diff --git a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/bios.mjs b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/bios.mjs
index c1ae02fbb3..6ff0c5a5ce 100644
--- a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/bios.mjs
+++ b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/bios.mjs
@@ -3405,7 +3405,7 @@ async function boot(parsed, bpm = 60, resolution, debug) {
           speakerProcessor.port.postMessage({ type: "new-bpm", data: newBPM });
         };
 
-        triggerSound = function (sound) {
+        triggerSound = function (sound) {
           // 🔬 Telemetry: Record this sound trigger for latency testing
           const triggerTime = performance.now();
           soundTelemetry.triggerCount++;
@@ -3419,7 +3419,20 @@ async function boot(parsed, bpm = 60, resolution, debug) {
             soundTelemetry.recentTriggers.shift();
           }
 
-          speakerProcessor.port.postMessage({ type: "sound", data: sound });
+          if (sound.probe) {
+            sound.probe = {
+              ...sound.probe,
+              biosAt: triggerTime,
+              biosEpoch: Date.now(),
+              sentAt: performance.now(),
+              payloadBytes: JSON.stringify({
+                type: sound.type, tone: sound.tone, beats: sound.beats,
+                attack: sound.attack, decay: sound.decay, volume: sound.volume,
+                pan: sound.pan, probe: sound.probe,
+              }).length,
+            };
+          }
+          speakerProcessor.port.postMessage({ type: "sound", data: sound });
 
           return {
             progress: () => {
@@ -3559,7 +3572,7 @@ async function boot(parsed, bpm = 60, resolution, debug) {
             return;
           }
 
-          if (msg.type === "telemetry") {
+          if (msg.type === "telemetry") {
             if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
               window.__speaker_telemetry = window.__speaker_telemetry || {};
               window.__speaker_telemetry.queueLength = msg.content.queueLength || 0;
@@ -3567,8 +3580,24 @@ async function boot(parsed, bpm = 60, resolution, debug) {
               window.__speaker_telemetry.performanceMode = msg.content.performanceMode || 'auto';
               window.__speaker_telemetry.lastUpdate = Date.now();
             }
-            return;
-          }
+            return;
+          }
+
+          if (msg.type === "audio:probe") {
+            const receivedAt = performance.now();
+            const probe = msg.content || {};
+            send({
+              type: "audio:probe",
+              content: {
+                ...probe,
+                workletRoundTrip: receivedAt - (probe.sentAt || receivedAt),
+                pieceToBios: probe.pieceEpoch
+                  ? (probe.biosEpoch || Date.now()) - probe.pieceEpoch
+                  : (probe.biosAt || receivedAt) - (probe.pieceAt || probe.biosAt || receivedAt),
+              },
+            });
+            return;
+          }
           
           // 🎛️ VST Bridge Mode - forward audio samples to native plugin
           if (msg.type === "vst:samples") {
@@ -18226,7 +18255,40 @@ async function boot(parsed, bpm = 60, resolution, debug) {
         send({ type: "update:auto-state", content: autoReload });
       }
       if (autoReload && !window.acUpdateReloadTimer) {
-        window.acUpdateReloadTimer = setTimeout(() => window.location.reload(), 2500);
+        // Make a hot update feel intentional: a tiny ascending chord and warm
+        // visual pulse, then enough grace for Xbox/TV output buffers to play it.
+        try {
+          const now = audioContext?.currentTime;
+          if (audioContext && Number.isFinite(now)) {
+            [523.25, 659.25, 783.99].forEach((frequency, index) => {
+              const oscillator = audioContext.createOscillator();
+              const gain = audioContext.createGain();
+              oscillator.type = index === 2 ? "triangle" : "sine";
+              oscillator.frequency.value = frequency;
+              gain.gain.setValueAtTime(0.0001, now + index * 0.055);
+              gain.gain.exponentialRampToValueAtTime(0.085, now + index * 0.055 + 0.012);
+              gain.gain.exponentialRampToValueAtTime(0.0001, now + 0.55 + index * 0.055);
+              oscillator.connect(gain).connect(speakerGain || audioContext.destination);
+              oscillator.start(now + index * 0.055);
+              oscillator.stop(now + 0.65 + index * 0.055);
+            });
+          }
+          const reduced = window.matchMedia?.("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)")?.matches;
+          const flash = document.createElement("div");
+          Object.assign(flash.style, {
+            position: "fixed", inset: "0", zIndex: "2147483647",
+            pointerEvents: "none", background: "rgba(255,210,40,.48)",
+            transition: reduced ? "opacity .35s ease" : "background .16s ease, opacity .5s ease",
+          });
+          document.body.appendChild(flash);
+          requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+            if (!reduced) flash.style.background = "rgba(255,70,45,.42)";
+          });
+          setTimeout(() => { flash.style.opacity = "0"; }, reduced ? 180 : 360);
+        } catch (error) {
+          console.warn("📦 Update awareness cue unavailable:", error);
+        }
+        window.acUpdateReloadTimer = setTimeout(() => window.location.reload(), 1250);
       }
     }
     buildOverlay("updateBadge", content.updateBadge); // 📦 Update-ready ↑ badge (top-right)
diff --git a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/disks/gamepad.mjs b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/disks/gamepad.mjs
index 3129837abf..46da453194 100644
--- a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/disks/gamepad.mjs
+++ b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/disks/gamepad.mjs
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ const latencySamples = [];
 const MAX_LATENCY_SAMPLES = 60;
 let lastLatency = null;
 let audioLatency = null;
+let audioProbe = null;
+let probeSequence = 0;
 let sendToBios = null;
 let lightMode = false;
 const gamepadTheme = () => lightMode
@@ -305,7 +307,10 @@ function paint({ wipe, ink, write, screen, line, circle, box, painting, paste, h
     const browserAudio = audioLatency
       ? ` BASE ${audioLatency.base.toFixed(1)}ms OUT ${audioLatency.output.toFixed(1)}ms Q ${audioLatency.quantum.toFixed(1)}ms`
       : " AUDIO --";
-    const latencyText = `IN ${lastLatency.delivery.toFixed(0)}ms AVG ${average.toFixed(0)}ms SYN ${lastLatency.synth.toFixed(2)}ms${browserAudio}`;
+    const worker = audioProbe
+      ? ` P>B ${audioProbe.pieceToBios.toFixed(1)}ms WRT ${audioProbe.workletRoundTrip.toFixed(1)}ms ATK ${audioProbe.attackMs.toFixed(1)}ms/${audioProbe.attackFrames}smp ${audioProbe.payloadBytes}B V${audioProbe.runningCount}`
+      : " WORK --";
+    const latencyText = `IN ${lastLatency.delivery.toFixed(0)}ms AVG ${average.toFixed(0)}ms SYN ${lastLatency.synth.toFixed(2)}ms${browserAudio}${worker}`;
     const width = latencyText.length * 4 + 6;
     const x = Math.max(2, screen.width - width - 4);
     const y = hudHeight;
@@ -650,6 +655,12 @@ function act({ event: e, sound }) {
           duration: "🔁",
           decay: 0.85,
           volume: 0.22,
+          probe: {
+            id: `gamepad-${++probeSequence}`,
+            button: buttonIndex,
+            pieceAt: performance.now(),
+            pieceEpoch: Date.now(),
+          },
         });
         if (voice) buttonVoices.set(voiceKey, voice);
         const synthMs = performance.now() - synthStartedAt;
@@ -720,7 +731,20 @@ function boot({ send }) {
 }
 
 function receive({ type, content }) {
-  if (type !== "audio:latency-info" || !content) return;
+  if (!content) return;
+  if (type === "audio:probe") {
+    audioProbe = content;
+    console.log(
+      `🔬 AUDIO_PIPELINE id=${content.id} button=${content.button}` +
+      ` pieceToBios=${content.pieceToBios.toFixed(2)}ms` +
+      ` workletRT=${content.workletRoundTrip.toFixed(2)}ms` +
+      ` attack=${content.attackMs.toFixed(2)}ms/${content.attackFrames}frames` +
+      ` payload=${content.payloadBytes}B queue=${content.queueLength}` +
+      ` voices=${content.runningCount} frame=${content.workletFrame}`,
+    );
+    return;
+  }
+  if (type !== "audio:latency-info") return;
   audioLatency = {
     base: Number(content.base) || 0,
     output: Number(content.output) || 0,
diff --git a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/disk.mjs b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/disk.mjs
index 715e2691f8..c0d167280b 100644
--- a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/disk.mjs
+++ b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/disk.mjs
@@ -11196,6 +11196,7 @@ async function makeFrame({ data: { type, content } }) {
     type === "tape:frames" ||
     type === "tape:audio-context-state" ||
     type === "audio:latency-info" ||
+    type === "audio:probe" ||
     type === "tape:playback-progress" ||
     // Video-backed (kind:"mp4") tape playback callbacks → video.mjs.
     type === "tape:mp4-ready" ||
@@ -12856,6 +12857,7 @@ async function makeFrame({ data: { type, content } }) {
       decay = 0.9, // A multiplier for when the sound fades.
       volume,
       pan = 0,
+      probe = null, // Opt-in main-thread → AudioWorklet profiling metadata.
       generator = null, // Custom waveform generator function for type "custom"
     } = {}) {
       const id = soundId;
@@ -12867,7 +12869,7 @@ async function makeFrame({ data: { type, content } }) {
       tone = $sound.freq(tone);
       // console.log("⛈️ Tone:", tone);
       // Add generator to sound data for custom type
-      const soundData = { id, type, tone, beats, attack, decay, volume, pan };
+      const soundData = { id, type, tone, beats, attack, decay, volume, pan, probe };
       if (type === "custom" && generator) {
         soundData.generator = generator.toString(); // Convert function to string for postMessage
       }
diff --git a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/speaker-bundled.mjs b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/speaker-bundled.mjs
index 99e8c8ce6b..8c36f56e1a 100644
--- a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/speaker-bundled.mjs
+++ b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/speaker-bundled.mjs
@@ -1362,6 +1362,18 @@ var SpeakerProcessor = class extends AudioWorkletProcessor {
         });
         this.#running[msg.data.id] = sound;
         this.#queue.push(sound);
+        if (msg.data.probe) {
+          this.#report("audio:probe", {
+            ...msg.data.probe,
+            workletFrame: currentFrame,
+            workletTime: currentTime,
+            attackFrames: attack2,
+            attackMs: attack2 / sampleRate * 1e3,
+            queueLength: this.#queue.length,
+            runningCount: Object.keys(this.#running).length,
+            sampleRate
+          });
+        }
         return;
       }
       if (msg.type === "bubble") {
diff --git a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/speaker.mjs b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/speaker.mjs
index bef5c2013c..69729c1149 100644
--- a/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/speaker.mjs
+++ b/system/public/aesthetic.computer/lib/speaker.mjs
@@ -568,7 +568,19 @@ class SpeakerProcessor extends AudioWorkletProcessor {
           this.#running[msg.data.id] = sound; // Index by the unique id.
           // }
 
-          this.#queue.push(sound);
+          this.#queue.push(sound);
+          if (msg.data.probe) {
+            this.#report("audio:probe", {
+              ...msg.data.probe,
+              workletFrame: currentFrame,
+              workletTime: currentTime,
+              attackFrames: attack,
+              attackMs: (attack / sampleRate) * 1000,
+              queueLength: this.#queue.length,
+              runningCount: Object.keys(this.#running).length,
+              sampleRate,
+            });
+          }
         //} else {
           // Wait and then trigger...
           // console.log("😊 Waiting on sound:", msg.data.when);