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Settings

Your control center for customizing how HyperHQ looks, sounds, and behaves. Let's walk through everything you can tweak.

Getting to Settings​

Click the Settings button in the bottom left corner of HyperHQ. You'll see a panel with several tabs, each controlling different aspects of the app.

Display Settings​

Control how HyperHQ looks on your screen.

Window Mode​

Choose how HyperHQ displays on your monitor:

Windowed

  • Runs in a regular window you can resize and move
  • Good for desktop use when you're setting things up
  • Easy to switch between HyperHQ and other apps

Borderless Fullscreen

  • Fills your screen but acts like a window
  • Faster to alt-tab than true fullscreen
  • Recommended for most users

Fullscreen

  • True exclusive fullscreen mode
  • Better performance on some systems
  • Great for dedicated arcade cabinets
For Cabinet Builders

Use Fullscreen mode on your cabinet. It ensures HyperHQ gets full control of the display and looks polished when your arcade boots up.

Aspect Ratio​

Match your display's dimensions:

16:9 (Widescreen)

  • Most common modern displays
  • TVs, monitors, laptops
  • Default setting for most setups

4:3 (Standard)

  • Older monitors and arcade CRTs
  • Some vertical arcade cabinet displays
  • Classic arcade look

Custom

  • Set specific width and height ratios
  • Useful for unusual displays or multi-monitor setups
  • Enter your ratio manually (like 21:9 for ultrawide)

The aspect ratio affects how themes and artwork display. Pick what matches your physical screen for the best results.

Font Settings​

Customize text appearance in HyperHQ:

Font Family

  • Choose from installed system fonts
  • HyperHQ's default font works great
  • Some themes may override this

Font Size

  • Small: More information on screen, harder to read from a distance
  • Medium: Good balance for desktop use
  • Large: Better for arcade cabinets or viewing from across the room

Anti-Aliasing

  • Smooth text: Looks better, slightly less crisp
  • Sharp text: More readable at smaller sizes
  • Pick based on your display resolution

Alpha/Transparency​

Control transparency effects in the interface:

Window Opacity

  • 100%: Fully opaque (no transparency)
  • Lower values: See through to your desktop
  • Useful if you want to reference other apps while working

Overlay Alpha

  • Controls transparency of popup dialogs
  • Affects media preview windows
  • Lower values let you see content behind dialogs

Disabled Elements

  • How much to dim disabled buttons and options
  • Higher values make them more obvious
  • Lower values for a cleaner look

Most folks leave these at default. They're here if you want a specific aesthetic.

Video Settings​

Configure intro videos, outro videos, and video quality preferences.

Intro Videos​

Play a video when HyperSpin launches:

Enable Intro

  • Turn the intro video on or off
  • Great for a cinematic arcade boot-up experience
  • Disable it to get into your games faster

Intro Video Path

  • Point to your intro video file (MP4, AVI, WMV)
  • Common choice: Animated HyperSpin logo
  • You can use any video you want—get creative!

Skip Intro After

  • How many seconds until you can skip the intro
  • Press any button to skip once this time passes
  • Set to 0 to allow immediate skipping
Custom Intro Ideas
  • Use a classic arcade boot screen
  • Make a montage of your favorite games
  • Add your arcade's custom branding
  • Keep it under 10 seconds for the best experience

Outro Videos​

Play a video when shutting down HyperSpin:

Enable Outro

  • Show a video when closing HyperSpin
  • Nice touch for a polished shutdown experience
  • Less common than intros, but cool if you want it

Outro Video Path

  • Path to your outro video file
  • Usually a shorter video than the intro
  • Good place for a "Thanks for playing!" message

Video Quality Preferences​

Control media video quality and performance:

Download Quality

  • High (1080p): Best visual quality, largest files
  • Medium (720p): Good balance of quality and size
  • Low (480p): Saves disk space, still looks decent

Video Codec Preference

  • H.264: Most compatible, good quality
  • H.265/HEVC: Better compression, smaller files
  • Depends on what your system supports

Hardware Acceleration

  • Use your GPU to decode videos
  • Smoother playback, less CPU usage
  • Enable this unless you have problems
Storage vs. Quality

If disk space is tight, go with Medium quality. The difference between Medium and High isn't huge on most displays, but file sizes double. Only use Low if you're really hurting for space.

Audio Settings​

Control sound effects, volume, and audio behavior.

Sound Effects​

HyperHQ plays sounds for various actions:

Enable Sound Effects

  • Turn UI sounds on or off
  • Includes button clicks, notifications, and alerts
  • Some people love it, some find it distracting

Sound Effect Volume

  • 0% to 100% volume control
  • Adjust independently from master volume
  • Set it loud enough to hear, not so loud it's jarring

Custom Sounds

  • Replace default sounds with your own
  • Drop .wav or .mp3 files in the sounds folder
  • Name them to match the events you want to replace

Master Volume​

Overall volume control for HyperHQ:

Master Volume Slider

  • 0% to 100% control
  • Affects all audio from HyperHQ
  • Does not affect game audio from emulators

Mute All

  • Quick toggle to silence everything
  • Useful when you're working on your setup late at night
  • Sound settings are remembered when you unmute

Intro/Outro Volume​

Separate volume for intro and outro videos:

Intro Video Volume

  • Control how loud the intro plays
  • Often you want this louder than UI sounds
  • Good for that dramatic boot-up feel

Outro Video Volume

  • Control shutdown video volume
  • Usually set a bit quieter than the intro
  • Nobody wants a loud outro when powering down
Volume Balance

A good setup: Master at 70%, intro at 90%, UI sounds at 40%. Adjust to taste.

Path Configuration​

Tell HyperHQ where everything lives on your computer.

HyperSpin Folder​

The main HyperSpin installation directory:

Root Path

  • Where HyperSpin itself is installed
  • Usually C:/ProgramData/HyperSpin/
  • Contains all systems, media, databases, and settings

Change Path

  • Use this if you moved your HyperSpin folder
  • HyperHQ updates all references automatically
  • Restart HyperHQ after changing this
Moving Your Setup

If you move your HyperSpin folder, update this path before doing anything else. Otherwise HyperHQ won't be able to find your systems and games.

Media Folders​

Where artwork, videos, and themes are stored:

Media Root

  • Base folder for all media
  • Usually [HyperSpin]/Media/
  • Subfolder structure is automatic

Custom Media Paths

  • Override default locations if needed
  • Useful if you store media on a different drive
  • Set paths for specific media types:
    • Wheels
    • Backgrounds
    • Videos
    • Themes
    • Artwork

Example Setup for External Drive:

Wheels: D:/HyperSpinMedia/Wheels/
Videos: D:/HyperSpinMedia/Videos/
Themes: C:/ProgramData/HyperSpin/Media/Themes/

This keeps large video files on a spacious drive while themes stay local.

Emulator Paths​

Default locations for your emulators:

Emulator Root

  • Base folder where emulators live
  • Good organizational practice: keep them in one place
  • Example: C:/Emulators/

Quick Add Paths

  • Save common emulator locations
  • Makes adding new systems faster
  • Click "Add to Quick List" when configuring emulators

You can still set custom paths per emulator—this is just a convenience feature.

Database Paths​

Where HyperHQ stores its database files:

Database Location

  • Windows: C:/Users/<YourUsername>/.HyperHQ/main.hsdata
  • Linux/Mac: ~/.HyperHQ/main.hsdata
  • Stored in your user folder, separate from HyperSpin
  • Contains all systems, games, settings, and configurations

Backup Location

  • Windows: C:/Users/<YourUsername>/.HyperHQ/backups/
  • Linux/Mac: ~/.HyperHQ/backups/
  • Automatic backups are saved here
  • Keeps the 7 most recent backups automatically

What's in the Database:

  • All your systems and emulator configurations
  • Game lists and ROM entries for every system
  • HyperHQ settings and preferences
  • User profiles and login information
  • Media cache and download history

Database Backup & Restore​

Your game collection represents hours of setup work. HyperHQ's automatic backup system protects your database so you never lose your progress.

Automatic Backups​

Set up automatic backups to protect your database without thinking about it:

Enable Automatic Backups

  • Turn on scheduled automatic backups
  • Runs in the background when HyperHQ is open
  • Only creates backups when actual changes exist
  • No performance impact during normal use

Backup Schedule

  • On Startup: Create backup when HyperHQ launches
  • On Shutdown: Save backup when closing HyperHQ
  • Periodic: Automatic backups at set intervals (hourly, daily, weekly)

Smart Cleanup

  • Automatically keeps your 7 most recent backups
  • Older backups are deleted to save disk space
  • Never runs out of space from excessive backups
Recommended Setting

Enable "On Shutdown" backups for most setups. This ensures you always have a recent backup before making changes, without creating too many backup files.

Manual Backups​

Create backups anytime with one click:

Create Backup Now

  1. Click Backup Database button
  2. HyperHQ creates an instant snapshot
  3. Backup is saved with timestamp
  4. Continue working immediately

When to Create Manual Backups:

  • Before importing large ROM sets
  • Before major system changes
  • Before testing new features
  • Before upgrading HyperHQ

Backups are automatically saved to your .HyperHQ/backups/ folder with timestamps in the filename. Copy them to an external drive for extra safety.

Restoring Backups​

Roll back to any previous state with one click:

Restore from Backup

  1. Click Restore Database
  2. Choose a backup from the list
  3. View backup date and time
  4. Click Restore
  5. HyperHQ automatically creates safety backup before restore
  6. Database reverts to selected backup

Safety Features

  • Automatic safety backup before every restore
  • Can't accidentally lose current data
  • Clear confirmation before restore
  • Easy to undo if needed

After Restoring:

  • Review your systems and games
  • Verify everything looks correct
  • Restart HyperHQ for best results
Important

Backups contain your database only (systems, games, settings). They don't include:

  • ROM files
  • Media files (artwork, videos)
  • Emulator installations
  • HyperSpin itself

Those files are safe on disk and don't need database backup.

Backup Management​

View and manage all your backups:

Backup List

  • See all available backups
  • Sorted by date (newest first)
  • Shows file size for each backup
  • Quick restore from any backup

Delete Old Backups

  • Remove specific backups manually
  • Free up disk space
  • Keep important milestones
  • Delete others to declutter

Export Backups

  • Copy backups to external drive
  • Share configurations with other PCs
  • Archive important setups
  • Keep off-site backup for safety

Troubleshooting Backups​

Backup Won't Create?

  • Check available disk space
  • Verify backup location is writable
  • Check Settings > View Logs for errors
  • Try manual backup first

Restore Failed?

  • Ensure backup file isn't corrupted
  • Check file size (should be several MB minimum)
  • Try a different backup
  • Contact support if issues persist

Too Many Backups?

  • Only 7 most recent are kept automatically
  • Manually delete old ones if needed
  • Change backup schedule to less frequent
  • Disable unused backup triggers

Client Settings​

Your HyperHQ client identification and display preferences.

Display Name​

Client Display Name

  • Set a friendly name for this HyperHQ installation
  • Useful if you manage multiple cabinets or PCs
  • Syncs with your HyperSpin account
  • Shows up in HyperTheme and other connected services

Why set a display name?

  • Identify which machine you're managing (e.g., "Living Room Cab", "Desktop Setup")
  • Track media downloads per machine
  • Easier troubleshooting if you have multiple installations

The default display name is your machine's unique ID. Change it to something memorable.

Wheel Settings​

Control how game wheels look and which games appear in your system lists.

Wheel Position​

Choose where the game wheel appears on screen:

Position Options:

  • Right Curved: Wheel on the right side with curved perspective (classic HyperSpin look)
  • Right Straight: Wheel on the right side, straight vertical layout
  • Left Curved: Wheel on the left side with curved perspective
  • Left Straight: Wheel on the left side, straight vertical layout

Most themes are designed for right-side wheels. Pick curved for the traditional arcade feel, straight for a cleaner modern look.

Game Visibility Options​

Fine-tune which games show up in your wheel based on available media and files.

Hide Games with No Wheels

  • Games without wheel artwork won't appear
  • Keeps your lists clean and polished
  • Only shows games with proper graphics
  • Recommended if you've downloaded complete media sets

Hide Games with No Themes

  • Games without custom themes won't appear
  • Ensures every game looks good when selected
  • Useful if you only want themed content
  • Less restrictive than wheel filtering

Hide Missing Games

  • Games with missing ROM files won't appear
  • Only shows games you can actually play
  • Perfect for keeping your list accurate
  • Highly recommended to avoid confusion
Start Permissive

When setting up a new system, leave all visibility options off. Once you've confirmed your ROMs and media are correct, enable these filters to clean up the list.

Wheel Appearance​

Grayscale Wheel

  • Convert all wheel images to grayscale
  • Non-selected games appear in black and white
  • Creates a focused, minimalist look
  • Selected game appears in full color (depending on theme)
  • Great for reducing visual clutter

Wheel Opacity

  • Adjust transparency of wheel images (10% to 100%)
  • Lower opacity: More subtle, blend with background
  • Higher opacity: Bold, stand-out wheels
  • Default is 100% (fully opaque)
  • Use lower values for artistic themes with busy backgrounds

Tips for Wheel Configuration​

Match Your Collection If you have incomplete media sets, don't enable "Hide games with no wheels" or you'll lose half your games. Get the media first, then filter.

Clean Lists Matter Hiding missing games is almost always a good idea. Nobody wants to scroll past 50 games they don't actually have.

Positioning Depends on Themes Most HyperSpin themes expect a right-curved wheel. If you change position, test your favorite themes to make sure they still look good.

Experiment with Grayscale Grayscale wheels can make your arcade look really slick. Try it out—worst case, you toggle it back off.

Marquee Display Settings​

Got a second screen for marquee art? Awesome! HyperHQ gives you full control over how that display looks and behaves.

Plugin Requirement

Marquee functionality requires the Marquee Plugin to be installed. If the plugin isn't installed, these settings won't do anything. Check Plugins to make sure the marquee plugin is installed and enabled.

Enable Marquee​

HyperHQ supports separate marquee displays for both HyperSpin and HyperHQ itself.

Enable Marquee (HyperSpin)

  • Toggle marquee display when HyperSpin is running
  • Shows game marquee art on your secondary display
  • Automatically updates as you browse games
  • Disable if you're not using a marquee screen

Enable Marquee (HyperHQ)

  • Toggle marquee display while working in HyperHQ
  • Shows system and game info on your secondary monitor
  • Great for cabinet builders setting things up
  • Keep it off if you only want marquee during gameplay

Most folks enable the HyperSpin marquee and leave HyperHQ's off. That way, the second screen only activates when you're actually playing.

Display Configuration​

Marquee Display

  • Choose which monitor shows marquee content
  • Lists all connected displays with their resolutions
  • Usually your secondary or tertiary display
  • HyperHQ remembers your choice even if you disconnect monitors

Display Mode HyperHQ offers four display modes to match different marquee screen sizes:

  • Fullscreen: Uses the entire marquee display
  • Bottom 1/2 cut off: Shows top half only (good for short marquee screens)
  • Bottom 1/3 cut off: Shows top two-thirds
  • Bottom 2/3 cut off: Shows top third only

Pick the mode that best fits your physical marquee screen. Most arcade cabinets use fullscreen or bottom 1/2 depending on their marquee dimensions.

Marquee Content Options​

Use Marquee Media This setting controls what displays on your marquee screen:

When enabled:

  • Shows actual marquee artwork (those long horizontal arcade graphics)
  • Looks authentic—just like a real arcade cabinet
  • Requires marquee media files in your collection

When disabled:

  • Shows the game or system logo instead
  • Uses the current theme's background behind it
  • Works even if you don't have marquee artwork
  • Great fallback if your marquee collection is incomplete

If you have marquee artwork, enable this. If not, leave it off and HyperHQ will still show something nice.

Display Adjustments​

Padding

  • Adds space around the marquee image (percentage)
  • Higher values = smaller image with more border
  • Lower values = image fills more of the screen
  • Default works for most setups, but tweak if needed
  • Range: 0% to 100%

Stretch Mode Controls how images fit your marquee screen:

When enabled:

  • Stretches images to fill the screen
  • No black bars or empty space
  • Might distort non-standard aspect ratios

When disabled:

  • Maintains original image proportions
  • Prevents distortion
  • May show black bars on sides or top/bottom

Most marquee artwork is already the right aspect ratio, so stretch mode usually isn't necessary. Enable it if you see black bars you don't like.

Background Position When using logos instead of marquee media, this controls where the background image sits:

  • Top Center: Background aligned to top (shows upper portion)
  • Center Center: Background centered (default, usually best)
  • Bottom Center: Background aligned to bottom (shows lower portion)

Only matters when "Use Marquee Media" is disabled. Pick what looks best with your theme's background images.

Tips for Great Marquee Setup​

Match Your Hardware Measure your physical marquee screen's resolution and pick the display mode that fits. A 1920x360 screen needs different settings than a 1280x1024 monitor turned sideways.

Test Before Building If you're building a cabinet, test marquee settings on a regular monitor first. Get everything working before you install the real marquee screen.

Prioritize Marquee Downloads When adding systems, download marquee artwork if you plan to use a marquee display. It's the most important media type for the second screen.

Keep It Simple Start with "Use Marquee Media" enabled, fullscreen display mode, default padding, and stretch mode off. Adjust from there only if something doesn't look right.

Cabinet Builders: Enable on Boot In your cabinet's startup scripts, make sure HyperSpin's marquee is enabled. You want that second screen active as soon as the arcade powers on.

Marquee Art Sources

HyperTheme and EmuMovies both have extensive marquee artwork collections. Most system imports automatically download marquee art, so you might already have everything you need.

Privacy Settings​

Control error reporting, diagnostic data, and community contributions.

Help Improve HyperHQ​

Two simple toggles give you full control over what you share:

Send Anonymous Bug Reports

  • Automatically report crashes and errors
  • Helps developers fix bugs faster
  • Includes error messages and stack traces
  • No personal information is collected
  • Powered by Sentry error tracking

Share Game Metadata with Community

  • Contribute game info you add to community database
  • Helps build better metadata for everyone
  • Only shares game names, years, genres, descriptions
  • Never shares ROM file names or paths
  • Completely anonymous

Both features are opt-in. You decide what to share.

Why Share?

When you fix game info or add missing metadata, sharing it helps thousands of other HyperHQ users. Together we build the best retro gaming database. But it's always your choice.

What Bug Reports Include​

When error reporting is enabled, here's what gets sent:

Included in Reports:

  • Error messages and stack traces
  • HyperHQ version information
  • Operating system and .NET version
  • Timestamp of the error
  • Hardware specs (CPU, GPU, RAM)

Never Included:

  • Your game collection or ROM lists
  • ROM file names or paths
  • Personal files or data
  • Emulator configurations
  • Anything from your games

What Metadata Sharing Includes​

When you enable community metadata sharing:

What Gets Shared:

  • Game titles you add or correct
  • Release years and dates
  • Genres and categories
  • Game descriptions
  • Publisher and developer names
  • Region and language information

What Doesn't Get Shared:

  • ROM file names
  • File paths or locations
  • Your personal information
  • System configurations
  • How many games you have

All metadata contributions are anonymous. The community database has no way to link submissions back to you.

Opting Out​

Don't want to participate? No problem:

Disable Bug Reports

  • Toggle off "Send Anonymous Bug Reports"
  • Stops all error reporting
  • HyperHQ continues working normally
  • You can re-enable anytime

Disable Metadata Sharing

  • Toggle off "Share Game Metadata"
  • Your corrections stay local
  • Still benefit from community database
  • Can re-enable later if you change your mind

Privacy First​

HyperHQ respects your privacy:

  • All sharing is opt-in (off by default)
  • No tracking or analytics beyond what you enable
  • No account required for privacy features
  • Complete transparency about what's shared
  • Easy to disable anytime

Log Viewing and Management​

When things go wrong, logs tell you what happened. HyperHQ's log viewer gives you real-time access to system activity from both HyperHQ and HyperSpin.

The Log Viewer​

Access the log viewer from Settings to see what's happening under the hood.

What You See:

  • Real-time logs from HyperHQ and HyperSpin
  • Color-coded log levels (errors, info, verbose)
  • Source indicators (HQ = HyperHQ, HS = HyperSpin)
  • Timestamps for every entry
  • Auto-refreshes every 5 seconds

Log Sources:

  • HyperHQ: Activity from HyperHQ itself (system management, settings, imports)
  • HyperSpin: Activity from HyperSpin when it's running (game launches, theme loading)

Toggle each source on or off to focus on what matters.

Log Level Filters Three filter options help you cut through the noise:

  • All: Shows everything (verbose, info, errors)
  • Info: Shows info and error messages (hides verbose)
  • Errors: Shows only errors (most focused view)

Click the filter chips at the top to switch between them.

Search The search bar filters logs in real-time across:

  • Log messages
  • Log levels
  • Sources (HyperHQ/HyperSpin)
  • Timestamps

Type anything and the list filters instantly. The entry count shows how many logs match your search.

Source Toggles Click the HQ or HS buttons to show/hide logs from each source. Useful when you only care about HyperSpin errors or only HyperHQ activity.

Finding Errors Fast

Set the filter to "Errors" and search for specific keywords like "ROM", "plugin", or "MAME". You'll find problems in seconds.

Log Actions​

Copy Single Entry Click the copy icon next to any log entry to copy it to your clipboard. Perfect for sharing a specific error in support forums or Discord.

Copy All Displayed Logs The copy button in the toolbar copies every log currently displayed (after filters and search). Great for sharing a complete error sequence.

Clear Logs from View The clear button removes logs from the viewer. This doesn't delete log files—it just clears your current view. Useful when you want a fresh start while troubleshooting.

Export Logs The archive button creates a ZIP file with all log files from both HyperHQ and HyperSpin. Choose where to save it, and HyperHQ packages everything up.

When to export:

  • Asking for help in forums or Discord
  • Reporting a bug on GitHub
  • Sharing detailed troubleshooting info
  • Keeping records of system behavior

Auto-Scroll and Navigation​

Auto-Scroll Toggle The play/pause button controls auto-scroll:

  • Enabled (play icon): New logs appear at the top automatically
  • Disabled (pause icon): Logs stay put, letting you read without jumping

Disable auto-scroll when you're reading through logs. Enable it to watch live activity.

Scroll to Top Button When you scroll down more than a few screens, a button appears to jump back to the top. Quick way to see the latest logs.

Virtual Scrolling The log viewer uses virtual scrolling to handle thousands of log entries smoothly. Even with 10,000+ logs loaded, scrolling stays fast and responsive.

Reading Logs​

Understanding Log Entries Each log entry has four parts:

[2024-12-02 14:23:45.123] [INFO] [HyperHQ] System scan completed successfully
    ^                         ^      ^         ^
Timestamp                  Level  Source    Message

What Log Levels Mean:

  • ERROR: Something broke—needs attention
  • INFO: Normal operation, important events
  • VERBOSE: Detailed activity, everything happening

Most of the time, stick with "Info" level. Switch to "All" when you need to see exactly what HyperHQ is doing. Switch to "Errors" when troubleshooting.

Common Log Patterns:

  • Plugins starting/stopping
  • ROM imports and scans
  • Media downloads
  • System configuration changes
  • Game launches from HyperSpin
  • Theme loading and errors
Reading Error Messages

HyperHQ's error messages are written in plain English. If something fails, check the logs first. The error usually tells you exactly what's wrong and how to fix it.

Log File Location​

Where Logs Live:

  • HyperHQ logs: C:/ProgramData/HyperHQ/Logs/
  • HyperSpin logs: %HOMEPATH%/HyperSpin/logs/

Each application writes its own log files. The log viewer combines them into one view for convenience.

Enabling HyperSpin Logs​

HyperSpin logging is optional and can be toggled on or off from the log viewer.

To Enable HyperSpin Logging:

  1. Open Settings > Logs
  2. Find the Enable HyperSpin Logging toggle at the top
  3. Turn it on
  4. HyperSpin will start logging on next startup

To Disable HyperSpin Logging:

  1. Toggle off Enable HyperSpin Logging
  2. HyperSpin stops logging on next startup
When to Enable HyperSpin Logging

Enable HyperSpin logging when:

  • Troubleshooting game launch issues
  • Debugging theme problems
  • Tracking down HyperSpin crashes or freezes
  • Getting help from support (they'll need these logs)

Leave it off during normal use to save disk space and reduce log clutter.

Important Notes:

  • Changes take effect on next HyperSpin startup (not immediately)
  • HyperSpin logs appear in the log viewer alongside HyperHQ logs
  • Filter by source (HQ/HS buttons) to see only HyperSpin logs
  • Both log sources are included when you export logs

Tips for Using Logs​

Reproduce Issues with Logs Open When troubleshooting, open the log viewer, clear it, then reproduce the problem. You'll see exactly what went wrong in real time.

Use Search to Track Behavior Search for specific game names, system names, or plugin names to track their activity through the logs.

Export Before Asking for Help If you're posting in forums or Discord, export logs first. Attach the ZIP file to your support request. Logs tell the whole story.

Watch Logs During Big Operations Importing MAME, syncing media, or running plugins? Keep the log viewer open. You'll know immediately if something goes wrong.

Filter by Source for Specific Issues HyperSpin won't launch? Filter to HyperSpin logs only. Plugin acting weird? Filter to HyperHQ logs and search for the plugin name.

Auto Import Settings​

Automatically detect and import new ROMs as you add them to your system folders.

Enable Auto Import​

Auto Import ROMs

  • Watches your ROM directories for new files
  • Automatically imports ROMs when detected
  • Adds them to the correct system in HyperHQ
  • Saves you from manual rescanning

When enabled, HyperHQ monitors your ROM folders. Drop a new ROM file in any system's ROM directory, and HyperHQ imports it automatically within seconds.

How It Works​

What Gets Monitored:

  • All ROM paths configured in your systems
  • Nested folders if you have them enabled
  • New files only (doesn't re-import existing ROMs)

What Gets Imported:

  • ROM files matching your system's file extensions
  • Game metadata from filenames
  • Automatically matched to existing database entries if available

What Doesn't Happen:

  • Doesn't download media automatically (use media sync for that)
  • Doesn't delete or move files
  • Doesn't scan on startup (only watches while HyperHQ is running)

When to Enable Auto Import​

Good Use Cases:

  • You frequently add new ROMs to your collection
  • You're building your library gradually over time
  • You want instant updates without manual scanning
  • You organize ROMs in folders and add them regularly

When to Disable:

  • You're doing bulk ROM organization (lots of moving/copying)
  • You're testing ROM sets and moving files around
  • You prefer manual control over when imports happen
  • You're on a slower PC and want to minimize background tasks

Managing Auto Import​

Enable/Disable Anytime Toggle auto import on or off in settings. Changes take effect immediately.

Watched Folders Auto import monitors all ROM paths configured in your systems. To change what's monitored, edit your system's ROM paths.

Background Process When enabled, auto import runs a lightweight file watcher. It uses minimal resources and only activates when files change.

First-Time Setup

Set up your systems and ROM paths first, then enable auto import. That way, HyperHQ knows where to watch and what to import.

Controller Configuration​

Set up your arcade sticks, gamepads, and other controllers for use with HyperSpin.

Controller Detection​

HyperHQ automatically detects connected controllers and displays them in the controller settings page.

What Gets Detected:

  • USB game controllers and arcade sticks
  • Xbox controllers
  • PlayStation controllers
  • Generic HID game devices
  • Vendor and product information

Controllers appear in the list with their name and manufacturer (detected from USB vendor ID).

Viewing Connected Controllers​

From Settings > Controllers, you'll see:

  • All connected controllers
  • Controller names (detected or custom)
  • Vendor names (e.g., "Microsoft", "Sony")
  • Connection status
  • Custom controller images (if configured)

Controller Information Displayed:

  • Name: Controller model name
  • Vendor: Manufacturer name
  • Status: Connected or Disconnected
  • Image: Default or custom controller image

Configuring a Controller​

Click on any controller to open its configuration page.

What You Can Configure:

  1. Controller Name - Give it a custom name
  2. Controller Image - Upload a picture of your controller
  3. Button Mappings - Map controller buttons to HyperSpin actions (wheel up/down, select, back, etc.)
  4. Stick Deadzones - Adjust sensitivity for analog sticks

Saving Configuration:

  • Hit Save when you're done making changes
  • Controller mappings stick around even when disconnected
  • Plug the same controller back in and it remembers everything

Removing Controllers​

You can remove controller configurations that are no longer needed.

To Remove a Controller:

  1. Disconnect the physical controller
  2. Go to Settings > Controllers
  3. Find the disconnected controller
  4. Click the remove button

Important Notes:

  • You can only remove controllers that are currently disconnected
  • Connected controllers cannot be removed (disconnect them first)
  • Removing a controller deletes its configuration and mappings
  • Reconnecting the controller will require reconfiguration

Controller Mappings​

Controller mappings link your physical controller buttons to HyperSpin actions.

How It Works:

  • Each controller has its own configuration
  • Mappings are stored in the database
  • Controllers are identified by vendor ID and product ID
  • Same controller model keeps the same configuration across reconnects

Vendor Name Detection: HyperHQ uses a USB vendor database to identify controller manufacturers. If a vendor isn't recognized, it displays as "Unknown Vendor".

Tips for Controller Setup​

Label Your Controllers Got three Xbox controllers? Give them names like "Player 1 Red" so you know which is which.

Custom Images Help Upload a pic of each controller. Way easier to spot "that blue fight stick" in a list.

Think Before You Delete Removing a controller wipes its config permanently. You'll start from scratch if you plug it back in.

USB Hubs Work Fine Controllers plugged into USB hubs work exactly the same. No special setup required.

Keyboard Configuration​

Map keyboard keys to HyperSpin actions for navigation and control.

Multi-Player Support​

HyperHQ supports keyboard mappings for up to 4 players.

Default Players:

  • Player 1 and Player 2 are configured by default
  • Players 3 and 4 can be added manually

When to Use Multi-Player:

  • Multiple people controlling different aspects of HyperSpin
  • Arcade cabinets with multiple control panels
  • Testing different key layouts
  • Accessibility configurations

Available Actions​

You can map keys to these HyperSpin actions:

Navigation:

  • Wheel Up - Move wheel selection up
  • Wheel Down - Move wheel selection down
  • Hop Left - Jump to previous letter
  • Hop Right - Jump to next letter

Selection:

  • Select - Choose current game/system
  • Back - Go back/exit current menu
  • Menu - Open HyperSpin menu
  • Search - Open search function

Audio:

  • Volume Up - Increase volume
  • Volume Down - Decrease volume

Configuring Key Mappings​

From Settings > Keyboard, set up keys for each player.

Mapping a Key:

  1. Find the action you want to map
  2. Click the key field
  3. Press the key you want
  4. Key name pops up in the field

Clear a Mapping:

  1. Find the action with the key you want gone
  2. Click the clear button
  3. Mapping's removed

Duplicate Key Prevention​

HyperHQ won't let you use the same key twice:

Within Same Player:

  • Can't assign the same key to multiple actions
  • Try it and you'll get an error

Across Different Players:

  • Can't use a key that another player already has
  • Each key works for one action only

See "Key is already assigned"?

  • That key's taken
  • Pick a different one
  • Or clear the existing mapping first

Adding and Removing Players​

To Add Player 3 or 4:

  1. Go to Settings > Keyboard
  2. Click Add Player
  3. A new player section appears with blank key mappings
  4. Configure keys for that player

To Remove a Player:

  1. Find the player you want to remove
  2. Click Delete Player
  3. All mappings for that player are removed

Player Limit:

  • Maximum 4 players supported
  • Players must be added in order (can't add Player 4 before Player 3)
  • Can't exceed 4 players total

Resetting to Defaults​

Reset all keyboard mappings back to default values:

  1. Go to Settings > Keyboard
  2. Click Reset to Defaults
  3. All players revert to default key mappings
  4. Changes save automatically

What Gets Reset:

  • All key mappings for all players
  • Back to HyperHQ's default keyboard layout

Saving Changes​

Hit the Save Changes button when you're done.

What Happens:

  • Keyboard settings get written to the database
  • HyperSpin scripts regenerate
  • Changes work right away in HyperSpin

Don't forget to save! Your changes won't stick unless you click that button.

Tips for Keyboard Configuration​

Start with Player 1 Get Player 1 set up completely before adding more. Most setups only need one or two players anyway.

Use Keys That Make Sense Pick keys you'll remember:

  • Arrow keys for wheel up/down
  • Enter for select
  • Escape for back
  • Keep it simple, keep it logical

Test Everything Launch HyperSpin and mash every key. Make sure they all do what you expect.

Document Complex Setups Got 3 or 4 players with crazy key combos? Write it down somewhere. Future you will thank you.

Tips for Configuring Settings​

Start Simple Don't tweak everything at once. Use defaults until something bothers you, then adjust that one thing.

Test Changes in Windowed Mode When trying new display settings, stay in windowed mode until you're sure they work. Fullscreen can be hard to escape if something goes wrong.

Read the Logs If a setting doesn't seem to work, check the logs. They'll tell you if something is misconfigured.

Match Your Hardware High-end PC? Crank up video quality. Older hardware? Stick with medium quality and disable resource-intensive features.

Use Database Backups Once you've dialed in your settings, create a database backup. If something breaks or you need to rebuild, you can restore everything in seconds. See Database Backup & Restore for details.

Common Settings Scenarios​

I'm building a dedicated arcade cabinet​

Recommended Settings:

  • Display: Fullscreen, match your monitor's aspect ratio
  • Video: Enable intro, high quality if space allows
  • Audio: Loud intro, medium UI sounds
  • Wheel: Right curved position, show all games with wheels
  • Marquee: Configure your second display
  • Auto Import: Enable for easy ROM additions

I'm setting up HyperSpin on my desktop PC​

Recommended Settings:

  • Display: Borderless fullscreen or windowed
  • Video: Medium quality, shorter intro (or disable)
  • Audio: Lower volumes for desktop use
  • Wheel: Any position that looks good on your screen
  • Marquee: Disabled (unless you have a second monitor)
  • Auto Import: Enable if you frequently add ROMs

I'm testing configurations before cabinet installation​

Recommended Settings:

  • Display: Windowed mode for easy testing
  • Video: Skip intros to speed up testing
  • Audio: Mute or very low volume
  • Wheel: Keep defaults, test visibility options
  • Marquee: Test on secondary display if available
  • Auto Import: Disable during bulk ROM organization

I'm low on disk space​

Recommended Settings:

  • Video: Lower quality or disable intros
  • Media: Download only essential artwork types
  • Auto Import: Keep enabled, it doesn't use disk space
  • Logs: Check regularly and export old logs before clearing

What's Next?​

Now that you've got settings dialed in, here are some other things to explore:

Controller Setup See the Controller Configuration section above to set up your arcade sticks, gamepads, and other controllers.

Keyboard Configuration Check out the Keyboard Configuration section above to map keyboard keys for up to 4 players.

LED Configuration (Coming Soon) Set up LEDBlinky integration for LED lighting.

Plugin Settings (Coming Soon) Configure installed plugins and extensions.

Got questions or need help? Check out the Troubleshooting guide or visit HyperSpin-fe.com for community support.

Your arcade, your way. Make it yours!