Batocera Guide

What Batocera is

Batocera is the operating system that powers the game-focused interface on your Mectura. Its main menu is based on EmulationStation and is designed to present systems, collections, artwork, and settings from a controller-friendly screen.

How the interface works

The top level normally shows systems and collections. Entering one reveals a game list. The help prompts identify available actions. Mectura's labelled controls replace generic controller letters so instructions remain consistent across cabinet layouts.

Systems, collections, genres, and filters

Systems represent emulated platforms. Automatic collections can group Favorites, Last Played, two-player, four-player, and other metadata-driven sets. Custom collections can group personal selections. Filters narrow a list without deleting games.

Game information and scraping

Metadata can include a display title, description, release date, genre, player count, rating, artwork, marquee, and video. Scraping retrieves available metadata from an online service. Large scrapes can take time and bandwidth, so use approved settings and avoid interrupting them.

Search, Favourites, and recent games

Press Y from a game list to open Search. Highlight a game and hold X to toggle its favourite marker. Hold Select in a game list to filter to favourites and hold it again to restore the full list. Last Played is updated after launch.

Everyday game functions

1. 1Use the joystick to choose a collection, then press B. Use the joystick to highlight a game; press L1 or R1 to move through the list one page at a time, then press B to launch the highlighted game.
2. 2To find a title, press Y from a game list to open Search. Use the joystick to highlight each letter and press B to enter it. When enough of the title is entered, press Start to search. Highlight the correct result and press B to open it.
3. 3To add or remove a favourite, highlight the game and hold X. Confirm the favourite marker changes.
4. 4To view favourites, hold Select in a game list. Hold Select again to return to the full list.
5. 5For a coin or credit game, press Select to add a credit, then press Start. Some two-player classics alternate turns on the Player 1 controls.
6. 6To save a state, hold Hotkey and press Y, then wait for the save confirmation in the lower-left corner of the screen. To load it, hold Hotkey and press X.
7. 7PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and Dreamcast normal saves use virtual memory cards. Save through the game's own Save menu and wait for completion.
8. 8To exit any active game or emulator, hold Hotkey and press Start. Wait for Batocera to return to the game list.
9. 9To shut down, exit the game, press Start, choose Quit, then Shut Down System. Never remove power while Batocera is running.
10. 10For an external controller, connect or pair one device at a time, enable Show Controller Activity, identify its upper-left icon, then set player order if needed.

Game information and launch options

A game's contextual menu can expose information, save states, and advanced options. Some emulators support multiple cores or launch configurations. Changing these options can affect performance, mappings, and save compatibility.

Saving progress

Hold Hotkey and press Y to save a state, then wait for the save confirmation in the lower-left corner of the screen. Hold Hotkey and press X to load it. PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and Dreamcast also use emulator-managed virtual memory cards; Dreamcast calls its device a VMU. Save through the game's normal Save menu and wait for completion. D-pad slot shortcuts are intentionally excluded.

Network features

A network connection can support metadata scraping, updates, file access, time synchronization, and support. Use a trusted home network. Wired Ethernet is preferred for large transfers; Wi-Fi quality depends on cabinet placement and local signal.

Volume and background music

Use the TV remote for overall speaker volume and mute. In Batocera, Start, Sound Settings controls Frontend Music, Navigation Sounds, and Video Audio. To add permitted music, copy MP3, OGG, WAV, stereo FLAC, or OPUS files from a USB drive through the F1 file manager into SHARE/music, then enable Frontend Music. System-specific subfolders must use Batocera's exact system short name.

Changing aspect ratio

1. 1For one game, highlight it, hold B, and open Advanced Game Options.
2. 2For one system, press Select in its game list and open Advanced System Settings.
3. 3For every system, press Start, Game Settings, then Default Global Settings.
4. 4Open Game Aspect Ratio and try Auto first, then Core Provided when needed.
5. 5Use 4:3 for many classics and 16:9 only when supported; return to Auto if the result is worse.

Safe updates

Batocera includes update functions, but a Mectura cabinet also has tuned drivers, mappings, and hardware settings. Install only releases and procedures approved for your cabinet. Back up important saves and configuration before any major change.

Safe shutdown

Always leave a game with Hotkey plus Start, then use Start, Quit, and Shut Down System. Cutting power while the system writes metadata, settings, or saves can corrupt data.

Interface screenshots