While playing, Recalbox responds to button combinations built around a button named HOTKEY (HK).
- The
HOTKEYbutton is defined during the controller configuration: it is theHome/Guidebutton when the controller has one, usuallySELECTotherwise. - The button names used here are those of the Super Nintendo controller (Aright,Bbottom,Xtop,Yleft);L1/R1,L2/R2andL3/R3map to modern controllers.
| Action | Combination |
|---|---|
| Quit the game (back to the game list) | HK + START |
| RetroArch menu (advanced in-game settings) | HK + B |
| Restart the game (reset) | HK + A |
| Insert a credit (arcade, NeoGeo) | SELECT |
In the RetroArch menu, if you want to keep your changes, enable
Save settings on Exit— otherwise they are lost when you leave.
| Action | Combination |
|---|---|
| Save to the current slot | HK + Y |
| Load the current slot | HK + X |
| Next / previous slot | HK + ↑ / ↓ |
| Action | Combination |
|---|---|
| Rewind (hold) | HK + ← |
| Fast forward (hold) | HK + → |
Rewind must be enabled (
IN-GAME SETTINGS→REWIND, on by default); it is automatically disabled on the most demanding systems.
| Action | Combination |
|---|---|
Screenshot (into share/screenshots) |
HK + L1 |
| Video recording (start/stop) | HK + R3 (right stick click) |
| Previous / next shader | HK + L2 / R2 |
| Show/hide FPS | HK + right stick down |
| Action | Combination |
|---|---|
| Eject / insert the disc | HK + left stick up |
| Previous / next disc | HK + left stick left / right |
To swap discs, your images must be grouped in a
.m3ufile. The three-step move: 1. eject the disc (HK+left stickup); 2. pick the other disc (HK+left stickleft/right); 3. close the tray (HK+left stickup) and keep playing.
| Action | Combination |
|---|---|
| AI translation of the screen | HK + left stick down |
| Previous / next cheat | HK + right stick left / right |
| Toggle the cheat | HK + right stick up |
If you play with a keyboard: HOTKEY = F12, and Escape quits the game.
The shortcuts above apply to Libretro/RetroArch emulators (the vast majority of systems). Standalone emulators (Dolphin, PCSX2, DuckStation, Supermodel…) mimic the main combinations — the one to remember is that HK + START quits the game everywhere. Specifics are described on each system's page (Emulators).
For an arcade cabinet or young players' hands, the system.emulators.specialkeys key of the recalbox.conf file lets you restrict the special commands:
default — all shortcuts (default value);nomenu — everything except the RetroArch menu (HK + B);none — no shortcut… except HK + START, which always quits the game.And to avoid quitting a game by mistake: IN-GAME SETTINGS → PRESS TWICE TO QUIT GAME (HK + START then asks for a confirmation).
The interface shortcuts (search, favorites, screensaver, music skip…) are detailed on the The interface page.