The Built-in Particle System uses a component, so placing a Particle System in a Scene is a matter of adding a pre-made GameObject (menu: > Visual Effects > ) or adding the component to an existing GameObject (menu: Component > Visual Effects > Particle System). Because the component is quite complicated, the Inspector is divided into a number of collapsible sub-sections or modules that each contain a group of related properties. Additionally, you can edit one or more systems at the same time using a separate Editor window accessed via the Open Editor button in the Inspector. See documentation on the Particle System component and individual Particle System modules to learn more.

When a GameObject with a Particle System is selected, the Scene view contains a small Particle Effect panel, with some simple controls that are useful for visualising changes you make to the system's settings.

The Playback Speed allows you to speed up or slow down the particle simulation, so you can quickly see how it looks at an advanced state. The Playback Time indicates the time elapsed since the system was started; this may be faster or slower than real time depending on the playback speed. The Particle Count indicates how many particles are currently in the system. The playback time can be moved backwards and forwards by clicking on the Playback Time label and dragging the mouse left and right. The buttons at the top of the panel can be used to pause and resume the simulation, or to stop it and reset to the initial state.

You can customize the gizmo colors that the Particle System, its modules, and Force Fields use in the Scene view. For more information, refer to Particle System color preferences.