MkDocs_MiSTer/docs/basics/hotkey.md

Here's a reference of the hotkeys you can use with the MiSTer. Hotkeys are useful at saving time and there are some hotkeys which do things you can only do with a keyboard or gamepad. Some of these hotkeys only work in the Main Menu core, others will work inside emulators as part of the gameplay, and some will work in all instances.

In any core, with OSD closed

Hotkey	Description
++f12++	Open the Menu/On-Screen Display
++alt+f12++	Open core select menu
++win+prtsc++	Take a screenshot (upscaled)
++shift+win+prtsc++	Take a screenshot (raw output)
++lctrl+lalt+ralt++	Press "User" button, usually resets current core, same function as IO board button
++lshift+lctrl+lalt+ralt++	Full Reboot/Reset, same as IO add-on board Reset button
Controller: Button + Menu hotkey	Turn on/off turbo/autofire for the pressed button
Controller: Direction + Menu hotkey	Set rate of turbo/autofire in milliseconds (ms)

With the OSD open, in any core

Hotkey	Description
++f12++	Close OSD
++f11++	Pair Bluetooth controller
Hold IO Board OSD Button	Alternate method to Pair Bluetooth controller
Left	Go to information screen (shows currently selected INI file and volume)
Right	System screen (change core, set filters, gamma, etc...)
Controller: Back + R/L/D/U	Select Alternate INI file if defined (Default/Alt1/Alt2/Alt3)
Controller: Select	Expands submenus in the OSD when highlighted

In the Main Menu core only

Hotkey	Description
++f1++	Switch background type (static, wallpaper, color bars, black)
++f2++	Hide / Show core dates
++f9++	Open Linux terminal / command line interface, use F12 to go back to menu
Controller: x / y	Test the rumble motors on your controller

Core-specific hotkeys

Some computer cores

Some computer cores make use of the Windows key (++win++) on your keyboard.

Hotkey	Description
++win+f12++	Open the OSD

Cores that support savestates

Very few cores support savestates (NES, PSX, GameBoy, GBA, WonderSwan, AtariLynx). There are 4 savestate slots available. In those cores there is a standard savestate button you can assign on your controller (we'll call that SaveStateBtn here):

Hotkey	Description
++alt+f1++ - ++f4++	Save the state in slots 1-4 respectively
++f1++ - ++f4++	Restore the state from slots 1-4 respectively
Controller: SaveStateBtn + Left/Right	Switches the savestate slot
Controller: SaveStateBtn + Start + Down	Saves to the selected slot
Controller: SaveStateBtn + Start + Up	Restores from the selected slot