The Test tab contains tools for testing and debugging an experience, simulating multiple clients, and emulating different devices or users with regional content policies.
![Test tab indicated in Studio toolbar.](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Toolbar-Test-Tab.png)
Playtest Options
There are three common options for playtesting an experience. Clicking the small arrow below the main button lets you choose from each option, and sets that option as the default.
![Rapid playtest options in Test tab of Studio.](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Test-Tab-Playtest-Options.png)
Action | Shortcut | Description |
---|---|---|
Play | F5 | Starts simulating the experience, inserting your avatar at either a SpawnLocation or coordinates of around (0, 100, 0). |
Play Here | Starts simulating the experience, inserting your avatar in front of the camera's current position. | |
Run | F8 | Starts simulating the experience but does not insert your avatar. The simulation begins at the current camera position and you can navigate around using the Studio camera controls. |
Once a playtest is running, the following options become available:
![Additional options available during playtesting in Studio.](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Test-Tab-Running-Options.png)
Action | Shortcut | Description |
---|---|---|
Client / Server | During playtesting in a "play solo" mode (Play or Play Here), toggles between Client mode and Server mode. See Client/Server Toggle for details. | |
Pause Physics / Resume Physics | Lets you pause and resume physics without disabling rendering. | |
Stop | ShiftF5 | Stops simulation of the experience and resets all objects and instances to how they were before Play, Play Here, or Run was clicked. |
Pausing & Resuming Physics
While playtesting, the Pause Physics and Resume Physics buttons are useful for debugging ephemeral scenes and mechanisms, without disabling rendering.
![Pause Physics and Resume Physics buttons available during playtesting in Studio.](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Test-Tab-Pause-Resume-Physics.png)
By default, pausing and resuming physics acts upon both the client and server as indicated by the All notation. If you wish to pause or resume only the client or server physics, click the small arrow on either button and select Current. Then, depending on your chosen view through the Client/Server toggle, pausing or resuming will act only upon that side of the simulation.
![Selection arrows for Pause Physics and Resume Physics to toggle between All or Current pause/resume action between client and server physics.](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Test-Tab-Pause-Resume-Physics-All-Current.png)
Note the following technical details in relation to physics pause/resume:
- Although Animations are not based on physics, these toolbar buttons also pause/resume animations.
- Pausing or resuming physics has no effect on running scripts.
- Only the RunService callbacks PreAnimation, PreSimulation, PostSimulation, and Stepped pause or resume through these toolbar buttons. Other callbacks (PreRender, Heartbeat, and RenderStepped) continue to fire, maintaining normal functionality of camera scripts, rendered visualizations, and plugins.
Clients and Servers
Using the Clients and Servers options, you can launch multiple sessions of Studio, one acting as the server and each other acting as a client. See Multi-Client Simulation for details.
![Clients and Servers options indicated in Test tab](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Test-Tab-Clients-Servers.png)
Device Emulation
The Device emulator lets you emulate various devices directly in Studio, providing insight on how controls operate on a mobile device or how on-screen UI displays on different screens and aspect ratios.
![Device button indicated in Test tab](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Test-Tab-Emulation-Device.png)
In emulation mode, you can select devices from the Device Selector dropdown menu above the 3D viewport to emulate less powerful devices and test streaming-enabled experiences where 3D content dynamically loads/unloads based on available memory. You can also adjust the view size and change the device orientation between landscape and portrait modes.
![Emulation options above the 3D viewport](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Editor-Window-Emulation-Options.jpg)
Player Emulator
The Player emulator lets you test various localization and content policies. See Player Emulation for details.
![Player emulator button indicated in Test tab](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Test-Tab-Emulation-Player.png)
Audio Mute
The Mute button allows you to mute in-experience sounds and music.
![Mute button indicated in Test tab](https://prod.docsiteassets.roblox.com/assets/studio/general/Test-Tab-Mute.png)