diff --git a/emulator/pod-launch/README.md b/emulator/pod-launch/README.md
index 7a62083..aacc7ef 100644
--- a/emulator/pod-launch/README.md
+++ b/emulator/pod-launch/README.md
@@ -39,32 +39,65 @@ installed:
 dotnet publish -c Release -r win-x64 --self-contained true -p:PublishSingleFile=true -p:IncludeNativeLibrariesForSelfExtract=true
 ```
 
-## Usage
+## Console argument reference
 
-```
-pod-launch [mode] [options]
-```
+`pod-launch [mode] [options]` — the single installed entry-point. The product is
+installed once; the console activates features by the args it passes. The per-rig
+layout is fixed at `postinstall` time, so a typical call is just `pod-launch bt`
+(± `--no-sound`).
 
-**Modes** (the console's ExitCodeID vocabulary → a launch): `bt` → `net_loop.conf`,
-`rp` → `net_rp.conf` (supported). `bt`/`rp` also serve the **camera ship** and
-**live mission-review** roles — the console assigns those per-IP via the egg
-`hostType`, so they're *not* separate modes (see `../CAMERA-REVIEW-NOTES.md`).
-`review` (playback of `last.spl`) and the diagnostics (`test-plasma`,
-`reset-rio`, `audio-test`) are recognized but fail clean (exit 3 + reason) until
-their DOS launch mechanics are confirmed.
+### Mode — the primary feature selector (positional, or `--mode <name>`)
 
-Paths resolve relative to `--root` (default: the exe's own dir = the deployed
-game dir), with dev fallbacks so the same exe runs against the `emulator/` tree:
+| Arg | Activates | Status |
+|---|---|---|
+| `bt` | BattleTech, networked cockpit (`net_loop.conf`, looped) | wired |
+| `rp` | Red Planet, networked cockpit (`net_rp.conf`, looped) | wired |
+| `review` | mission-review PLAYBACK of `last.spl` | recognized, exits 3 (DOS arg TBD) |
+| `test-plasma` | plasma-display diagnostic | recognized, exits 3 |
+| `reset-rio` | RIO reset diagnostic | recognized, exits 3 |
+| `audio-test` | audio test diagnostic | recognized, exits 3 |
+
+Camera ship and LIVE mission-review are **not** modes — same `bt`/`rp` boot; the
+console sets the role per-IP via the egg `hostType` (0 pod / 1 camera / 2 review),
+see `../CAMERA-REVIEW-NOTES.md`. Default mode: `bt`.
+
+### Feature toggles
+
+| Arg | Effect |
+|---|---|
+| `--no-sound` | skip the ~4-min AWE32 SoundFont upload (fast boot, no audio) |
+| `--mipmap` | mip-filter minified textures (fixes RP floor shimmer; non-authentic) |
+| `--layout cockpit\|explode` | `cockpit` = borderless VDB head windows (default); `explode` = 7-window debug |
+| `--no-bridge` | pod only, no GL render window |
+| `--no-focus` | skip the renderer-topmost / DOSBox-focus pass |
+
+### Window placement (per-rig; normally fixed, overridable per-launch)
+
+| Arg | Effect |
+|---|---|
+| `--bridge-pos x,y` | main render window position (default `0,0`) |
+| `--bridge-size w,h` | main render size (default `800,600`) |
+| `--dosbox-xy x,y` | DOSBox window position + focus (default `10,10`) |
+
+### Path / asset overrides (dev / edge — `postinstall` already wires these)
+
+`--root <dir>` · `--conf <path>` · `--dosbox <exe>` · `--renderer <exe>` ·
+`--bridge-script <py>` · `--awe-rom <raw>` · `--work <dir>`
+
+### Diagnostics
+
+`--dry-run` (resolve + print the launch plan, don't launch) · `-h` / `--help`
 
 ```
 pod-launch bt --root C:\VWE\TeslaRel410\emulator --dry-run
 ```
 
-`--dry-run` prints the resolved plan (dosbox / conf / renderer / work / layout)
-without launching — use it to validate a rig's layout. Key flags: `--layout
-cockpit|explode`, `--no-sound`, `--mipmap`, `--dosbox-xy x,y`, `--bridge-pos
-x,y`, `--renderer <exe>` (frozen renderer; else falls back to `pyw
-live_bridge.py`). `-h` for the full list.
+### Exit codes the console reads back
+
+- **normal run** → returns **DOSBox's exit code** = the game's **`ExitCodeID`**,
+  passed straight through (the same remote-ops code the pod loop dispatched on).
+- **`2`** → bad arguments (usage on stderr).
+- **`3`** → recognized mode not yet wired (reason on stderr).
 
 ## Deploy layout it expects (under the game dir / `--root`)