Using HyperSpin
HyperHQ manages your library and settings. HyperSpin presents the frontend used to browse systems and launch games.
Finish system, game, media, and control setup in HyperHQ before daily use in HyperSpin.
Start HyperSpin
Launch HyperSpin from the desktop shortcut or from HyperHQ.
For a dedicated cabinet, open Settings > Startup > Apps in HyperHQ. Turn on Start HyperSpin on Windows Startup and set a launch delay when Windows needs more time for drives, controllers, or companion software.
Browse and launch
Fresh installs start with these Player 1 controls.
| Action | Keyboard | Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Move through the wheel | Arrow Up / Arrow Down | Left Stick or D-pad Up / Down |
| Jump by letter | Arrow Left / Arrow Right | Left Stick or D-pad Left / Right |
| Select or launch | Enter | A |
| Back | Escape | B |
| Search | F1 | Right Bumper |
| View details | X | Y |
| Previous / next detail item | Minus / Numpad Plus | Left Trigger / Right Trigger |
Saved keyboard and controller mappings replace these defaults. See Controller Setup for mapping steps.
Exit Menu and frontend settings
Press 1 or controller Start to open Exit Menu.
- Yes closes HyperSpin.
- Menu opens frontend settings.
Press M or your mapped Menu action to open frontend settings directly.
The frontend settings menu includes:
- Volume
- Wheel
- Metadata
- Display
- Marquee
Use the Wheel menu for layout, artwork style, visibility filters, opacity, fade timing, and single-system menu behavior. Use Display for window output, transitions, and the Quality Profile.
RetroAchievements on a marquee
HyperSpin shows a selected game's RetroAchievements progress on the marquee when progress data is available. The summary includes earned and total achievements plus earned and total points.
Open Menu > Marquee > Achievement Summary to turn the summary on or off. The setting starts on for new installs.
Favorites
Open the mapped Favorites action while a game is selected.
- View Favorites filters the current system to favorite games.
- Add to Favorites adds the selected game.
The add action stays unavailable on system and collection rows.
Wheel layout and artwork
HyperHQ separates wheel placement from artwork style.
Wheel layouts include curved, straight, angled, centered, and horizontal choices. Artwork styles include classic wheel images, box art, cards, and coverflow options.
Set the global style under Settings > HyperSpin > Wheel. Open a system's Wheel Settings for an inherited or custom style.
Wheel Fade Delay sets how long the wheel stays fully visible after movement stops. A value of 0 starts the fade without an added delay.
System entrance behavior
Two wheel settings control the first selected game after entering a system.
- Return to Last Game restores the last launched or selected game.
- Start on Random Game picks a random game.
The options are mutually exclusive. Each system supports Inherit, On, or Off overrides from HyperHQ.
Attract mode
Attract mode moves through games and systems after an idle period. Any keyboard or controller input returns control to you.
Configure attract mode under Settings > HyperSpin > Attract Mode in HyperHQ.
- Enable or disable automatic browsing.
- Choose an idle timeout from 5 seconds to 10 minutes.
- Set the number of games shown before a system change.
- Turn on Advanced for direct timing values.
Transition quality
HyperSpin offers three Quality Profile values under Display.
| Profile | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Basic | Uses lighter background transitions. |
| Auto | Starts with enhanced transitions and switches to Basic after sustained slow frames. |
| Enhanced | Keeps enhanced transitions active. |
Use Auto first. Move to Basic when background changes stutter. Use Enhanced after confirming steady performance on the cabinet display.
Pause and exit a game
HyperOverlay owns the in-game pause and exit flow when enabled.
Fresh installs use F2 or Modifier + Start for the pause menu. Use Delete or Modifier + Back to close the running game.
The pause menu includes supported actions for resume, restart, manuals, disc or version changes, and save states. Available actions depend on the selected game and emulator.
See HyperOverlay for setup details.
Troubleshooting
HyperSpin opens on the wrong display
Open Settings > HyperSpin > Display in HyperHQ. Check HyperSpin Display and Window Mode.
Wheel controls feel reversed
Open Settings > HyperSpin > Wheel. Turn on Disable Controls Inversion to keep the original wheel and letter-jump actions after a layout change.
A system opens on an unexpected game
Check Return to Last Game and Start on Random Game at both global and system levels. A system override takes priority over the global value.
Background transitions stutter
Set Quality Profile to Auto or Basic. Keep Enhanced for hardware with steady transition performance.