Roblox Studio Beta Adds Orthographic Camera for 2D and Isometric Games

What Changed

Roblox has shipped an Orthographic Camera beta in Studio, giving developers a native way to build 2D, isometric, and top-down games. Until now, the only path to a flat look was cranking FieldOfView down to one degree and pushing the camera far back — a hack that still introduced subtle perspective artifacts. The new projection type renders parallel lines as parallel and keeps objects the same size regardless of distance, matching how side-scrollers, tactical strategy maps, and puzzle games are meant to look.

The feature is part of Roblox's stated push to make 2D games first-class citizens on the platform. It arrives as a Studio-only beta; published experiences cannot use orthographic cameras yet, and the API may shift before general release.

How to Enable the Beta

1. Open Studio and go to File > Beta Features.
2. Check Orthographic Camera and restart Studio if prompted.
3. In the Explorer, select the Camera under Workspace.
4. In the Properties window, change ProjectionType from Perspective (default) to Orthographic.
5. Adjust OrthographicSize to frame your scene.

ProjectionType defaults to Perspective, so existing games stay unchanged unless you opt in. You can switch between modes at runtime, and both FieldOfView and OrthographicSize retain their values when toggling.

New Camera Properties Explained

Four properties control the orthographic view:

• ProjectionType — Switches between Perspective and Orthographic.
• OrthographicSize — The view height in studs (default 35). Smaller values zoom in; larger zoom out. Range: 0.001 to 100,000. At the default, an avatar fills roughly one-seventh of the screen height, matching a perspective camera at 25 studs.
• OrthographicMode — Chooses which screen dimension OrthographicSize measures:
  • Vertical (default): visible height stays constant; good for most games.
  • Horizontal: visible width stays constant; ideal for side-scrollers so every player sees the same distance ahead.
  • Diagonal: keeps the diagonal world extent constant.
  • MaxAxis: the longer screen side never exceeds OrthographicSize; useful for limiting map visibility.
• ViewStretch — Stretches one view axis from 0.5 to 2.0 (default 1). Works with both perspective and orthographic cameras, handy for effects like an underwater warp.

Screen-to-world conversions handle the projection automatically. Camera:ScreenPointToRay() and Mouse.Hit adjust for orthographic mode, so clicking, dragging, and object placement need no custom math.

What This Means for 2D Development

Developers can now author true pixel-perfect 2D layouts, isometric tile grids, and top-down strategy maps without fighting perspective distortion. The OrthographicSize property replaces camera distance as the zoom control — moving the camera closer or farther no longer changes apparent size. OrthographicMode lets a side-scroller lock horizontal world width across devices, while a vertical scroller can lock height. ViewStretch opens creative distortion effects without shader work.

Because the camera ignores FieldOfView in orthographic mode, you can keep a perspective camera configured for 3D sections and swap cleanly at runtime for 2D segments — think a 3D hub that transitions into 2D mini-games.

Limitations and Next Steps

The beta is Studio-only. Published games cannot use orthographic cameras, so you cannot ship a 2D experience to players yet. Roblox warns the API may change as they iterate. Developers should treat current work as prototyping and watch the DevForum thread for updates on a public release timeline.