Update

August 26: Updates 23.1.2 and 23.1.1 are hotfixes for startup issues for VR users and users with older processors.

Run Steam to download Update 23.1, or buy Universe Sandbox via our website or the Steam Store.

This update adds a bunch of improvements and fixes to the galaxy simulation, making for more stable and accurate galaxies and better collisions. There’s also a new and improved Introduction tutorial and a new simulation of 2019 OK, the near-Earth asteroid that surprised astronomers when it was observed just a day before it flew past us on July 25, 2019.

Some more highlights from Update 23.1:

• Improved handling for galaxies & smaller-scale objects
• More accurate galaxy masses
• New galaxy Star Count property
• New Teleport tool
• Many smaller improvements & bug fixes

The new Introduction is designed for anyone who is just getting started with Universe Sandbox, but we encourage even the most seasoned creators and destroyers to check it out:
Home > Guides > Introduction

And have you tried the galaxy tutorial yet? It’ll show you how to get the most out of the new galaxies:
Home > Guides > Exploring New Galaxies

Check out a full list of What’s New in Update 23.1

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June 28: Update 23.0.1 is a small patch to fix an issue with tidal heating.

Run Steam to download Update 23, or buy Universe Sandbox via our website or the Steam Store.

This update adds brand new galaxies that are much more interactive, accurate, and varied, making it easier than ever to create and customize on a galactic scale.

Three Types of Galaxies
Use the Add tool to procedurally generate a Spiral, Elliptical, or Irregular galaxy and add it to any simulation. Or select from galaxies like the Milky Way, Andromeda, or IC 1101, one of the largest known galaxies.

Accurate, Data-Driven Motion & Visuals
The motion and shape of the galaxy are now determined by its type and properties. You’ll also see red-yellow elliptical galaxies where the stars are older and bluer spiral arms where the stars are younger and hotter.

Full Customization
Adjust standard properties like mass and radius plus unique galaxy properties like the number of spiral arms and amounts of dust and gas.

 
Learn more about the new galaxies:
Home > Tutorials > 11 – Exploring New Galaxies

Or get started with the included galaxy simulations:
Home > Open > Galaxies tab
 
Check our a full list of What’s New in Update 23
 
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Run Steam to download Update 22.3, or buy Universe Sandbox via our website or the Steam Store.

This update officially switches over to our new physics system that is faster, more stable, and more accurate. This new system will be turned on by default, so there’s nothing you need to do to enjoy the improvement.

This update also includes a simulation commemorating an important historical date for physics: the 100-year anniversary of the total solar eclipse that was used to test and validate Einstein’s theory of general relativity.

Home > Open > The 100 Year Anniversary of the Eclipse That Validated General Relativity

General relativity is not simulated in Universe Sandbox, but even if it was, its effect would be hard to see. The difference in observed star position between Newton’s model and Einstein’s model is extremely small: about 1/2000th the width of the full moon.

Highlights from this update’s list of improvements and fixes:

• New Delete tool
• Reduced performance stuttering
• Smoother trails for fast-moving objects
• Fixes to updating Workshop sims

Please report any issues on our forums (local forum | Steam forum) or via Home > Send Feedback.

Check our a full list of What’s New in Update 22.3

We’re hiring a Graphics Developer! Learn more and apply

We’re hiring a Spaceship Physics Developer! Learn more and apply

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April 18: 22.2.1 & 22.2.2 address a Mac-specific issue that caused crashes while using the Add panel. Known Mac issue: loading “Solar System Planets, Moons, and Large Objects” simulation sometimes results in a crash.

Run Steam to download Update 22.2, or buy Universe Sandbox via our website or the Steam Store.

This update adds improved vaporization effects that are more accurate and colorful. It also introduces an experimental version of our new physics system that makes gravity simulation faster, more stable, and more accurate. We’d love it if you tried it out and helped us test it!

Home > Try New Physics

Please remember this system is still experimental. If you experience any problems, let us know! You can report any issues on our forums (local forum | Steam forum) or via Home > Send Feedback.

There are also dozens of smaller improvements and fixes. Here are some of the highlights:

• Added Fahrenheit as a temperature unit
• Added Filipino to available languages
• Improved Search in Open panel
• Trails & orbits work on older hardware again
• Object lighting on Linux works again
• New simulation with all planets, moons, and large Solar System objects

Check out a full list of What’s New in Update 22.2

We’re excited for the upcoming official release of this new physics system so that everyone can enjoy the improvements to performance and accuracy. We’re also working on brand new galaxies and, while we had a setback with Surface Grids & Lasers, we are now making good progress again. Learn more about our progress on these features

We’re hiring a Graphics Developer! Learn more and apply

We’re hiring a Spaceship Physics Developer! Learn more and apply

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The orbit stretching to the bottom left is 2018 VG18, the most distant known object in the Solar System. The orbit shown here is a preliminary estimate; more accurate data will be available only after years of observation.

Run Steam to download Update 22.1, or buy Universe Sandbox via our website or the Steam Store.

This is a small update that adds a few new sims in addition to dozens of improvements and bug fixes.

Check out these sims featuring incredibly distant Solar System objects, including the recently announced 2018 VG18, nicknamed “Farout”:
Home > Open > 2018 VG18: The Most Distant Object in the Solar System
Home > Open > 2015 TG387: A Goblin at the Edge of the Solar System
Home > Open > Voyagers 1 & 2 Start 2019 Outside the Solar System

Don’t forget to check out New Horizons’ upcoming flyby of the most distant Solar System object ever visited, scheduled for January 1, 2019:
Home > Open > New Horizons Ultima Thule Encounter in 2019

And here are some highlights from the long list of improvements and fixes:

• Smarter autosaves
• Improvements & fixes for opening, saving, & sharing sims
• Better randomized properties for randomly created objects
• Fixes for issues with frozen fragments & missing orbit previews
• Restored visuals for explosions & fragments

Happy holidays! Stay tuned after the New Year for a recap of this past year and a look at what we’ve got in store for 2019.

Check out a full list of What’s New in Update 22.1

Please report any issues on our forums (local forum | Steam forum) or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.
 
 
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Run Steam to download Update 22, or buy Universe Sandbox ² via our website or the Steam Store.

Create and share your simulations and explore the creativity of the Universe Sandbox community!

Home > Workshop
Home > Save > Share to Steam Workshop

Use the new custom sim descriptions to detail the lore of your sci-fi worlds. Or discuss the reality behind the scientific phenomena in your simulations.

This update also includes changes to the interface with new tools for manipulating Property values plus styling improvements throughout. There’s a new autosave system to prevent accidental loss of work, and as always, there are lots of smaller improvements and bug fixes. See the full list of What’s New

Please report any issues on our forums (local forum | Steam forum) or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.

Notes:
1) Workshop only supports simulations at this time. In the future, we hope to add support for custom textures and models.
2) Workshop is only available for the Steam version of Universe Sandbox. We’d love to use our own system in the future for sharing and exploring community sims on any platform, but we don’t have a timeline for this yet.
3) As of this update, Universe Sandbox no longer supports DirectX 9 or 32-bit operating systems. Users can run the last compatible version by selecting “*directx9-32bit” via Steam Betas (learn how). For more information on our decision to end support for DirectX 9 & 32-bit systems, please see our announcement from earlier this year.

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August 13: Update 21.2.1 is a small update that includes a few minor improvements, bug fixes, and updated translations.

Update 21.2 introduces official VR support for Windows Mixed Reality devices. If you own WMR, just launch Universe Sandbox from Windows Mixed Reality for SteamVR and start throwing planets.

There are also a handful of small bug fixes and improvements to the core Universe Sandbox experience. Check out the full list of What’s New in Update 21.2

Issues? Feedback? Let us know on our forums (local forum | Steam forum) or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.

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July 27: Update 21.1 includes a new History of Jupiter’s Moons tutorial (Home > Tutorials > Science), updated translations from the community, the addition of Indonesian, and a few other small improvements and bug fixes.

20 Earth Languages

Universe Sandbox now supports 20+ languages, with support for adding even more in the future (see below for a current list of supported languages and let us know if there’s a language you’d like to see). We are proud to make Universe Sandbox more accessible to people from all over the world.

Change language:
Home > Settings > General > Selected Language

While most of the text has been translated via Google Translate, we’ve had significant contributions from our amazing community over the past month that have made improvements to many of the languages. We hope our community continues to help translate as Universe Sandbox grows and evolves.

Translate:
Home > Help Translate (learn more)

Currently supported languages (as of 21.1):

• Chinese, Simplified
• Chinese, Traditional
• Czech
• Danish
• Dutch
• Finnish
• French
• German
• Hungarian
• Indonesian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Spanish
• Swedish
• Thai
• Turkish

Is there a language you want to see? Do you have feedback on the translation process? Let us know through our forums (local | Steam) or in-game via Home > Send Feedback.

12 Jovian Moons

This update also includes the 12 recently discovered moons of Jupiter. Initially discovered in March 2017, they have now all been observed several times and their orbits are confirmed. Jupiter now has a total of 79 known moons.

See Jupiter’s new moons:
Home > Open > Core > Jupiter’s New Moons

They are all very small, around 1 to 2 miles wide. One of the moons is unique, as it orbits in the opposite direction of all of the other moons it is near. “It’s basically driving down the highway in the wrong direction,” said Scott Sheppard, one of the astronomers who made the discovery.

Check out a full list of What’s New in Update 21

Also: We’re still testing sharing simulations on Steam Workshop. Learn how you can try it out and help us test
 
 
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