Interface and Features (Switch)

*For information about the mobile version, see Interface and Features (Mobile).*
*For information about Arcaea's gameplay, see Gameplay.*
This article describes the main features of Arcaea for Nintendo Switch.

## Main Menu

This is the screen that appears after the title screen, from which all of Arcaea's main game modes and options can be accessed.

Main menu buttons (left):

* **Music Play**: Arcaea's free play mode, where songs can be played without restriction (once they are unlocked).
* **World**: Provides access to World Mode, which consists of various maps that can be played to unlock new content and resources.
* **Story Mode**: Contains Arcaea's various stories.
* **Course Mode**: A series of preselected four chart courses of increasing difficulty.
* **More**:
	+ **About**: Link to Arcaea's social media, and main game credits.
	+ **Language**: Option to switch languages between English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Traditional), and Chinese (Simplified).

Status bar (top, from left to right):

* (left) Indicator showing the current menu title.
* (middle):
	+ Partner icon showing the currently equipped **Partner**. Selecting this brings up the **Partner Select** screen.
	+ Player Potential for the currently active control type.
	+ Cosmetic nameplate. New nameplates can be unlocked in Course Mode.
* (centre-right): Indicator showing the number of **Fragments** in the current stack (max 3 stacks). Selecting this brings up the total Fragments owned over all stacks.
* (right) **Settings**: Brings up the Settings popup.

Other content:

* (right) Full portrait of the currently equipped partner.
* (lower left) **Scenery Select** menu to change the background image used in the Main Menu. New Scenery can be unlocked in World Mode.

## Settings

The settings popup menu can be accessed from most menu screens by selecting the Settings button in the top status bar.
Settings are divided into three tabs:

* **Gameplay**:
	+ **Pure Late/Early**: Toggle late/early display for 'Pure' timings during gameplay (late/early Far timings show by default).
	+ **Note Speed**: Control the speed at which notes approach. Speeds range from 1.0 to 6.5, in increments of 0.1.
	+ **Show Potential**: Toggle the Potential display next to the Partner icon in the status bar.
	+ **Stamina Notification**: Enable phone notifications when stamina has refilled to 12.
	+ **Skill Display**: Toggle the Partner skill cut-in that shows before song start.

* **Audio**:
	+ **Note Volume**: Adjust the volume of note sound effects. This is disabled when offset is over 100 or under -100.
	+ **Offset**: Adjust audio offset to compensate for audio playback delays (adjust using − for Early, or + for Late). Selecting **Setup** brings up a calibration wizard.
	+ **Audio Preset**: Tap to switch preset for audio setups (i.e. note volume and offset). Three separate presets can be saved.
	+ **Master Volume**: Adjust the volume of the game.
	+ **Rumble**: Turn rumble on or off.

* **Visual**:
	+ **Colorblind Mode**: Enable to change Arc colours. Enabling this changes red (pink) arcs to yellow, and blue arcs to a slightly different shade of blue.
	+ **FR/PM indicator**: Adjust where the Full Recall/Pure Memory indicators display. Options are under the combo counter, under the song info display in the top right, or no display.
	+ **Late/Early Position**: Adjust the position of the late/early timing display to the top, middle, or bottom of the play screen. Late/early indicators will show in the same horizontally centred location for all three options. Pure/Far/Lost indicators will still show up near the note input location.

## Music Play

This is Arcaea's free play mode, where songs can be played without restriction once they have been unlocked.
The mode is accessible by selecting **Music Play** in the main menu.
Entering Music Play or selecting Play in World Mode will bring up either the Song Select screen or the Pack Select screen, depending on what was last active.

### Song Select

* Song display (left):
	+ Shows the currently selected song's title, artist, jacket art, and BPM, as well as the high score and clear status on the selected difficulty and control type.

* Song list (right):
	+ Can be scrolled by sliding up or down, or pressing the up or down buttons.
	+ The "RANDOM" button at the end of the song list directs to a random song without selecting it to play.
	+ Certain hidden songs will appear blank or not appear at all until unlocked.

* Song difficulties (top left):
	+ Each song has multiple charts of varying difficulty. The difficulty can be selected from the icons on the upper-left. Icons will include the chart level.
	+ There are four difficulties in this game. In increasing order:
		- Past (PST)
		- Present (PRS)
		- Future (FTR)
		- Beyond (BYD) (not all songs have a BYD chart)
	+ The BYD difficulty selector will be blank for songs with a BYD chart that has not yet been unlocked.
	+ The BYD difficulty selector will not appear for songs with no BYD chart, but the area it would usually occupy can still be selected to access the BYD chart list.
	+ For certain Anomaly/Terminal songs, the chart level will read "?" if the corresponding difficulty has not yet been unlocked.

* Song grouping and sorting (bottom centre-right):
	+ Toggles the song sort field and folder grouping.
	+ Songs can be sorted by any one of these criteria:
		- Title
		- Difficulty (i.e. level, ascending order)
		- Grade (descending order; ties are sorted by score)
		- Clear (type, in descending order; ties are sorted by score)
	+ The songs can also be grouped into folders based on any one of these categories (sorting takes place within folders):
		- None (no folders)
		- Level
		- Grade
	+ Folder headings will show the total number of charts in that folder (on the currently selected difficulty). The number is shown in yellow/blue if all charts have been completed with Full Recall/Pure Memory.

* Pack select (top centre):
	+ Selecting this button brings up the song pack select screen.
	+ Displays the pack currently being viewed (including All Songs), as well as the number of charts with Full Recall, charts cleared (easy green Clear not counted), and total charts in the pack on the currently selected difficulty.
	+ Cannot be selected when under a Random effect in World Mode.

### Pack Select

* Contains a side-scrolling list of all song packs in the game, including a button for All Songs in the bottom right.
* Packs are categorised with separators into:
	+ Favorites
	+ Memory Archive, Arcaea, and Divided Heart
	+ Story, i.e. Main Story
	+ Side Story
	+ Collaboration
* Selecting a pack brings up the Song Select screen, which will only list songs in the selected pack.
	+ Selecting the Favorites pack without any songs in it will bring up a tutorial on how to use it:

*Slide songs to the right to add them to Favorites*
* Pack icons will show the total number of charts with Full Recall/Pure Memory, charts cleared (easy green Clear not counted), and total charts in the pack.
* Packs that have not been purchased will display a lock icon, and icons showing the Partner/s and Ether Drops that come with the pack.
* Pack Appends are displayed under their respective pack if they have not been bought.

## Gameplay and Results

*Main article: Gameplay § Play Screen / Results Screen*
*See also: Course Mode*
Selecting a song from Song Select (in Music Play or World Mode) or starting a song in Course Mode brings up the main gameplay screen where charts are played.

Completing a song play brings up the Results screen, which summarises play performance and rewards. Course Mode has its own results screens that differ from the basic Music Play and World Mode Results screen.

## Unlocking Songs

Most songs have unlock requirements, except for some songs in Arcaea, Divided Heart, and Eternal Core. All other songs in the base game, including songs in Memory Archive, most Main Story pack songs, and all Side Story packs must be unlocked via World Mode. Songs in DLC packs must be purchased from the Nintendo eShop, and often have additional unlock requirements.

The unlock criteria for all songs (excluding eShop purchase requirements) fall into one of the following categories:

1. Reaching milestones in World Mode maps. Songs unlocked this way are listed in the Songs by Pack page (in bold).
2. Paying Fragments. The cost varies by song and difficulty.
3. Playing certain other songs on particular difficulties. These plays may come with clear requirements and/or rating requirements.
4. Other special unlock conditions, e.g. Anomaly and Terminal songs.

These requirements are generally displayed on the song selection screen. For songs with multiple remaining requirements, these requirements flash by every second or so. The song can be selected to view the full checklist.

## Partner Select

*Main article: Partners*
Selecting the Partner icon at the top-centre of the screen will bring up the Partner Select screen.
This screen is used to view Partner details, seal or switch their skills, level them up using Ether Drops, or switch Partners.

## World Mode

*Main article: World Mode Mechanics*
*See also: World Mode Chapters and World Mode Data*
This mode consists of various maps which players can progress through to unlock new songs, Partners, and other resources.
It is accessed by selecting **World** in the Main Menu.

## Story Mode

*Main article: Story*
This mode contains Arcaea's various stories, including the Main Story, Side Stories, and Short Stories.
It is accessed by selecting **Story Mode** in the Main Menu.

## Course Mode

*Main article: Course Mode*

This mode contains a series of Courses, each consisting of four charts that must be cleared in order under certain challenging conditions. It is accessed by selecting **Course Mode** in the Main Menu. Clearing courses successfully grants special username backdrops and other rewards.