Skip to main content
Factorio Wiki

Settings Guide: Graphics, Audio, Multiplayer & UI

Factorio's settings control game behaviour, UI, audio, multiplayer, debugging, and automation tools. Proper configuration improves performance, multiplayer reliability, and quality of life for building and alerts.

Interface & GUI

  • Main settings are accessed from the game's main menu under Settings. They control UI scaling, visibility of panels, and many gameplay-related toggles.
  • GUI elements that can be adjusted:
    • Panel visibility and styles (including shadows and aperture effects).
    • UI scale and zoom reset / preset zoom levels.
    • Specific panels such as prototype viewers and debugging panels can be opened or toggled from settings.
  • Programmable speaker GUI:
    • Volume slider controls both audio volume and audible range when global playback is disabled; full-volume local range reaches roughly 64 tiles.
    • "Show alert" toggles sending a GUI text alert (up to 150 characters) and an icon to players.
    • "Allow polyphony" determines whether multiple sounds may play simultaneously from speakers.
    • Up to 50 concurrent sounds can be played due to a game limitation.

Audio & Alerts

  • Alerts can be created by programmable speakers (custom sounds and text) and by the game's built-in alert system.
  • Alerts can be enabled, disabled, muted, or unmuted via the /alerts command. Available alert types include entity_under_attack, turret_out_of_ammo, train_no_path, custom, and many others.
  • Use global playback sparingly in multiplayer—only when all players must be notified—because global alerts are heard everywhere and may be disruptive.

Controls & Hotkeys

  • Settings expose keybindings for general play, UI toggles, and debug functions. Many debug-specific keys are unset by default.
  • The game supports toggles for frequently used UI features (open/close specific panels, toggle entity view, etc.). Bindings can be adjusted in Settings → Controls.

Multiplayer & Networking

  • Factorio uses UDP for multiplayer traffic and includes its own reliable-delivery layer. Firewalls or antivirus that block UDP packets will prevent multiplayer connections.
  • Default multiplayer port is 34197; this can be changed in config.
  • The game supports DNS SRV records for easier hosting and connecting (service name _factorio over UDP). When SRV records are present, the client will log the DNS SRV lookup result.
  • All players in a multiplayer session must use the same game version and the same set of installed mods.

Hosting, Distribution & Platform Notes

  • Official experimental builds are available from the Factorio website; enabling experimental updates is an option in Settings → Other for non-Steam installs.
  • Web-site/bundled copies are DRM-free and can run without continuous internet access; redistribution remains subject to license.
  • Console ports (e.g., Nintendo Switch) provide the full content set without deliberate content removal; some UI and performance characteristics differ (no mod support on Switch).

Deconstruction Planner & Building Filters

  • Deconstruction planners default to selecting:
    • Any entities and entity ghosts (including trees, rocks, cliffs and fish);
    • Tile ghosts;
    • Or, if no entities/entity ghosts/tile ghosts are found, they will instead select tiles.
  • Planners can be customized with whitelist/blacklist-style filters that control which entity types or tiles will be removed. Up to the first four filters show on the planner icon.
  • The planner GUI has two tabs: Entities and Tiles, where you add or remove filters.

Debugging & Developer Modes

  • There are multiple debug levels available in settings:
    • Always — a minimal set of debug features enabled by default.
    • Debug — enables additional debug displays that can be toggled with keys.
  • Debug panels, texture atlas viewers, prototype viewers, and other developer tools can be enabled for inspection and testing.
  • Many debug-related hotkeys are unassigned by default and can be configured in Controls.

Performance & System Integration

  • Settings include performance-related options (update/render caps, graphical details) to help maintain UPS/FPS. Large factories will naturally reduce performance as complexity increases.
  • Instructions and templates for adding Factorio to system launchers (Windows taskbar, macOS Dock, Linux .desktop files) can be followed to simplify startup.

Privacy & Site Settings (Web/wiki context)

  • Factorio's web properties and community sites may use analytics (e.g., Google Analytics) and cookies; these are managed separately from in-game settings.

Practical tips

  • Configure alerts and programmable speakers carefully to avoid alert spam—use local playback and concise alert messages.
  • When hosting multiplayer, ensure UDP traffic and port 34197 (or your configured port) are open, and consider using DNS SRV records to simplify joins.
  • Use deconstruction planner filters to safely clear areas without accidentally removing critical structures.