> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wiki.retrobat.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wiki.retrobat.org/navigation/hotkeys.md). # Hotkeys Hotkeys are controller or keyboard shortcuts used to perform actions while playing: saving or loading your progress (save states), pausing, rewinding, taking a screenshot… The most common one is **HOTKEY + START**, which quits the game and returns to RetroBat. {% hint style="info" %} **How to use a hotkey on a controller:** press and hold the **HOTKEY** button (the button you defined when configuring your controller, **SELECT** by default), then press the second button of the shortcut. On the keyboard, shortcuts are single keys (no HOTKEY key needed). {% endhint %} ## Default hotkeys The RetroBat team has defined a common set of hotkeys, so that the same shortcuts work in as many emulators as possible. Controller buttons are named by their position: **South** = B (Nintendo) / ✕ (PlayStation) / A (Xbox), **East** = A / ◯ / B, **West** = Y / ▢ / X, **North** = X / △ / Y. | Action | Controller | Keyboard | | --------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | ------------------------------ | | Quit the game | HOTKEY + START | `Esc` | | [Game Control Center](/navigation/game-control-center.md) | HOTKEY + East | `Ctrl` + `F12` | | Emulator menu (or pause if the emulator has no menu) | HOTKEY + South | `F1` | | Save state | HOTKEY + West | `F2` | | Load state | HOTKEY + North | `F4` | | Previous save state slot | HOTKEY + D-pad down | `F6` | | Next save state slot | HOTKEY + D-pad up | `F7` | | Rewind | HOTKEY + D-pad left | `Backspace` | | Fast forward (hold) | HOTKEY + D-pad right | `L` | | Fast forward (toggle) | (\*) | `Space` | | Screenshot | HOTKEY + R3 | `F8` | | Eject / insert disc | HOTKEY + L1 | | | Previous disc | HOTKEY + L2 | `F9` | | Next disc | HOTKEY + R2 | `F10` | | AI translation service | HOTKEY + R1 | | | Pause or toggle fullscreen (depends on the emulator) | HOTKEY + L3 | `P` (pause) / `F` (fullscreen) | | Toggle fullscreen | | `F` | | Frame advance | | `K` | | Next / previous shader | | `M` / `N` | | Mute audio | | `O` | | Capture / release the mouse | | `F11` | | Game focus (RetroArch, see below) | | `Scroll Lock` | (\*) The **HOTKEY + D-pad right** fast forward can be switched from "hold" to "toggle" with **GAME SETTINGS** > **RETROARCH OPTIONS** > **EMULATION** > **FAST FORWARD BEHAVIOR** (also available per system or per game).
{% hint style="info" %} Not all emulators support all these actions: each emulator only gets the actions it can handle. {% endhint %} ### Emulators using the default hotkeys
Emulators with aligned hotkeys Emulators marked with ✏️ can be customized (see Customizing hotkeys). * RetroArch (all libretro cores) ✏️ * ArcadeDuck ✏️ * ares ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * Azahar (fullscreen on `F1`) * BigPEmu ✏️ (menu, fast forward, rewind, save/load state, screenshot only) * BizHawk ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * BlastEm ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * CGenius ✏️ (save/load state only, uses PadToKey) * Citron * Demul * DeSmuME ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * Dhewm3 * Dolphin ✏️ * DuckStation ✏️ * Eden * FBNeo (standalone) ✏️ (uses PadToKey, rewind only when enabled in FBNeo) * Flycast ✏️ * Hatari * Jgenesis ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * MAME * Mednafen ✏️ * melonDS ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * Mesen ✏️ * Model3-Vulkan ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * Mupen64 (RMG) * OpenMSX * PCSX2 / PCSX2x6 ✏️ * PPSSPP ✏️ * Project64 ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * Raine ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * SM2-emu ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * Snes9x ✏️ (uses PadToKey) * Sudachi * Suyu * Ymir (quit with `Ctrl` + `Q`) * Yuzu
{% hint style="info" %} "Uses PadToKey" means that the emulator has no controller shortcuts of its own: RetroBat converts your controller hotkeys into the matching keyboard keys. {% endhint %} {% hint style="warning" %} **An emulator supports hotkeys but does not follow this model?** Please report it to the RetroBat team on [Discord](https://discord.gg/GVcPNxwzuT) or the [forum](https://retrobat.forumgaming.fr/), so that it can be aligned in a future version. {% endhint %} ## Computer systems and keyboard hotkeys On computer systems (Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX, ZX Spectrum, DOS, PC-98, X68000…), the emulated computer often needs the whole keyboard, including the function keys. Keyboard hotkeys may then conflict with the game, or may be disabled by the emulator. * **Use your controller hotkeys** (HOTKEY + button) as much as possible: they do not use the keyboard. * In **RetroArch**, press `Scroll Lock` to enable **Game Focus**: all keyboard keys are sent to the emulated computer, and keyboard hotkeys are disabled. Press `Scroll Lock` again to get them back. * Some standalone emulators use modified shortcuts for these systems (for example `Alt` + key in OpenMSX). ## Customizing hotkeys RetroBat lets you change the default hotkeys of several emulators, for the keyboard and for the controller, using two files provided in the `system\resources\inputmapping` folder of RetroBat: * **kb\_hotkeys.yml**: keyboard hotkeys * **controller\_hotkeys.yml**: controller hotkeys
Emulators with customizable hotkeys ArcadeDuck, ares, BigPEmu, BizHawk, BlastEm, CGenius, DeSmuME, Dolphin, DuckStation, FBNeo, Flycast, Jgenesis, Mednafen, melonDS, Mesen, Model3-Vulkan, PCSX2, PPSSPP, Project64, Raine, RetroArch, SM2-emu, Snes9x.
{% hint style="warning" %} **Never modify the files in `system\resources\inputmapping`**: they are replaced at each update. Copy them to the `user\inputmapping` folder of RetroBat and modify the copy. {% endhint %} ### Which file is used? You can create a file for all emulators, or a file for one emulator only, by adding the emulator name at the beginning of the file name (for example `pcsx2_controller_hotkeys.yml` or `retroarch_kb_hotkeys.yml`). RetroBat uses the first file found, in this order: 1. `user\inputmapping\_kb_hotkeys.yml` (or `_controller_hotkeys.yml`) 2. `system\resources\inputmapping\_kb_hotkeys.yml` 3. `user\inputmapping\kb_hotkeys.yml` 4. `system\resources\inputmapping\kb_hotkeys.yml`
Emulator names to use in file names `arcadeduck`, `ares`, `bigpemu`, `bizhawk`, `blastem`, `cgenius`, `desmume`, `dolphin`, `duckstation`, `fbneo`, `flycast`, `jgenesis`, `mednafen`, `melonds`, `mesen`, `model3-vulkan`, `pcsx2`, `ppsspp`, `project64`, `raine`, `retroarch`, `sm2-emu`, `snes9x`
### File structure The files are text files in YAML format: open them with any text editor (Notepad, Notepad++…). In the provided files, **all lines are commented** (they start with `#`): they only show the default values. Lines are grouped in **containers**: * The `default:` container applies to all games. * A container named after a **core** (for example `fceumm:` or `flycast:`) only applies to this core. This is useful for emulators with several cores or systems: RetroArch, ares, BizHawk, BlastEm, Jgenesis, Mednafen, Mesen. * For RetroArch controller hotkeys, a container can also be named after a **system** (for example `nes:`). If no container matches the core or the system, the `default` container is used. {% hint style="warning" %} * Indentation matters: lines inside a container must start with **two spaces**, never with a tab. * The action names are always the **RetroArch** names, even for other emulators: RetroBat converts them automatically. {% endhint %} ### Remap controller hotkeys In `controller_hotkeys.yml`, each line is written as `button: action`.
Button nameButton
aSouth
xNorth
yWest
startSTART
pageup / pagedownL1 / R1
l2 / r2L2 / R2
l3 / r3Left / right stick click
up / down / left / rightD-pad
{% hint style="info" %} The `b` (East) button cannot be used: HOTKEY + East is reserved for the Game Control Center. {% endhint %} | Action name | Action | | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | | `exit_emulator` | Quit the game | | `menu_toggle` | Emulator menu | | `pause_toggle` | Pause | | `save_state` / `load_state` | Save / load state | | `state_slot_increase` / `state_slot_decrease` | Next / previous save slot | | `rewind` | Rewind | | `hold_fast_forward` / `toggle_fast_forward` | Fast forward (hold / toggle) | | `screenshot` | Screenshot | | `disk_eject_toggle` | Eject / insert disc | | `disk_prev` / `disk_next` | Previous / next disc | | `ai_service` | AI translation service | **Example:** move **rewind** and **fast forward** to L1 and R1, and move **disc eject** and **AI service** to the D-pad. 1. Copy `controller_hotkeys.yml` from `system\resources\inputmapping` to `user\inputmapping`. 2. Open the copy, remove the `#` at the beginning of the `#default:` line and of all the lines of the default container below it. 3. Change the lines you want: ```yaml default: start: exit_emulator a: menu_toggle x: load_state y: save_state pageup: rewind pagedown: hold_fast_forward l2: disk_prev r2: disk_next r3: screenshot up: state_slot_increase down: state_slot_decrease left: disk_eject_toggle right: ai_service ``` 4. Save the file. {% hint style="warning" %} Always keep **all** the shortcuts you want to use in the container, not only the ones you change: for RetroArch, the container replaces the whole default list. For example, `start: exit_emulator` must stay in the list, otherwise HOTKEY + START will no longer quit the game. {% endhint %} **Example for one core only:** use toggle fast forward instead of hold with the Flycast core, and keep the default container for all other cores: ```yaml default: start: exit_emulator a: menu_toggle x: load_state y: save_state pageup: disk_eject_toggle pagedown: ai_service l2: disk_prev r2: disk_next r3: screenshot up: state_slot_increase down: state_slot_decrease left: rewind right: hold_fast_forward flycast: start: exit_emulator a: menu_toggle x: load_state y: save_state left: rewind right: toggle_fast_forward ``` {% hint style="info" %} **RetroArch only — single-button shortcuts:** adding the `noHotkey: true` line in a container disables the HOTKEY button for the matching cores: each shortcut is then triggered by **its button alone** (for example START alone quits the game). Only use it for systems where these buttons are not used by the games. {% endhint %} ### Remap keyboard hotkeys In `kb_hotkeys.yml`, each line is written the other way round: `action: key`, and action names start with `input_`. **Example:** save states on `F5` and load states on `F9`. 1. Copy `kb_hotkeys.yml` from `system\resources\inputmapping` to `user\inputmapping`. 2. Open the copy, remove the `#` at the beginning of the `#default:` line and of all the lines below it. 3. Change the lines you want: ```yaml default: input_menu_toggle: f1 input_toggle_fullscreen: f input_hold_fast_forward: l input_rewind: backspace input_toggle_fast_forward: space input_frame_advance: k input_screenshot: f8 input_save_state: f5 input_load_state: f9 input_state_slot_decrease: f6 input_state_slot_increase: f7 input_pause_toggle: p input_exit_emulator: escape input_shader_next: m input_shader_prev: n input_disk_prev: f3 input_disk_next: f10 input_game_focus_toggle: scroll_lock input_grab_mouse_toggle: f11 input_audio_mute: o ``` 4. Save the file. {% hint style="info" %} * Key names follow the RetroArch naming: `a` to `z`, `f1` to `f12`, `escape`, `enter`, `space`, `backspace`, `tab`, `insert`, `del`, `home`, `end`, `pageup`, `pagedown`, `up`, `down`, `left`, `right`, `scroll_lock`… * If a key is not supported by an emulator, its default key is used instead. * For emulators that **use PadToKey**, controller hotkeys send the keyboard key: if you change a key in `kb_hotkeys.yml`, the matching controller hotkey follows automatically. {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://wiki.retrobat.org/navigation/hotkeys.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.