How to Enable Pause Menu Overlay in RetroArch

This article provides a straightforward guide on enabling the pause menu overlay within RetroArch to improve user interface visibility during gameplay. You will learn how to navigate the settings menu to locate the on-screen display options and activate the specific toggle required for the pause overlay. Following these instructions will ensure your pause screen appears correctly when using any compatible core.

To begin, launch RetroArch and navigate to the main menu. Select the Settings option from the list, which is typically represented by a gear icon. This section contains all the configuration options for the interface, video, audio, and on-screen displays. Scroll down until you locate the On-Screen Display category.

Within the On-Screen Display menu, look for the option labeled Pause Overlay. By default, this setting may be turned off depending on your version or configuration file. Toggle this option to the On position. Once enabled, the overlay will appear whenever you pause a running core, providing you with visual feedback that the game is halted.

After making this change, it is crucial to save your configuration to ensure the setting persists across future sessions. Return to the main menu and select Configuration File. Choose Save Current Configuration to write the changes to your retroarch.cfg file. You can now load any content and test the pause function to verify that the overlay displays as expected.