diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 6586dec..a967c11 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 {
   "name": "nw-wrld",
-  "version": "0.4.0-beta",
+  "version": "0.3.0-beta",
   "lockfileVersion": 3,
   "requires": true,
   "packages": {
     "": {
       "name": "nw-wrld",
-      "version": "0.4.0-beta",
+      "version": "0.3.0-beta",
       "license": "GPL-3.0",
       "dependencies": {
         "@dnd-kit/core": "^6.1.0",
diff --git a/src/dashboard/Dashboard.js b/src/dashboard/Dashboard.js
index 708e2cf..5ffdbaf 100644
--- a/src/dashboard/Dashboard.js
+++ b/src/dashboard/Dashboard.js
@@ -341,6 +341,7 @@ const Dashboard = () => {
     setWorkspaceModalMode,
     setWorkspaceModalPath,
     setIsWorkspaceModalOpen,
+    setIsSettingsModalOpen,
   });
 
   const handleSelectWorkspace = useCallback(async () => {
diff --git a/src/dashboard/core/hooks/useDashboardBootstrap.ts b/src/dashboard/core/hooks/useDashboardBootstrap.ts
index 8185262..a9cb857 100644
--- a/src/dashboard/core/hooks/useDashboardBootstrap.ts
+++ b/src/dashboard/core/hooks/useDashboardBootstrap.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ type UseDashboardBootstrapArgs = {
   setWorkspaceModalMode: (mode: "initial" | "lostSync") => void;
   setWorkspaceModalPath: (path: string | null) => void;
   setIsWorkspaceModalOpen: (open: boolean) => void;
+  setIsSettingsModalOpen: (open: boolean) => void;
 };
 
 export const useDashboardBootstrap = ({
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ export const useDashboardBootstrap = ({
   setWorkspaceModalMode,
   setWorkspaceModalPath,
   setIsWorkspaceModalOpen,
+  setIsSettingsModalOpen,
 }: UseDashboardBootstrapArgs) => {
   useEffect(() => {
     const initializeUserData = async () => {
@@ -138,4 +140,8 @@ export const useDashboardBootstrap = ({
     setWorkspaceModalPath(lostPath);
     setIsWorkspaceModalOpen(true);
   });
+
+  useIPCListener("menu:openSettings", () => {
+    setIsSettingsModalOpen(true);
+  });
 };
diff --git a/src/dashboard/core/hooks/useIPC.ts b/src/dashboard/core/hooks/useIPC.ts
index bee1e26..7e2c3de 100644
--- a/src/dashboard/core/hooks/useIPC.ts
+++ b/src/dashboard/core/hooks/useIPC.ts
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ export const useIPCListener = (
       cleanup = messaging.onWorkspaceModulesChanged?.(handler);
     } else if (channel === "workspace:lostSync") {
       cleanup = messaging.onWorkspaceLostSync?.(handler);
+    } else if (channel === "menu:openSettings") {
+      cleanup = messaging.onMenuOpenSettings?.(handler);
     } else {
       return;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/mainProcess/entry.ts b/src/main/mainProcess/entry.ts
index 9388320..722ba95 100644
--- a/src/main/mainProcess/entry.ts
+++ b/src/main/mainProcess/entry.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import {
   registerWorkspaceSelectionIpc,
 } from "./workspace";
 import { isExistingDirectory } from "./pathSafety";
+import { registerMenuHandlers, createApplicationMenu } from "./menu";
 
 const getTestProjectDir = (): string | null => {
   const raw = process.env.NW_WRLD_TEST_PROJECT_DIR;
@@ -26,6 +27,9 @@ const getTestProjectDir = (): string | null => {
 export function start() {
   setupApp();
 
+  // Register menu handlers before creating windows
+  registerMenuHandlers();
+
   registerIpcBridge();
   registerSandboxIpc();
   registerMessagingIpc({ ipcMain });
@@ -48,5 +52,8 @@ export function start() {
     }
     registerActivate({ createWindow });
     createWindow(testProjectDir);
+
+    // Create application menu after window is ready
+    createApplicationMenu();
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/main/mainProcess/menu.ts b/src/main/mainProcess/menu.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8c759ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/mainProcess/menu.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+import { Menu, ipcMain, BrowserWindow } from "electron";
+
+import { state } from "./state";
+
+const { app } = require("electron") as { app: { name: string } };
+
+// Module-level handler functions for menu actions
+function openSettingsHandler() {
+  try {
+    const dashboard = state.dashboardWindow as BrowserWindow | null;
+    if (dashboard && !dashboard.isDestroyed()) {
+      dashboard.show();
+      dashboard.focus();
+      dashboard.webContents.send("menu:openSettings");
+    }
+  } catch {}
+}
+
+function setAspectRatioHandler(aspectRatioId: string) {
+  try {
+    ipcMain.emit("dashboard-to-projector", null, {
+      type: "toggleAspectRatioStyle",
+      props: { name: aspectRatioId },
+    });
+  } catch {}
+}
+
+export function registerMenuHandlers(): void {
+  // Handler to open settings modal
+  ipcMain.on("menu:openSettings", () => {
+    openSettingsHandler();
+  });
+
+  // Handler to set aspect ratio
+  ipcMain.on("menu:setAspectRatio", (_event, aspectRatioId: string) => {
+    setAspectRatioHandler(aspectRatioId);
+  });
+}
+
+export function createApplicationMenu(): void {
+  const isMac = process.platform === "darwin";
+
+  const template: Electron.MenuItemConstructorOptions[] = [
+    // App menu (macOS only)
+    ...(isMac
+      ? [
+          {
+            label: app.name,
+            submenu: [
+              { role: "about" as const },
+              { type: "separator" as const },
+              { role: "services" as const },
+              { type: "separator" as const },
+              { role: "hide" as const },
+              { role: "hideOthers" as const },
+              { role: "unhide" as const },
+              { type: "separator" as const },
+              { role: "quit" as const },
+            ],
+          },
+        ]
+      : []),
+    // Window menu
+    {
+      label: "Window",
+      submenu: [
+        {
+          label: "Settings...",
+          accelerator: "CmdOrCtrl+,",
+          click: () => {
+            openSettingsHandler();
+          },
+        },
+        { type: "separator" as const },
+        {
+          label: "Set Pane Size",
+          submenu: [
+            {
+              label: "Default",
+              click: () => {
+                setAspectRatioHandler("default");
+              },
+            },
+            {
+              label: "16:9 (Landscape)",
+              click: () => {
+                setAspectRatioHandler("16-9");
+              },
+            },
+            {
+              label: "9:16 (Vertical)",
+              click: () => {
+                setAspectRatioHandler("9-16");
+              },
+            },
+            {
+              label: "4:5 (Portrait)",
+              click: () => {
+                setAspectRatioHandler("4-5");
+              },
+            },
+            { type: "separator" as const },
+            {
+              label: "Fullscreen",
+              click: () => {
+                setAspectRatioHandler("fullscreen");
+              },
+            },
+          ],
+        },
+        { type: "separator" as const },
+        { role: "reload" as const },
+        { role: "forceReload" as const },
+        { role: "toggleDevTools" as const },
+        ...(isMac
+          ? [
+              { type: "separator" as const },
+              { role: "front" as const },
+            ]
+          : []),
+      ],
+    },
+  ];
+
+  const menu = Menu.buildFromTemplate(template);
+  Menu.setApplicationMenu(menu);
+}
diff --git a/src/preload.ts b/src/preload.ts
index 9af2f59..eb14bdf 100644
--- a/src/preload.ts
+++ b/src/preload.ts
@@ -123,6 +123,12 @@ const nwWrldBridge = {
       ipcRenderer.on("workspace:lostSync", wrapped);
       return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener("workspace:lostSync", wrapped);
     },
+    onMenuOpenSettings: (handler: IpcHandler) => {
+      if (typeof handler !== "function") return undefined;
+      const wrapped = (event: IpcRendererEvent, data: unknown) => handler(event, data);
+      ipcRenderer.on("menu:openSettings", wrapped);
+      return () => ipcRenderer.removeListener("menu:openSettings", wrapped);
+    },
     configureInput: (payload: unknown) => ipcRenderer.invoke("input:configure", payload),
     getMidiDevices: () => ipcRenderer.invoke("input:get-midi-devices"),
     emitAudioBand: (payload: unknown) => ipcRenderer.invoke("input:audio:emitBand", payload),
diff --git a/tsconfig.runtime.json b/tsconfig.runtime.json
index 8190453..3eba19c 100644
--- a/tsconfig.runtime.json
+++ b/tsconfig.runtime.json
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
     "src/sandboxPreload.ts",
     "src/main/mainProcess/state.ts",
     "src/main/mainProcess/pathSafety.ts",
+    "src/main/mainProcess/menu.ts",
     "src/main/mainProcess/ipcBridge.ts",
     "src/main/mainProcess/ipcBridge/projectContext.ts",
     "src/main/mainProcess/ipcBridge/registerProjectBridge.ts",