Which Version Should I Use?

ArcViewer can be used right in your web browser, or downloaded as a standalone desktop application. Both versions are almost identical, but do have some differences.

The web version is much more convenient, being just a click away and not requiring any manual download or install. It's also easy to share maps with URL arguments, but it's missing some features due to the limitations of web apps. Although these features aren't integral to the previewer functioning, some people may have use for them.

The standalone version requires you to download the app, and keep it up to date yourself, but includes every feature in the web version (pro tip: paste a sharable link into the map URL box and it'll load the correct map, difficulty, and time!) and more, including:

• Faster, smoother loading thanks to multithreading and no need to route downloads through a CORS proxy

• Loading maps from unzipped directories (either by pasting the file path or selecting one of the .dat files through the explorer)

• Reloading maps in real-time, updating to any changes without ever leaving the preview screen (very useful for mappers)

• Better performance and more graphical options

Ultimately, most will probably just want the web version for previewing maps from sites like BeatSaver before downloading. However, those who want more versatility in previewing local/unpublished maps (primarily mappers) will find more use from the standalone version. Of course there's nothing stopping you from using both.