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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 HyperSpin database files are stored:

Database Root

  • Usually [HyperSpin]/Databases/
  • Contains XML files for each system
  • Don't change this unless you know what you're doing

Backup Location

  • Where HyperHQ saves database backups
  • Automatic backups before major changes
  • Good idea to back this folder up regularly

Theme Settings​

Integration with HyperTheme and visual customization options.

HyperTheme Integration​

Connect to the HyperTheme library for artwork and themes:

HyperTheme Account

  • Sign in with your HyperSpin credentials
  • Access the full theme and media library
  • Required for downloading HyperTheme content

Auto-Download Settings

  • Auto-download wheels: Get wheel art when adding systems
  • Auto-download backgrounds: Grab backgrounds automatically
  • Auto-download themes: Pull down complete themes if available
  • Skip existing files: Don't re-download what you have

Default Theme Preference

  • Pick your favorite theme style
  • HyperHQ uses this when multiple themes exist
  • Options: Official, Community, Classic, Modern
Save Bandwidth

If you have limited internet or data caps, disable auto-downloads and manually select what you need. You'll save a ton of bandwidth.

Visual Customization​

Control how themes look in HyperSpin:

Theme Variations

  • Some themes have multiple color schemes or styles
  • Select variations from the dropdown
  • Changes apply when you restart HyperSpin

Animation Speed

  • Control how fast wheel animations play
  • Slower: More cinematic and dramatic
  • Faster: Snappier, more responsive feel
  • Default is usually right, but tweak to your preference

Wheel Effects​

Special effects for the game wheel in HyperSpin:

Reflection Effect

  • Show a reflection beneath the wheel
  • Looks great on themes with dark backgrounds
  • Slight performance impact on older hardware

Glow Effect

  • Add a glow around the selected game wheel
  • Makes the current selection stand out
  • Intensity slider controls how bright it is

3D Perspective

  • Add depth to the wheel rotation
  • Wheels appear to tilt and rotate in 3D space
  • Looks amazing but uses more GPU power

Spacing

  • Adjust space between wheels
  • Tight: More wheels visible at once
  • Wide: Larger, easier to see individual wheels

Rotation Speed

  • How fast the wheel spins when you scroll
  • Fast: Quick navigation through large lists
  • Slow: Easier to read game names as you scroll

Play with these until HyperSpin feels just right for you. There's no wrong answer—it's all personal preference.

Marquee Display Settings​

If you have a secondary screen for arcade marquee art (lucky you!), configure it here.

Enable Marquee​

Marquee Display

  • Turn marquee support on or off
  • Only useful if you have a second monitor showing marquee art
  • Disable if you're not using one to save resources

Display Configuration​

Monitor Selection

  • Choose which monitor shows marquee art
  • Usually your secondary display
  • Preview to make sure you picked the right one

Resolution

  • Set resolution for marquee display
  • Common: 1920x360, 1280x360, or custom
  • Match your physical marquee screen

Position

  • Top, bottom, or custom placement
  • Depends on your cabinet design
  • Most marquees are above the main screen

Marquee Behavior​

Auto-Update

  • Change marquee art when you select a game
  • Instant response or slight delay
  • Delay can prevent flickering when scrolling fast

Fallback Image

  • What to show when a game has no marquee art
  • Generic "No Art Available" image
  • Custom image of your choice

Blank on Idle

  • Turn off marquee display when inactive
  • Saves screen wear on older displays
  • Set idle timeout (1-15 minutes)
Marquee Art Sources

EmuMovies has excellent marquee artwork for thousands of games. Connect your EmuMovies account in the setup wizard or here in settings.

Privacy Settings​

Control error reporting and diagnostic data.

Error Reporting​

Help improve HyperHQ by sending crash reports:

Enable Error Reporting

  • Automatically send crash and error reports
  • Helps developers fix bugs faster
  • No personal information is collected

Include System Info

  • Send hardware specs with error reports
  • Helps identify system-specific issues
  • Only includes PC specs, not personal data

Send Usage Statistics

  • Anonymous usage data (which features you use)
  • Helps prioritize development work
  • No personal information, game lists, or ROM names

All this data is anonymous and only used to make HyperHQ better. But if you prefer not to share anything, just turn it off.

Sentry Integration​

HyperHQ uses Sentry for error tracking:

Sentry Error Tracking

  • Modern error monitoring system
  • Catches bugs automatically
  • Sends detailed crash reports when enabled

What Gets Sent:

  • Error messages and stack traces
  • HyperHQ version information
  • Operating system and .NET version
  • Timestamp of the error

What Doesn't Get Sent:

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

Opt Out

  • Toggle off "Enable Error Reporting" above
  • Stops all Sentry data collection
  • No judgment—it's your choice

Log Viewing and Management​

When things go wrong, logs tell you what happened.

View Logs​

Open Log Viewer

  • Shows recent activity in HyperHQ
  • Errors appear in red
  • Warnings in yellow, info in white

Log Levels

  • Error: Something broke
  • Warning: Might be a problem
  • Info: Normal operation details
  • Debug: Developer-level details

Filter Logs

  • Search for specific text
  • Filter by log level
  • Focus on recent entries
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​

Log Files Path

  • Usually C:/ProgramData/HyperHQ/Logs/
  • Each day gets its own log file
  • Automatic cleanup of old logs

Open Log Folder

  • Quick access to log file location
  • Useful for sharing logs when asking for help
  • Right-click and select "Copy" to share specific log entries

Log Management​

Auto-Delete Old Logs

  • Keep logs for 7, 14, or 30 days
  • Prevents logs from filling your disk
  • Older logs are deleted automatically

Clear All Logs

  • Delete all log files immediately
  • Fresh start if logs are huge
  • Can't be undone—use carefully

Export Logs

  • Save current logs to a file
  • Useful for troubleshooting or support requests
  • Creates a zip file with recent logs

Debug Mode​

Enable Debug Logging

  • Extra detailed logs
  • Shows everything HyperHQ is doing
  • Slows things down a bit, only use when troubleshooting

Verbose Output

  • Even more details than debug mode
  • For tracking down really weird issues
  • Logs can get huge—turn off after troubleshooting

Import/Export Settings​

Backup your settings or move them to another computer.

Export Settings​

Save your HyperHQ configuration:

Export All Settings

  1. Click "Export Settings"
  2. Choose a location for the backup file
  3. HyperHQ saves a .hyperhq file with everything

What Gets Exported:

  • All HyperHQ preferences
  • Display, audio, and path settings
  • Theme and media preferences
  • Account credentials (encrypted)
  • System and emulator configurations

What Doesn't Get Exported:

  • Your actual games and ROMs
  • Media files (artwork, videos, themes)
  • Emulator installations
  • HyperSpin itself

Think of export as a configuration backup. It saves your settings, not your files.

Import Settings​

Restore settings from a backup:

Import Settings File

  1. Click "Import Settings"
  2. Browse to your .hyperhq backup file
  3. Choose what to import:
    • Everything
    • Only specific categories (display, paths, etc.)
    • Merge with current settings (don't overwrite)

After Importing:

  • Review path settings (they might be different on this PC)
  • Check that emulator paths point to correct locations
  • Verify HyperSpin folder path is right

Common Uses:

  • Restore after reinstalling Windows
  • Clone settings to a second cabinet
  • Share configurations with friends
  • Try someone else's setup
Before Making Big Changes

Export your settings first! If something goes wrong, you can import them back and restore everything in seconds.

Sync Settings (Beta)​

Coming soon: Cloud sync across multiple devices.

What's Planned:

  • Automatic backup to the cloud
  • Sync settings between multiple PCs
  • Access your setup from anywhere
  • Restore settings after fresh install

This feature is in development. For now, use manual export/import.

Quick Settings Profiles​

Save different configurations for different scenarios:

Create Profiles For:

  • Cabinet mode (fullscreen, loud audio, marquee enabled)
  • Desktop mode (windowed, quiet audio, no marquee)
  • Testing mode (debug logs, fast boot, skip intros)

Managing Profiles:

  1. Set up HyperHQ how you want it
  2. Click "Save Profile" and name it
  3. Switch profiles anytime from the dropdown

Example Profiles:

Cabinet Mode

  • Fullscreen display
  • Loud intro video
  • Marquee display enabled
  • No desktop notifications

Desktop Setup Mode

  • Windowed mode
  • Sound effects off (it's 2 AM)
  • Debug logging on
  • Skip intros

Demo Mode

  • Borderless fullscreen
  • Medium volume
  • Auto-downloads enabled
  • Pretty themes

Switch profiles with one click. Super handy if you're building a cabinet but testing on a desktop first.

Restoring Defaults​

Messed something up? Reset to defaults:

Reset All Settings

  • Returns everything to original values
  • Doesn't affect your games or systems
  • Keeps your HyperTheme login

Reset Specific Sections

  • Reset only display settings
  • Reset only audio settings
  • Reset only paths
  • Choose what to reset

After Reset:

  • HyperHQ restarts automatically
  • Review path settings and update if needed
  • Everything else should work out of the box

Tips for Configuring Settings​

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

Export After Perfecting Once you've got everything set up just right, export your settings. You'll thank yourself later.

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 and effects. Older hardware? Stick with medium quality and disable fancy effects.

Less is Often More You don't need every effect enabled. Clean, simple themes often look better than over-the-top animations.

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
  • Theme: Enable all wheel effects for the wow factor
  • Marquee: Configure your second display
  • Paths: Set everything to your cabinet's drive locations

I'm setting up HyperSpin on my desktop PC​

Recommended Settings:

  • Display: Borderless fullscreen or windowed
  • Video: Medium quality, shorter intro
  • Audio: Lower volumes for desktop use
  • Theme: Medium animation speeds
  • Marquee: Disabled (unless you have a second monitor)
  • Paths: Use default locations

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
  • Theme: Disable effects to see core functionality
  • Marquee: Test in a separate window
  • Logs: Enable debug mode

I'm low on disk space​

Recommended Settings:

  • Video: Low quality (480p) or disable auto-downloads
  • Media: Manual download only, select what you need
  • Logs: Keep only 7 days
  • Cache: Clear regularly

What's Next?​

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

Controller Setup (Coming Soon) Map arcade buttons, joysticks, and gamepads.

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!