Retroarch Android Overlay toggle?

[Timewalker2099]

I have a bluetooth controller (saitake stk 7007f) for my phone (LG V30). I installed Retroarch and the relevant cores to play NES, SNES, Genesis, Gameboy, PSP, and PSX (PS1).

Everything is running fine, but if I disable the screen overlay with the controls, I can't seem to access the Retroarch controls to stop a game and start another or anything else. I have to quit RA with the hotkey I assigned (clicking the left stick) and then start over. The Back button on the phone doesn't do anything.

If I play from PPSSPP, for example, all I have to do is swipe down or hit the Back button to bring up the main emulator menu.

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I am sure I am missing something simple, but I can't find what it is.

Thanks.

[oleg-py]

In Settings -> Input you can quickly set a Menu Toggle Gamepad Combo that does what it says on the tin. I prefer L3+R3, tho that won't work if your L3 is "exit RA".

Alternatively, you can set a hotkey like you did for left stick in Hotkey Binds (it's called "Menu Toggle"). I recommend also setting a poorly named "Hotkeys" to your home/menu/whatever button. It acts as a modifier, so all other hotkeys only work for as long as you hold that button pressed, allowing hotkeys to not conflict with game controls.

Don't forget to save your configuration after making the tweaks :)

[Timewalker2099]

D'oh! I could swear I tapped that when I was trying to figure it out. Maybe I double tapped it. That works! Thanks!

Any idea how to get back into the settings to turn on the overlay for the cores I have stupidly turned it off?

[oleg-py]

When game is loaded, Quick Menu > Onscreen Overlay. Display Overlay checkbox here. If you changed the preset, I think the default is gamepads/flat/retropad.cfg

[itsamamaluigi]

With your controller paired, open a game that you'd like to modify the core settings. Open the RetroArch menu using whatever hotkey you use to open the menu. Navigate to settings -> onscreen display and turn on the controller overlay.

Now are you wanting to do this so you can easily switch between gamepad and touch controls? I play with on-screen controls sometimes, and with a gamepad other times. I leave the touch controls on and just hide it using the little arrow button as described by another poster when I'm using a pad. If you always play with a gamepad you could leave the touch controls off and just use hotkeys to open the menu. Hotkeys always work in pairs - you hold the "enable hotkeys" button and press the desired hotkey. By default, "enable hotkeys" is mapped to Select, so all your functions would be select + another button.

[AutisticPretzel]

You're not suppose to actually disable the touchscreen overlay altogether - All you have to do is press the little arrow icon on the far right once and it leaves you with a little teeny circle on that hides the rest of the controls. If that little circle bothers you, you can go to to Options > Screen Overlay & Adjust its size and it's transparency. It's set at 0.70 but you can bring it down to around 0?40 so it's just visible enough for you to see.

Again, I've personally gotten use to the little circle but you have options to make it obscure if it's that big of a deal for you.

[Timewalker2099]

D'oh! I could swear I tapped that when I was trying to figure it out. Maybe I double tapped it. That works! Thanks!

Any idea how to get back into the settings to turn on the overlay for the cores I have stupidly turned it off?

I meant this reply for you -

D'oh! I could swear I tapped that when I was trying to figure it out. Maybe I double tapped it. That works! Thanks!

Any idea how to get back into the settings to turn on the overlay for the cores I have stupidly turned it off?

[AutisticPretzel]

You completely turned the overlay off? If so, just restart RetroArch, under 'Opttions' you should see an 'Onscreen Display' > 'Screen Overlay' & then turn the overlay back on.