<cat>Play</cat> ## What is the Dev branch? Dev branch is the next version of Garry's Mod. It contains all the changes that will be included into the game in next update. ## What are the changes? You can find a full list of changes between the Dev branch and normal version of the game [here](Update_Preview_Changelog) and a live change list [here](https://commits.facepunch.com/r/garrysmod.main). ## Why is this needed? This is needed for two reasons: * So that addon developers can adjust to upcoming changes * So you can test the changes and make sure next update will be less buggy by <page text="reporting bugs">Crash_Reporting</page> ## Can I play on normal servers with this version of the game? Unfortunately, most of the time, no. ⤶ This does not mean you shouldn't use the Dev branch. ⤶ It is invaluable for us to have people test the game before the next update is out to make sure nothing breaks, or at least not that much.⤶ Most of the time, yes. The only possible exception is when an update is about to be released, that would require servers to update before they can be joined again. ⤶ It is invaluable for the game developers to have people test the game before the next update is out to make sure nothing breaks, or at the very least not as much. ## How do I switch to the Dev branch? To switch to the Dev branch: * Right click on **Garry's Mod** in Steam and select **Properties**: <image src="70c/8db6dc54aad92ca.png" /> * Go to **Betas** tab and select **dev - Development Branch** from the dropdown: <image src="70c/8db6dc591810428.png"/> * You can ignore the "Enter beta access code" field, it does nothing for Garry's Mod. ## How do I switch back? To switch back to 'Live' branch: * Right click on **Garry's Mod** in Steam and select **Properties**: <image src="70c/8db6dc54aad92ca.png" /> * Go to **Betas** tab and select **NONE - Opt out of all beta programs** from the dropdown: <image src="70c/8db6dc5adeb431a.png"/> * You can ignore the "Enter beta access code" field, it does nothing for Garry's Mod. ## How can I check the branch of my player? To check which branch the player is using, you can check the <page>Global Variables</page> `BRANCH` clientside. This can be useful if you are developing something with features that the current branch does not have, such as Chromium features in the `x86-64` branch. ``` if BRANCH ~= "x86-64" then return end ```