Media Overrides

Media overrides let you customize individual game artwork without affecting your main media library. They're perfect for personalized touches, custom artwork, and per-game customizations.

What Are Media Overrides?

Media overrides are custom media files that take priority over your regular media library. When HyperSpin loads a game:

1. First, it checks for an override file
2. If found, it uses the override
3. If not found, it falls back to the regular media

Think of overrides as a "custom layer" on top of your standard media. The original files stay untouched, but you can override what shows up for specific games.

Why Use Overrides?

Personalization Create custom wheels, backgrounds, or artwork that reflects your style without replacing official media.

Testing Changes Try out new artwork before committing to it in your main library. Keep the originals safe while you experiment.

Region-Specific Art Want Japanese box art for some games and US art for others? Overrides let you mix and match.

Custom Collections Create special artwork for your curated collections without affecting system-wide media.

Easy Rollback Don't like your changes? Just delete the override. Your original media is still there.

How Overrides Work

The Override Structure

HyperHQ stores media in two locations:

System-Managed Media: HyperSpin/Media/_hsm/[media-id]/ Your standard media library automatically downloaded from HyperTheme and EmuMovies. This folder contains a DO_NOT_MODIFY.txt file—HyperHQ manages these files automatically.

Override Media: HyperSpin/Media/[System Name]/[Media Type]/ Your custom overrides that take priority when present. This is where YOU place custom media files.

The override structure is much simpler:

HyperSpin/Media/
  _hsm/                           # System-managed (DO NOT MODIFY)
    [media-id]/
      metadata.json
      game1.jpg
      game2.png
      ...

  [System Name]/                  # Your override folders
    [Media Type]/
      _Place_Override_Media_Here.txt
      game1.jpg                   # Your custom files go here
      game2.png
      ...

  Default/                        # Default media overrides
    [Media Type]/
      _Place_Override_Media_Here.txt
      background.jpg
      ...

  Collections/                    # Collection media overrides
    [Media Type]/
      _Place_Override_Media_Here.txt
      collection_logo.png
      ...

The Priority System

When HyperSpin needs media for a game, it checks locations in this order:

1. Override Media (highest priority)
2. Regular Media (fallback)
3. Placeholder Graphics (if nothing found)

This means you can override just one game's wheel without touching anything else.

Creating Media Overrides

Using HyperHQ (Recommended)

The easiest way to create overrides is through HyperHQ:

Step 1: Find Your Game

1. Navigate to the system containing your game
2. Find the game you want to customize
3. Right-click or select the game

Step 2: Add Override Media

1. Click Edit Game or Manage Media
2. Select the media type you want to override (Wheel, Background, etc.)
3. Click Upload Custom Override
4. Choose your custom media file
5. HyperHQ places it in the correct override folder

The override takes effect immediately.

Step 3: Preview Your Changes

1. Click Preview in HyperSpin to see how it looks
2. Adjust if needed by uploading a different file
3. Original media remains untouched

Manual Override Creation

Prefer to manage files yourself? You can add overrides manually:

Find the Override Folder

Navigate to your HyperSpin Media folder:

C:\ProgramData\HyperSpin\Media\[System Name]\[Media Type]\

For example, for Sega Genesis game wheels:

C:\ProgramData\HyperSpin\Media\Sega Genesis\Wheel\

You'll see a _Place_Override_Media_Here.txt file in this folder explaining how to use it.

Add Your Media File

1. Create your custom media file (wheel, background, etc.)
2. Name it exactly like the ROM file (without the extension)
3. Place it in the appropriate override folder

Example:

• ROM file: Super Mario World.zip
• Override wheel: Super Mario World.png
• Location: Media/Sega Genesis/Wheel/

Verify It Works

Launch HyperSpin and navigate to that game. Your override should appear instead of the regular media.

Override Types

Game-Specific Overrides

Override media for individual games within a system folder:

Logos (Wheels) Media/[System]/Wheel/

Backgrounds Media/[System]/Background/

Box Art Media/[System]/Boxart/

Videos Media/[System]/Video/

Gameplay Snapshots Media/[System]/Snaps/

System-Level Overrides

Override system-wide elements (MainMenu folder):

System Logos Media/MainMenu/Wheel/

System Music Media/MainMenu/Music/

Pointers Media/MainMenu/Pointer/

Default Media Overrides

Override fallback media used when game-specific media isn't available:

Default Backgrounds Media/Default/Background/

Default Music Media/Default/Music/

Default Sounds Media/Default/Sound/

Collection Overrides

Override media specific to custom collections:

Collection Logos Media/Collections/Wheel/

Collection Backgrounds Media/Collections/Background/

Collection Videos Media/Collections/Video/

Practical Examples

Example 1: Custom Game Wheel

You want a custom wheel for "Street Fighter II" in your Arcade system:

System-Managed Location: Media/_hsm/[media-id]/street_fighter_ii.png (automatically downloaded)

Override Location: Media/Arcade/Wheel/street_fighter_ii.png (your custom file)

Result: HyperSpin shows your custom wheel instead of the downloaded one.

Example 2: Personalized System Background

Create a custom background for your MAME system:

System-Managed Location: Media/_hsm/[media-id]/background.jpg (automatically downloaded)

Override Location: Media/MAME/Background/custom_bg.jpg (your custom file)

Result: Your MAME system shows your custom background.

Example 3: Collection-Specific Artwork

You created a "Beat 'Em Ups" collection and want custom art:

Override Locations: Media/Collections/Wheel/beat_em_ups.png Media/Collections/Background/beat_em_ups.jpg

Result: Your collection displays with completely custom artwork.

Managing Overrides

Viewing Your Overrides

See all your overrides in HyperHQ:

1. Go to Media > Overrides
2. Browse by system or media type
3. Preview override files
4. See which games have overrides

Editing Overrides

Change an existing override:

1. Find the override in HyperHQ
2. Click Edit or Replace
3. Upload a new file
4. Previous override is replaced

Or manually replace the file in the override folder.

Removing Overrides

Don't need an override anymore?

In HyperHQ:

1. Select the override
2. Click Delete Override
3. Game reverts to regular media

Manually:

1. Navigate to the override folder
2. Delete the override file
3. Regular media takes over immediately

Bulk Override Management

Working with lots of overrides?

Export Overrides Back up your custom overrides for safekeeping or sharing.

Import Overrides Restore backed-up overrides or use overrides from other users.

Clear All Overrides Remove all overrides for a system in one action (careful—this can't be undone!).

Override File Requirements

Supported Formats

Images:

• PNG (recommended for wheels and logos)
• JPG (good for backgrounds)
• BMP (works but larger file sizes)

Videos:

• MP4 (recommended)
• AVI (works but less efficient)
• WMV (older format, still supported)

Audio:

• MP3 (most common)
• OGG (smaller files)
• WAV (uncompressed, larger)

Size and Resolution

Wheels/Logos:

• Recommended: 400-600px wide
• Format: PNG with transparency
• Keep file size under 500KB for fast loading

Backgrounds:

• Match your display resolution (1080p, 4K, etc.)
• Format: JPG for smaller files, PNG for transparency
• Reasonable file sizes (under 5MB) load faster

Videos:

• 720p or 1080p works great
• 30-60 seconds is ideal length
• Higher bitrates look better but use more space

Naming Rules

Override files must match ROM names exactly:

Correct:

• ROM: sonic_the_hedgehog.zip
• Override: sonic_the_hedgehog.png

Incorrect:

• Override: Sonic The Hedgehog.png (wrong capitalization)
• Override: sonic.png (incomplete name)
• Override: sonic_the_hedgehog_2.png (extra characters)

HyperSpin is case-sensitive and requires exact matches.

Advanced Override Techniques

Regional Variants

Create multiple override sets for different regions:

US Versions: Standard override structure with US artwork.

Japanese Versions: Duplicate structure with Japanese artwork, swap folders as needed.

European Versions: Same approach—create separate override sets and switch between them.

Manage sets with HyperHQ's override import/export.

Theme-Specific Overrides

Some themes need specific media formats. Use overrides to adapt:

1. Download or create media matching theme requirements
2. Place in override folders
3. Theme uses your custom media
4. Switch themes without affecting overrides

Seasonal Overrides

Want holiday-themed artwork?

1. Create seasonal override set (Halloween wheels, Christmas backgrounds, etc.)
2. Import overrides during that season
3. Export and remove when season ends
4. Re-import next year

Keep seasonal sets organized in backup folders.

Testing Themes

Building a custom theme and need test media?

1. Use overrides for all test artwork
2. Iterate quickly without affecting main library
3. Once happy, migrate to regular media
4. Delete overrides or keep as alternates

Overrides vs. Regular Media

When to Use Overrides

Use Overrides When:

• Customizing specific games only
• Testing new artwork
• Creating temporary seasonal themes
• Maintaining multiple art styles for the same games
• Personalizing without permanent changes

When to Use Regular Media

Use Regular Media When:

• Downloading from HyperTheme or EmuMovies
• Applying consistent artwork across entire systems
• Setting up a new system
• Sharing media with others
• Maintaining a "stock" media library

Best Practice: Hybrid Approach

Most users do both:

• Regular media from official sources for baseline quality
• Overrides for personal customization and special cases

This gives you professional media with personal touches.

Sharing Overrides

Created amazing custom art? Share it with the community:

Export Your Overrides

1. In HyperHQ, go to Media > Overrides
2. Select overrides to share
3. Click Export
4. Choose a location
5. HyperHQ creates a package file

Share the Package

Upload your override package to:

• HyperSpin community forums
• Your personal website or cloud storage
• Discord or other community channels

Include preview images so people know what they're getting!

Import Community Overrides

Found overrides you like?

1. Download the override package
2. In HyperHQ, go to Media > Overrides
3. Click Import
4. Select the package file
5. Choose which overrides to import

HyperHQ installs them in the right locations.

Common Questions

Do overrides affect downloads from HyperTheme? Nope! HyperTheme downloads go to regular media folders. Overrides stay separate.

Can I override videos? Absolutely! Video overrides work the same as image overrides.

What happens if I delete the override folder? Everything reverts to regular media. Your main library is unaffected.

Do overrides work with all themes? Yes! Themes check for overrides first, so they work universally.

Can I have overrides for some games and regular media for others? Yes! That's the whole point. Mix and match as you like.

Will overrides slow down HyperSpin? Not noticeably. HyperSpin checks overrides quickly—it's designed for this.

Can I use overrides from older HyperSpin versions? If the file naming matches, they should work. You might need to reorganize folder structures.

How much disk space do overrides use? Only what you add. Unlike regular media, overrides are entirely manual—they don't download automatically.

Troubleshooting

Override Not Showing?

• Verify file name exactly matches ROM name (including spaces, underscores, capitalization)
• Check file is in the correct override folder
• Confirm file format is supported (PNG, JPG for images)
• Restart HyperSpin to reload media

Override Showing for Wrong Game?

• Check for duplicate files with similar names
• Verify ROM name exactly (use "View ROM Details" in HyperHQ)
• Remove incorrect override file

Override Looks Distorted?

• Check image resolution matches your display
• Verify aspect ratio is correct
• Try higher quality source image
• Ensure file isn't corrupted (re-upload)

Can't Find Override Folder?

• Check HyperSpin installation path in Settings
• Verify Media folder exists in your HyperSpin directory
• Look for _Place_Override_Media_Here.txt files—these mark override folders
• Create folders manually if needed: [HyperSpin]/Media/[System Name]/[Media Type]/

Overrides Not Taking Priority?

• Confirm file naming is exact (no extra spaces or characters)
• Check folder structure matches regular media structure
• Try clearing HyperSpin cache (Settings > Cache > Clear)

Regular Media Showing Instead?

• Override file might be corrupted (try re-uploading)
• Check file permissions (should be readable)
• Verify no typos in filename or folder path

What's Next?

Want to create custom themes to go with your overrides? Check out the ThemeBuilder Documentation.

Need to organize your customized games? Learn about Creating Collections.

Got your arcade looking perfect? Time to configure those LED Lights for the full cabinet experience.