Most systems run through RetroArch, and GammaOS gives you a simple, consistent way to open its menu and quit back home. The key thing to know: it is all done with the Back button, not a hotkey combo.
The one button to remember
GammaOS does not use a hotkey-modifier combo (like Select plus a face button) to reach the RetroArch menu. Instead it drives RetroArch with the Back button. This is the Back button specifically, not Select.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Open the RetroArch menu | Tap the Back button once (a quick press). GammaOS opens the menu for you. |
| Open the RetroArch menu (alternative) | Press L3 + R3 (click both analog sticks in together). This is RetroArch's own built-in combo. |
| Exit RetroArch back to the home | Hold the Back button. RetroArch closes and you land back on the same game in the home. |
A quick tap of Back opens the menu; a long hold of Back exits the game. Same button, two lengths of press.
This is the RetroArch Back Button Override behavior, and it is only active while RetroArch is in the foreground. The L3 + R3 combo works on its own as RetroArch's native menu toggle.
Exiting a game
You have a couple of ways to get back to the home screen:
- Hold the Back button. RetroArch quits and you return to the same game, highlighted, on the home.
- Or open the RetroArch menu (a single Back tap, or L3 + R3) and choose Quit RetroArch.
You can also hold Power to raise the Nano overlay over a running game without quitting it. Press B to dismiss it, or pick another game to switch. See the in-game overlay.
Inside the menu
Everything inside the RetroArch menu (save states, core options, controls, cheats) is RetroArch's own on-screen interface. Open it with a single Back tap or L3 + R3, then use RetroArch's menu as normal.
To rebind your in-game buttons, open RetroArch's Settings > Input. That is where you remap controls for the running core.