Troubleshooting

Missing box art, wrong covers, or a scraper that finds nothing? Here is why scrapers fail and how to fix it, from file naming to region tags to doing it on a PC instead.

Buttons in the wrong place, a controller the emulator ignores, or hotkeys that fire mid game? Here is how emulator input actually works and how to fix each layer.

Game running in fast forward, or music playing too high? Here is why emulators lose their speed limit and how to fix it, including the PAL and NTSC trap nobody mentions.

Buttons feel mushy or delayed? Here is how to find where the lag is coming from and fix it, from Run-Ahead and frame delay to the wireless controller that is quietly costing you three frames.

Flashed new firmware and now your handheld boots to a black screen? Don't panic. Here is how to recover, from reseating the card to a clean reflash.

Bluetooth controller won't pair with your handheld, or keeps lagging and dropping? Here are the fixes, from pairing mode to input lag and firmware quirks.

Crackling or stuttering audio in RetroArch? Here are the settings that cause it and the fixes, from audio latency and sync to run-ahead.

Games running slow or laggy on your handheld? Here is how to diagnose and fix it, from the right core and settings to knowing the hardware limit.

Handheld getting hot, throttling, or shutting down? Here is why it happens and how to fix it, from settings and airflow to cooling accessories.

Your retro handheld won't power on or charge? Work through these fixes in order, from a dead battery and bad cable to SD card issues and a forced restart.

Corrupted SD card on your handheld? Here is how to recover your games and saves, test the card, and prevent corruption from happening again.

Copied your games over but they do not show up? Here are the common causes and fixes, from wrong folders and file formats to refreshing the game list.

Analog stick drift on your handheld? Work through the fixes in order. Software recalibration first, then cleaning, then a Hall-effect replacement.