Where the settings are
Open the player and click Settings in its top bar. Every change is saved the moment you make it, in your browser's local storage, and applies the next time you start a map. Options you have changed from the default are highlighted, so you can always see what is different. At the bottom are three buttons: Restore all settings to default, Export, which downloads your settings as a small JSON file, and Import, which loads such a file again. Export is handy before you clear browser data or move to another computer.
Display
Background Dim (0 to 100, default 60) darkens the beatmap's background image during play. Higher values make circles easier to see on busy artwork. Most players are comfortable between 60 and 85.
Background Blur (0 to 8, default 0) blurs the background image. A little blur keeps the art visible without letting details compete with the circles.
Auto start game in fullscreen (default off) asks the browser to go fullscreen whenever a map starts. You can also use the Fullscreen button under the player on our home page. Do this before the map begins, because changing the window size pauses the game.
Use system resolution (default on) renders the game at your screen's native pixel density, which looks sharpest. If the game stutters, turn it off and use the Resolution slider (0.5 to 2.0, default 1.0) instead. Lower values draw fewer pixels and run faster. The slider has no effect while system resolution is on.
Cursor
Cursor size (0.5 to 2.0, default 1.0) scales the cursor drawn by the player. A smaller cursor makes it easier to see exactly where you are pointing; a larger one is easier to track on busy maps. Start at 1.0 and try values between 0.8 and 1.2.
Raw cursor input (default off) shows your normal system cursor instead of the player's drawn cursor. The player's own description says it may help with lag on lower-end systems. The system cursor comes in three sizes chosen from your cursor size setting. If the drawn cursor feels slightly behind your hand, try this option.
Gameplay visuals
Slider snake in (default on) draws each slider's track progressively as it appears, so you can see where it is heading. Slider snake out (default on) erases the track behind the ball on its final pass. Both are purely visual; turn them off if you prefer to see whole sliders at once.
The Skin Options section has three switches:
- Don't Show Hitcircle Numbers (default off) removes the combo numbers from circles. Keep them while learning; they help you read the order of objects.
- Don't show "Great" (300s) (default on) hides the word "great" after a perfect hit, so only goods, mehs and misses are shown. That keeps the screen calm and makes mistakes stand out.
- Don't Show Follow Points (default off) hides the faint dotted lines that lead from one object to the next.
Audio
There are three volume sliders, each from 0 to 100: Master Volume (default 35) scales everything, Hitsound Volume (default 100) controls the click sounds when you hit, and Music Volume (default 50) controls the song. The preview that plays when you click a map card follows the master and music volumes too. During play the mouse wheel changes the master volume; that change lasts until you start another map.
A good start is master 35, music 50 and hitsounds between 60 and 100. If the hit sounds distract you from the rhythm of the song, lower them.
Audio Offset (-50 to +50 milliseconds, default 0) shifts the game's timing against the music. The player already corrects the small built-in delay of MP3 and OGG files, so many people can leave this at 0. If you are always early or always late, use the method below.
Calibrating audio offset
You do not need any outside tool. The result screen already measures your timing: the Hit Error value, for example "+14±22ms", shows your average timing first. A plus sign means you hit late on average, a minus sign means early. During play, the arrow on the hit error meters at the screen edges shows the same running average: above the center line means early, below means late.
- Set Audio Offset to 0 and switch off all mods, especially Nightcore, Daycore and Autoplay.
- Lower Hitsound Volume a little so you listen to the music rather than your own clicks.
- Pick an easy map you like with a steady beat and plenty of single circles. A Normal or Hard difficulty works well.
- Play it all the way through, tapping to the music as naturally as you can.
- Read the first number of Hit Error. If it is within 5 milliseconds of zero, your offset is fine.
- Otherwise, set Audio Offset to that number: +14 becomes 14, -10 becomes -10. If you already had an offset, add the new number to it.
- Go back to the map list and start the map again. The offset is applied when a map's audio loads, so start it fresh from the list.
- Repeat two or three times until the average stays close to zero.
Input and keys
Left Button (default Z) and Right Button (default X) are your two hit keys. The left and right mouse buttons, shown as M1 and M2 next to them, always work as well unless you disable clicks. Pause Button has two slots, Space and Esc, and Skip intro defaults to Ctrl. To change a key, click its button and press the new key. Click the button again to cancel.
Disable mouse wheel while gaming (default off) stops the wheel from changing the volume during play, useful if you bump it by accident. Disable mouse click while gaming (default off) makes the mouse buttons stop counting as hits, so only your keys do. Many players turn this on once they are used to keyboard play, because it prevents accidental clicks.
Mods
The Mods section switches Easy, Daycore, Hard Rock, Hidden, Nightcore and Autoplay on and off. They stay on until you switch them off. The mods guide explains each one, and the AR, OD, CS and HP guide shows how they change a map's numbers.