device-simulator

name	device-simulator
description	Control the Studio Device Simulator to test UI across device form factors. Use when switching devices, testing orientations, running multi-device comparisons, or verifying UI layout via MCP tools (execute_luau + screen_capture).

Execution in this repo (Studio MCP / rodeo)

Tool mapping: execute_luau → MCP mcp__Roblox_Studio__execute_luau (or rodeo run); screen_capture → MCP mcp__Roblox_Studio__screen_capture; get_console_output → MCP mcp__Roblox_Studio__get_console_output. DeviceSimulatorService calls run in the edit DM; verify with screen_capture, and use /device-playtest for runtime-created UI. commands/ are the four test routines; API_spec.md is the service reference.

Device Simulator Skill

When to Use

• User asks to test UI on a device, switch devices, change orientation, compare devices, or verify layout
• Keywords: device simulator, emulate, iPhone, iPad, Xbox, Quest, mobile, portrait, landscape, StudioDeviceSimulatorService

Tips

• Start with /device-test on iPhone to get a quick first look, then expand to /device-compare if you need multi-device coverage.
• Portrait is where bugs hide — most UI is built landscape-first. Run /device-orientation to catch portrait-specific issues.
• Play mode shows the real UI — many places create UI dynamically at runtime. If /device-test in Edit mode shows almost nothing, use /device-playtest to see the actual in-game layout.

Commands

Command	Use when
/device-test	Test UI on a single device
/device-compare	Compare UI across multiple devices side by side
/device-orientation	Test portrait vs landscape
/device-playtest	Test in-game UI with Play mode

---

How It Works

The agent uses three MCP tools in sequence:

1. execute_luau — call DeviceSimulatorService API (switch device, orientation, resolution)
2. screen_capture — take screenshot, analyze with vision to find UI issues
3. get_console_output — check for runtime errors/warnings

Screenshots are the primary verification method. The agent looks at them and reports what it sees — clipping, overlap, truncated text, missing elements.

Key constraint: execute_luau runs in the Edit DataModel — it cannot access PlayerGui or live AbsolutePosition/Size during Play mode. Use screen_capture for play mode verification.

Multi-Studio: If multiple instances are open, call list_roblox_studios + set_active_studio once at the start.

Step 0: Determine what to test

Run the StarterGui tree crawl to understand the UI structure. Then decide whether to proceed or ask:

Just proceed (don't ask) when:

• The user already specified what to test ("test my HUD", "check the leaderboard")
• There's only one ScreenGui (nothing ambiguous)
• The viewport already has visible UI — take the screenshot and analyze it

Ask the user when:

• StarterGui is empty or all UI is Visible=false — a screenshot would show an empty scene, which is useless. Say: "Your UI appears to be runtime-created. I'll need play mode — which screen should I test (HUD, menu, lobby)?"
• There are clearly multiple distinct pages (e.g., MenuGui + GameplayGui + ShopGui) AND the user just said "test my UI" without specifying which one

The goal is to minimize round-trips. Most of the time, the user wants to see whatever is currently on screen across different devices — just do it.

Step 1: Read game settings

Before any device switching or testing, run this via execute_luau:

local sg = game:GetService("StarterGui")
local results = {}
table.insert(results, "game.Name: " .. game.Name)
table.insert(results, "ScreenOrientation: " .. tostring(sg.ScreenOrientation))

for _, child in sg:GetChildren() do
    if child:IsA("ScreenGui") then
        local props = {}
        for _, prop in {"IgnoreGuiInset", "ScreenInsets", "SafeAreaCompatibility", "ClipToDeviceSafeArea"} do
            local ok, v = pcall(function() return child[prop] end)
            if ok then table.insert(props, prop .. "=" .. tostring(v)) end
        end
        table.insert(results, "ScreenGui: " .. child.Name .. " [Enabled:" .. tostring(child.Enabled) .. "] " .. table.concat(props, " | "))
    end
end
return table.concat(results, "\n")

This tells the agent:

Game-level:

Setting	What it means for testing
ScreenOrientation = LandscapeSensor	Landscape only — skip portrait tests
ScreenOrientation = Sensor	All orientations — test both
ScreenOrientation = Portrait	Portrait only — skip landscape tests

Per-ScreenGui:

Setting	What it means
IgnoreGuiInset = true	UI starts at y=0 (under top bar) — watch for elements hidden behind status bar
IgnoreGuiInset = false	UI pushed down ~36px — normal, but less screen space on small devices
ScreenInsets = DeviceSafeInsets	Respects notch + home indicator — UI won't go under hardware insets
ScreenInsets = CoreUISafeInsets	Only respects top bar inset — UI may go under notch on sides/bottom
ScreenInsets = None	Full screen, no inset — UI may be hidden behind notch
ClipToDeviceSafeArea = true	UI clipped at safe area — elements won't render under the notch
ClipToDeviceSafeArea = false	UI can render under the notch — check if interactive elements are reachable

Always include game settings in your output so the user understands the context of your findings.

---

Disambiguation & Defaults

Fuzzy Term → Device

Device list is dynamic — always read it fresh via GetDeviceListAsync() + GetDeviceInfoAsync(). The table below is a fallback guide for name matching. If a newer device is in the list (e.g., iPhone 15 Pro), prefer it over older ones.

User says	How to pick	Example
"iPhone" / "phone" / "mobile"	Latest iPhone — highest generation number	iPhone 17 Pro > iPhone 16 > iPhone 14 Pro
"iPad" / "tablet"	Latest iPad — highest generation number	iPad Pro 3rd Gen > iPad 6th Gen > iPad 2
"Xbox" / "console"	Match "Xbox" in name	Xbox One
"PlayStation" / "PS"	Match "PS" in name, highest number	PS5 > PS4
"VR" / "Quest" / "headset"	Match "Quest" or "Meta", highest number	Meta Quest 3 > Meta Quest 2
"laptop" / "desktop" / "PC"	Match "Laptop" or "Average" in name	Average Laptop
"handheld" / "Steam Deck"	Match "Handheld" in name	Generic Handheld HD 720
"small screen" / "worst case"	Lowest resolution in the entire list	(oldest/smallest device)
"large screen" / "best case"	Highest resolution in the entire list	(largest device)

How to pick the "latest" device: When multiple devices match (e.g., 5 iPhones), pick the one with the highest generation number in the name (e.g., "17" > "16" > "14"). This is the most reliable proxy for "newest" since the device list has no release date field. If two devices have the same generation (e.g., "iPhone 16" vs "iPhone 16 Pro"), prefer the "Pro" variant.

No preset match? If the user gave an exact resolution (e.g. "1440x900"), use CreateDeviceAsync to create a custom device — see API_SPEC.md. If the user gave a vague description, ask before guessing.

Device-specific UI characteristics

When analyzing screenshots, be aware of each device's physical traits:

Device type	What to watch for
iPhone X+ (14 Pro, XR)	Notch on left edge in landscape. If ScreenInsets=CoreUISafeInsets, UI may go under the notch. Home indicator at bottom reduces usable space.
Low-end phones (Galaxy A06, etc.)	Narrow viewport (~360px height in landscape). Fixed-pixel UI takes a huge proportion. Touch targets may be too small.
iPad	Wide aspect ratio, lots of space. UI designed for phone may look sparse. Text that was fine on phone may be too small on tablet at arm's length.
Xbox / Console	TV overscan — TVs cut off 5-10% at each edge. UI elements placed at the very edge may not be visible. Text must be large enough to read from couch distance (~3m).
PS5	Same as Xbox but 1920x1440 (4:3-ish). Unusual aspect ratio may break layouts expecting 16:9.
Meta Quest / VR	Non-standard aspect ratio (688x736, nearly square). UI designed for wide screens may not fit. Users focus on the center — peripheral elements may be missed.
Laptop / Desktop	Standard aspect ratios. UI usually works fine here. Check that mouse-oriented UI (hover states, small buttons) is accessible.

Use these when reporting findings — e.g., "On Xbox, the timer text is only 8% of viewport width. At couch viewing distance on a TV, this would be hard to read."

Defaults

• Orientation: Always Landscape. Only Portrait if user explicitly asks.
• Device lookup: name match → fuzzy match → resolution match → create custom via CreateDeviceAsync (last resort)

End state after testing

Command	What to do after
/device-test	Revert to default via StopSimulationAsync()
/device-compare	Revert to default via StopSimulationAsync()
/device-orientation	Revert to landscape via SetOrientationAsync(LandscapeLeft), then StopSimulationAsync()
/device-playtest	Stop play mode, then revert to default via StopSimulationAsync()

Always tell the user: "Studio reset to default viewport."

Recommended archetypes for multi-device comparison

Pick dynamically from the device list:

Archetype	How to pick	Why
Phone	Latest Phone (highest generation number)	Most common form factor, likely has notch
Tablet	Latest Tablet (highest generation number)	Widest aspect ratio
Console	Any Console device	TV overscan + couch distance
VR	Latest "Quest" or "Meta" device	Non-standard aspect ratio stress test
Low-end	Lowest resolution in the entire list	Stress test boundary

Limit to ~4-5 devices unless user asks for exhaustive coverage.

---

API Reference

Full API documentation is in API_SPEC.md (same directory). It covers: what device simulation is, the lifecycle, all methods with examples, enum values, DeviceConfiguration table, ConfigurationChanged event, state persistence, known limitations, and error handling.

Quick reference for common operations:

Switch to a device

local svc = game:GetService("StudioDeviceSimulatorService")
local devices = svc:GetDeviceListAsync()
for _, id in devices do
    local info = svc:GetDeviceInfoAsync(id)
    if info.Name == "iPhone 14 Pro" then
        svc:SetDeviceAsync(id)
        task.wait(0.2)  -- MUST wait for viewport update
        break
    end
end

Set orientation

svc:SetOrientationAsync(Enum.ScreenOrientation.Portrait)  -- use full enum path
task.wait(0.2)

Create custom device

local id = svc:CreateDeviceAsync({
    Name = "Custom_1440x900", Width = 1440, Height = 900, PixelDensity = 96
})
svc:SetDeviceAsync(id)
task.wait(0.2)

Key rules

• Always search by name — device IDs are internal strings like "iphone_14_Pro_v2", not display names
• Always task.wait(0.2) after any setter — viewport updates are async; 0.1s is sometimes too short
• Always use pcall — all methods can error (no active device, PlayServer blocked, etc.)
• Getters require active device too — GetResolutionAsync, GetPixelDensityAsync, GetScalingModeAsync error if no device active

---

UI Discovery & Layout Understanding

Before analyzing screenshots, the agent should discover the UI structure via execute_luau. This lets the agent predict behavior, explain WHY something looks a certain way, and catch things screenshots can't show (disabled ScreenGuis, invisible elements).

StarterGui tree crawl

Run via execute_luau in Edit mode. Ignore AbsoluteSize/Position (they'll be zero) — read Size (UDim2) instead:

local root = game:GetService("StarterGui")
local results = {}
local function crawl(obj, depth, path)
    if not obj:IsA("GuiBase2d") and not obj:IsA("ScreenGui") then return end
    local entry = path .. " [" .. obj.ClassName .. "]"
    if obj:IsA("ScreenGui") then
        entry = entry .. " Enabled:" .. tostring(obj.Enabled)
    end
    if obj:IsA("GuiObject") then
        entry = entry .. " Size:" .. tostring(obj.Size) .. " Vis:" .. tostring(obj.Visible)
    end
    local layout = obj:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("UIListLayout")
    if layout then entry = entry .. " Layout:" .. tostring(layout.FillDirection) end
    local aspect = obj:FindFirstChildWhichIsA("UIAspectRatioConstraint")
    if aspect then entry = entry .. " Aspect:" .. tostring(aspect.AspectRatio) end
    table.insert(results, string.rep("  ", depth) .. entry)
    for _, child in obj:GetChildren() do
        crawl(child, depth + 1, path .. "." .. child.Name)
    end
end
for _, sg in root:GetChildren() do
    crawl(sg, 0, sg.Name)
end
return table.concat(results, "\n")

This tells the agent:

• What ScreenGuis exist and whether they're enabled
• How elements are sized — Scale (responsive) vs Offset (fixed)
• What layout constraints exist — UIListLayout direction, aspect ratio constraints
• What's invisible — elements that exist but won't show in screenshots

Scale vs Offset sizing

GuiObject.Size is UDim2.new(xScale, xOffset, yScale, yOffset):

• Scale (0–1): fraction of parent → responsive — resizes with viewport
• Offset (pixels): fixed → not responsive — may overflow on small screens

When the agent sees Size:{0.5, 0},{1, 0} → "half parent width, responsive." When it sees Size:{0, 200},{0, 50} → "always 200×50 pixels, will overflow if viewport < 200px wide."

Layout components

Component	What it does	Why it matters for device testing
UIListLayout	Auto-arranges children	Check FillDirection — if Horizontal, elements may overflow on narrow screens
UIGridLayout	Grid arrangement	May reflow on narrower viewports
UIAspectRatioConstraint	Locks width:height ratio	Element won't distort but may shrink significantly
UISizeConstraint	Min/max bounds	Element won't shrink below min — may clip on tiny screens
UIScale	Programmatic scaling	Element may resize with viewport

---

Verification

What the agent can do

Capability	Tool	Works in
Switch device / orientation	execute_luau	Edit mode
Take screenshot of live viewport	screen_capture	Edit + Play
Check runtime errors	get_console_output	Play mode
Read StarterGui structure	execute_luau	Edit mode

What the agent CANNOT do

execute_luau runs in the Edit DataModel. It cannot access PlayerGui, LocalPlayer, or live AbsolutePosition/AbsoluteSize during Play mode. Visual verification via screen_capture is the primary way to check live UI.

Screenshot checklist

After each device/orientation change, look for these in the screenshot. Use the game settings from Step 0 and the device characteristics table to inform your analysis — e.g., if device is iPhone 14 Pro and ScreenInsets=CoreUISafeInsets, check if UI near the left edge (notch area) is affected.

#	Check	What it looks like
1	Off-screen / clipping	UI element cut off at viewport edge
2	Overlap	Two elements stacked on top of each other unintentionally
3	Text truncation	Text cut off mid-word or with "..."
4	Missing elements	Element visible on larger device but gone on smaller
5	Too small	Buttons/text too tiny to read or tap on small screens
6	Layout break	Elements that should be side-by-side are now overlapping instead of stacking
7	Inset / safe area issue	On notched devices (iPhone X+): interactive UI at screen edges that may be under the notch. On console: UI too close to edges (TV overscan). Cross-reference with Step 0 ScreenInsets value.

What to suggest when you find an issue

Don't just report problems — suggest how to fix them:

Issue found	Suggested fix
Off-screen / clipping	Switch from Offset to Scale sizing, or add UISizeConstraint with a max that fits the viewport
Text truncation	Use TextScaled = true, reduce text length, or increase the TextLabel size
Touch target too small	Increase button size to at least 44×44; consider using UISizeConstraint with MinSize
Overlap	Check if siblings need a UIListLayout to auto-arrange, or adjust Position/Size to not collide
Missing element on small screen	Check if a script hides it based on viewport size — if unintentional, use Scale sizing instead
Layout break (elements pile up)	Add UIListLayout with FillDirection and Wraps, or use script-driven responsive layout

Tone

Frame findings as opportunities, not problems. Be helpful and collaborative:

• Say "BottomBar extends 20px below viewport on iPhone — switching to Scale sizing would let it adapt automatically"
• Not "Your UI is broken on iPhone"
• Say "Text gets truncated on Galaxy A06 — TextScaled or a shorter label would fix this"
• Not "TextLabel is too small"

When to flag vs accept changes across devices

Not every layout change is a bug. Use this judgment table:

Observation	Verdict
Elements reflow from horizontal → vertical when viewport narrows	Expected if parent has UIListLayout or script-driven layout
Element shrinks proportionally with viewport	Expected if using Scale-based sizing
Element stays same pixel size on all devices	Expected if using Offset-only sizing — but flag if it overflows
Element disappears on small screen	Could be intentional (responsive hiding) — report to user, don't judge
Elements overlap that didn't overlap before	Likely a bug unless one is a designed overlay (higher ZIndex)
Text truncates on smaller device	Flag as warning — may need font scaling or wrapping

Screenshots

Use the screen_capture MCP tool to capture the viewport. The agent sees the image via vision and analyzes it directly. Screenshots are NOT saved to disk — the agent's visual analysis is the primary output.

Getting accurate element positions

Never guess positions by eyeballing the screenshot. Always query actual GUI element positions via Luau first.

Step 1: Query element positions after switching device (works in Edit mode for StarterGui elements).

The screenshot captures exactly what workspace.CurrentCamera.ViewportSize describes. AbsolutePosition for StarterGui elements is already in viewport-pixel space — no manual offset calculation needed.

local sg = game:GetService("StarterGui")
local vpSize = workspace.CurrentCamera.ViewportSize
local results = {}
table.insert(results, "VIEWPORT|" .. string.format("%.0fx%.0f", vpSize.X, vpSize.Y))

for _, screenGui in sg:GetChildren() do
    if screenGui:IsA("ScreenGui") and screenGui.Enabled then
        local function collect(obj, path)
            if obj:IsA("GuiObject") and obj.Visible then
                local p = obj.AbsolutePosition
                local s = obj.AbsoluteSize
                table.insert(results, path .. "|" .. string.format("%.0f,%.0f,%.0f,%.0f", p.X, p.Y, p.X + s.X, p.Y + s.Y))
            end
            for _, child in obj:GetChildren() do
                if child:IsA("GuiBase2d") then collect(child, path .. "." .. child.Name) end
            end
        end
        collect(screenGui, screenGui.Name)
        break
    end
end
return table.concat(results, "\n")

This returns lines like:

VIEWPORT|734x372
RaceHUD.BottomBar|0,329,734,372
RaceHUD.BottomBar.BestLap|0,329,170,372

The first line gives the viewport size (from workspace.CurrentCamera.ViewportSize). Subsequent lines are name|x1,y1,x2,y2 in viewport-pixel space.

Why this works: AbsolutePosition is relative to the viewport origin, and the screenshot captures the viewport. No offset needed. Elements with negative coords or coords beyond ViewportSize are off-screen (clipping issues).

How to report: Include the exact overflow values in your text output, e.g., "Rank label extends to x=754, viewport width is 748 — overflows by 6px right."

Important: AbsolutePosition is only available in Edit mode for StarterGui elements. In Play mode, use screen_capture + visual analysis as a fallback, or use the pre-placed verification script (see Advanced section) to get positions from console output.

Verification output format

UI Verification: <Device Name>

  Device: <name> (<width>x<height>)
  Viewport: <viewport_size>
  Console: no errors

  Observations:
  - Timer label ("00:00") centered at top, fully visible
  - Score panel fits within viewport
  - No clipping or overlap detected

For multi-device comparison, include a summary table:

| Device            | Resolution | Viewport   | Issues                    |
|-------------------|-----------|------------|---------------------------|
| iPhone 14 Pro     | 852x393   | 734x372    | None                      |
| iPad Pro 3rd Gen  | 1194x833  | 1194x813   | None                      |
| Xbox One          | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080  | Score text slightly small  |

---

Advanced: Pre-placed verification script

For test places where you want programmatic verification (not just visual), place this LocalScript in StarterPlayerScripts. It runs on play and prints structured data to console — the agent reads it via get_console_output.

-- StarterPlayerScripts._DeviceVerifier (LocalScript)
task.wait(2)
local player = game:GetService("Players").LocalPlayer
local pg = player:WaitForChild("PlayerGui", 5)
if not pg then print("[VERIFY] ERROR: No PlayerGui") return end

local vp = workspace.CurrentCamera.ViewportSize
local issues = 0

local function check(obj, path)
    if not obj:IsA("GuiObject") or not obj.Visible then return end
    local pos = obj.AbsolutePosition
    local size = obj.AbsoluteSize
    print("[VERIFY] " .. path .. "|" .. string.format("%.0f,%.0f|%.0f,%.0f", pos.X, pos.Y, size.X, size.Y))

    if pos.X + size.X > vp.X + 2 or pos.Y + size.Y > vp.Y + 2 or pos.X < -2 or pos.Y < -2 then
        issues += 1
        print("[VERIFY] ISSUE OFF-SCREEN: " .. path)
    end
    if (obj:IsA("TextLabel") or obj:IsA("TextButton") or obj:IsA("TextBox")) and not obj.TextFits then
        issues += 1
        print("[VERIFY] ISSUE TEXT-TRUNCATED: " .. path)
    end
    if (obj:IsA("TextButton") or obj:IsA("ImageButton")) and (size.X < 44 or size.Y < 44) then
        issues += 1
        print("[VERIFY] ISSUE SMALL-TARGET: " .. path .. " " .. tostring(size))
    end
    for _, child in obj:GetChildren() do
        check(child, path .. "." .. child.Name)
    end
end

for _, sg in pg:GetChildren() do
    if sg:IsA("ScreenGui") and sg.Enabled then
        for _, child in sg:GetChildren() do
            check(child, sg.Name .. "." .. child.Name)
        end
    end
end
print("[VERIFY] DONE vp:" .. tostring(vp) .. " issues:" .. issues)

The agent reads results via get_console_output, filters for [VERIFY] lines.

This is optional — most verification works fine with screenshots alone. Use this when you need precise numbers (AbsolutePosition, AbsoluteSize) rather than visual judgment.

---

---

Example: What a /device-compare run looks like

User: "Compare my UI on phone, tablet, and console"

Agent output (Racing template):

Game Settings: LandscapeSensor | ScreenInsets=CoreUISafeInsets | IgnoreGuiInset=false

UI Structure:
  RaceGui [ScreenGui] — RaceInfoFrame (lap counter + timers), CountdownLabel,
  CheckpointFrame, FinishFrame (600px fixed width), LeaderboardFrame (700px header)

| Device              | Resolution | Viewport   | Issues                              |
|---------------------|-----------|------------|-------------------------------------|
| Samsung Galaxy A06  | 800x360   | 705x338    | HUD covers ~99% of screen width     |
| iPhone 14 Pro       | 852x393   | 734x372    | None                                |
| iPad Pro 3rd Gen    | 1194x833  | 1194x813   | HUD text getting small              |
| Xbox One            | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080  | Timer text too small for TV/couch   |

Findings:
  ⚠️ Galaxy A06: HUD covers nearly full width — consider scaling down on small viewports
  ❌ Xbox One: Timer labels hard to read at couch distance — consider UIScale for console
  ⚠️ CoreUISafeInsets doesn't handle notch — consider DeviceSafeInsets for iPhone X+
  ❌ FinishFrame.ImageLabel is 600px fixed — will overflow on Galaxy A06 (705px viewport)