera Mode to simulate natural movements.	On: Movement simulation is activated. Off: Movement simulation is not activated.
Name Tag (players)	Sets a visible on-screen label above non-bot players' avatars, displaying their rank and name.	On: Player's tag labels are visible. Off: Player's tag labels are not visible.
Name Tag (NPC)	Sets a visible on-screen label above bot NPC avatars, displaying their rank and name.	On: NPC's tag labels are visible. Off: NPC's tag labels are not visible.
Show Static Background Stars	Toggles a Skybox of "Fake" stars used as a filler to fill the sky. This is a temporary option until the star draw distance is increased.	On: Skybox is visible. Off: Skybox is not visible.
On-Screen Hints and Tips	Toggles on-screen display text to help the player with in-game interactions (e.g., 'Press F to Sit').	On: Hints and Tips are visible. Off: Hints and Tips are not visible.

DISPLAY

The Display Screen lists the options to change display settings for the game.

DISPLAY Settings Table

Setting	Description	Options
Resolution	Sets the displayed pixel resolution for the game's output, which should match your monitor's optimal settings for the sharpest image.	Multiple resolutions will be displayed depending on your monitor's capabilities.
Screen Mode	Sets how the game window is displayed on your system.	Window - Plays the game in a standard, adjustable window on your desktop. Fullscreen Window - Plays the game in a borderless window that covers the entire screen (maximised). This allows faster switching to other applications. Fullscreen - Plays the game in true full-screen mode, which may slightly prioritise game performance over quick access to the desktop.
Vertical Sync (VSync)	Synchronises the game's frame rate (FPS) with the monitor's refresh rate (Hz). Its primary goal is to eliminate screen tearing.	On - Eliminates screen tearing by capping the frame rate to the monitor's refresh rate. *Use this if screen tearing is very distracting.* The downside is a potential increase in input lag and possible frame stuttering. Off - Allows the frame rate to run uncapped. *Use this for the lowest possible input lag and maximum FPS* (critical in competitive games). The downside is that screen tearing may occur.
Field of View (FOV)	Sets the angle of the visible game world, determining how much of the environment you see on screen at one time.	Adjustable by degrees (e.g., 90°). A higher FOV shows more, but objects in the centre may appear distorted. A lower FOV feels more zoomed-in.
FPS Limit	Caps the maximum number of frames the graphics card can render per second. Limiting FPS can reduce GPU heat and power consumption, or provide a consistent experience.	24 FPS 30 FPS 60 FPS 90 FPS 120 FPS 144 FPS Uncapped
Show FPS	Toggles an on-screen counter displaying the game's current frame rate.	ON - Displays the current FPS on screen. OFF - Hides the FPS counter.
Show Unit Times	Toggles the display of time-related performance metrics (beyond simple FPS) on screen.	ON - Displays advanced performance timings. OFF - Hides advanced performance timings.
Performance Metrics Explained (Unit Times)
Metric	Unit	What it Measures & What to Look For
FPS (Frames Per Second)	Frames/sec	The number of complete frames rendered by the system per second. Goal: A higher, stable number (e.g., 60 or above) is best. A low number indicates low performance.
Frame Time	ms (milliseconds)	The total time it takes the system to process and display a single frame. This is the inverse of FPS (e.g., 60 FPS $\approx 16.6$ ms). Goal: A low, consistent number is ideal. Issue: Spikes in this number indicate stuttering, even if FPS remains high.
Game	ms (milliseconds)	The time the CPU spends processing game logic (AI, physics, updates, etc.) for a frame. CPU Bottleneck: If this value is close to or higher than Frame Time, your CPU is the main performance limit.
Draw	ms (milliseconds)	The time the CPU spends instructing the GPU on what to render (the *rendering thread*). CPU Bottleneck: If this value is close to or higher than Frame Time, your CPU is limiting the GPU.
RHIT (Rendering Hardware Interface Thread)	ms (milliseconds)	The time spent translating rendering commands to the specific graphics API (e.g., DirectX, Vulkan). This is part of the CPU's preparation work. Issue: A high value here suggests an inefficiency in how the CPU is communicating with the graphics driver.
GPU Time	ms (milliseconds)	The time the Graphics Card (GPU) spends on the actual rendering (shading, textures, post-processing). GPU Bottleneck: If this value is significantly higher than the Game and Draw times, your GPU is the main limit. Reduce graphics quality or resolution.
Mem	GB (Gigabytes)	The total amount of Video RAM (VRAM) being used by the game on your graphics card. Issue: If this value approaches or exceeds the VRAM capacity of your GPU, performance can drop dramatically.
RenderRes (Render Resolution)	% & Pixels	The current internal resolution the game is rendering at, often shown as a percentage of the display resolution. Note: This is usually tied to a Graphics Quality or Upscaling setting. Lowering this percentage improves GPU performance but reduces image quality.
Draws (Draw Calls)	Count	The number of times the CPU instructs the GPU to draw an object. Issue: A very high number can indicate a CPU bottleneck, as draw calls require CPU preparation time.
Prims (Primitives)	Count (e.g., K for thousands)	The total number of graphical primitives (usually triangles) being rendered in the scene. Issue: A very high number contributes to high GPU Time. Reducing complex geometry (e.g., using lower LODs or simpler meshes) reduces this count.

GRAPHICS

The Graphics Screen lists the options to change Graphical settings for the user hardware. This also INcludeds some preset options for quick adjustments.

GRAPHICS Settings Table

Setting	Description	Options
RENDERING
Render Scale	Governs the internal resolution the game is rendered at, affecting image clarity and performance.	Slider that adjusts from 50% to 200% in 5% steps. Note: Setting above 100% (supersampling) improves visual quality but heavily impacts FPS; setting below 100% improves FPS but reduces clarity.
Anti-aliasing	A technique used to smooth out jagged edges on objects (jaggies) caused by low-resolution screens.	None - Disables anti-aliasing entirely. Provides the highest performance but results in noticeable, sharp, stair-step edges (aliasing). FXAA (Fast Approximate Anti-aliasing) - A fast, low-cost post-process filter that blurs high-contrast edges to smooth them. Very low performance impact, but can cause general image blurriness. TAA (Temporal Anti-aliasing) - Uses data from previous frames to create a smoother, high-quality final image. Excellent quality for static images, but can suffer from ghosting and blurriness during fast camera movement. TSR (Temporal Super Resolution) - An advanced, modern temporal upscaler (often built into Unreal Engine) that renders the game at a lower internal resolution and uses frame data to reconstruct a sharp, high-resolution image. Provides superior quality to TAA with better performance, especially when combined with a lower Render Scale.
Volumetric Fog	Controls the quality and density of fog effects that react to light sources, giving a sense of depth and atmosphere.	Low - Simple, less detailed fog rendering with minimal performance impact. Medium - Increased fog density and visibility, with moderate performance cost. High - Dense, higher-quality fog that interacts realistically with light sources (e.g., God Rays). High performance cost. Max - Maximum density and quality; the most demanding setting, offering the highest visual fidelity.
LIGHTING & SHADOWS
Lighting Quality	Controls the fidelity and complexity of the game's lighting model, including light scattering, reflections, and ambient shading.	Low - Simplistic light models and less accurate rendering; best for performance. Medium - Balanced lighting complexity and detail. High - Detailed and accurate light calculations with smoother transitions and richer colours. Max - Highest visual fidelity for light interactions; can be very demanding on the GPU.
Global Illumination	Simulates how light bounces off surfaces (indirect light), making scenes look physically realistic with soft ambient light and colour bleeding.	None - Disables indirect light bouncing. Best performance, but objects may look flat and less integrated into the environment. Screen Space (SSGI) - Calculates light bouncing based only on what is currently visible on your screen. Offers good performance but can produce flickering or inaccurate lighting on off-screen objects. Lumen - Unreal Engine's advanced, fully dynamic GI system. It uses ray tracing (both software and hardware-accelerated) to calculate infinite light bounces and indirect reflections in real-time. This provides the highest quality and realism but is the most demanding setting.
Star Shadow Quality	Determines the sharpness, detail, and render distance of shadows cast by celestial bodies.	Low - Minimal shadow complexity and shortest render distance; best for performance. Medium - Balanced shadow quality and render distance. High - Sharp, detailed shadows with a greater draw distance. Max - Highest resolution shadows rendered at the furthest distance; high GPU cost.
REFLECTIONS
Reflections Quality	Controls the quality of dynamic reflections on shiny and wet surfaces (Screen Space Reflections).	Off - Disables dynamic reflections. Uses static reflection probes (cubemaps) only. Provides the greatest performance gain but leads to flat or inaccurate reflections. Low - Lowest resolution and sample count for dynamic reflections. Reflections appear grainy and fade out quickly. Moderate performance cost. High - Higher resolution, clearer reflections with better temporal stability and reduced graininess. Most expensive setting, should be disabled if FPS is a concern.
POST PROCESSING
Ambient Occlusion Method	Controls the intensity and quality of contact shadows where objects or surfaces meet, adding depth.	SSAO (Screen Space Ambient Occlusion) - A fast, legacy method that calculates soft shadows using only depth information visible on screen. Cheapest option but can cause visible noise and dark "halos" around objects. GTAO (Ground Truth Ambient Occlusion) - A modern, higher-quality, physically based method that provides more accurate and stable contact shadows than SSAO at a slightly higher cost. Recommended balance of quality and performance.
Bloom Quality	Governs the intensity and quality of the visual glow effect surrounding bright light sources.	Off - Disables the glow effect entirely. Best performance. Standard - Uses a fast, traditional blurring algorithm to create a soft glow. Good balance of performance and effect. Convolution - Uses a high-quality Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method to create physically realistic starbursts or lens diffraction effects. Very high GPU cost; best for cinematics or high-end systems.
Motion Blur	Simulates the blur effect seen in fast movement, often used to smooth out low frame rates.	Off - Provides the sharpest, clearest image possible during fast movement. Recommended for competitive play or if you experience motion sickness. On - Applies a blur to objects and the camera during rapid motion. Can make low frame rates appear smoother and enhances the cinematic feel, but reduces visual clarity and can cause motion sickness.
Chromatic Aberration	A camera lens effect that causes colour fringing near the edges of the screen.	Off - Disables the effect completely. Recommended for visual clarity and competitive play. Mild - Applies a subtle colour fringing, usually at the periphery, to suggest a cinematic or camera-lens view. Heavy - Applies a strong, noticeable colour separation that can be used for stylistic effect (e.g., to represent intoxication or damaged vision). Extreme - Maximum intensity fringing, which is highly distracting and can cause significant eye strain.
Image Sharpening	Applies a post-process filter to increase the perceived sharpness and clarity of the final image. This is often used to counter the blurring introduced by Anti-aliasing or Resolution Scaling.	None - Disables the sharpening filter. Provides the cleanest image but may appear soft if TAA is enabled. Mild - Applies a subtle sharpening filter. Ideal for reducing TAA blur without introducing artifacts. Heavy - Applies a strong sharpening effect. Provides crisp details but may cause shimmering, noise, or harsh halos around edges. Extreme - Maximum sharpening. Will produce the sharpest edges but comes with a high risk of visual artifacts and noise.
Graphical Presets
Setting	Low	Medium	High	Ultra
Render Scale	60%	75%	100%	100%
Anti-aliasing	TAA	TAA	TSR	TSR
Volumetric Fog	LOW	Medium	High	Max
Lighting Quality	LOW	Medium	High	High
Global Illumination	None	None	Screen Space	Lumen
Star Shadow Quality	LOW	Medium	High	Max

AUDIO

The Audio Screen lists the options to change sound settings.

AUDIO Settings Table

Setting	Description	Options
Master Volume	Controls the overall loudness of all sound elements in the game. Used to adjust the entire game's volume relative to your operating system volume.	Slider that adjusts from 0% (Muted) to 100% (Maximum) in 1% steps.
Music	Controls the volume level of the background music, soundtrack, and score.	Slider that adjusts from 0% (Muted) to 100% (Maximum) in 1% steps.
Ambiance	Controls the volume level of background environmental sounds, such as spaceship hum, wind, distant effects, and general atmosphere.	Slider that adjusts from 0% (Muted) to 100% (Maximum) in 1% steps.
Interface	Controls the volume level of user interface sounds, such as menu clicks, button presses, and notifications.	Slider that adjusts from 0% (Muted) to 100% (Maximum) in 1% steps.
Effects	Controls the volume level of critical in-game sound effects, such as weapon fire, explosions, machine noise, and movement sounds.	Slider that adjusts from 0% (Muted) to 100% (Maximum) in 1% steps.
Voice Chat	Controls the volume level of incoming player voice communications.	Slider that adjusts from 0% (Muted) to 100% (Maximum) in 1% steps.

CONTROLS

The Controls Screen lists the options to change basic input settings for the users input controllers.

CONTROLS Settings Table

Setting	Description	Options
Mouse Sensitivity	Controls the responsiveness and speed of the camera movement relative to physical mouse movement.	Slider that adjusts from 1% (Very slow) to 300% (Very fast) in 1% steps.
Invert Mouse Y	Reverses the vertical (Y-axis) camera movement. Moving the mouse up will look down, and moving the mouse down will look up.	Toggle with options: ON (Inverted) or OFF (Standard).
Crosshair	Selects the style or visibility of the on-screen targeting reticle (crosshair).	Integer selection representing different styles, 23 options from vaules 1 to 23

ACCESSIBILITY

The Accessibility Screen lists the options to change accessability settings for users with visual.

ACCESSIBILITY Settings Table

Setting	Description	Options
Camera Zoom Amount	Sets the level of magnification when the camera is zoomed (Right Mouse Button by default).	Slider that adjusts from 0% (No zoom) to 100% (Maximum zoom) in 10% steps.
Visual Deficiency Type	Selects the type of colour vision deficiency filter applied to the game world.	None - Disables the colour filter. Deuteranope (Green Weak/Blind) - Applies a filter to aid those with green-colour deficiency. Protanope (Red Weak/Blind) - Applies a filter to aid those with red-colour deficiency. Tritanope (Blue Weak/Blind) - Applies a filter to aid those with blue-colour deficiency.
Correction Strength	Controls the intensity of the selected colour correction filter.	Slider that adjusts from 10% (Minimal correction) to 100% (Full correction) in 10% steps.

Saving Changes

After making adjustments across any of the tabs, click the SAVE button at the bottom to apply them to your game.