Fix a RetroArch touch overlay Menu button that does not open Quick Menu on Android
First confirm that the overlay's Menu control has a real input descriptor, not just an icon. Test it with a default official overlay and no physical controller, confirm the Quick Menu hotkey works from another input, then inspect only the active game/core override. A visible button can still have a missing hitbox, wrong overlay page, or overridden mapping.
Do this in order
- 01
Record the RetroArch build, core, game, orientation, overlay preset and page, physical controllers, and active override scope.
- 02
Pause on a safe screen, disconnect physical controllers, load a default official gamepad overlay, and test its Menu control.
- 03
Use Android Back, a keyboard, or a known controller combination to prove the Quick Menu itself opens independently of touch.
- 04
If only the custom overlay fails, inspect its Menu descriptor, hitbox, page-switch behavior, scale, and orientation rather than editing core controls.
- 05
Remove only the narrow game or core override that changes the overlay or hotkey, then retest before changing global configuration.
- 06
Restore the intended overlay, keep one owner recovery input, cold-relaunch, and verify Menu plus essential game controls with touch alone and with the controller reconnected.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Observation | Likely boundary | Next test |
|---|---|---|
| Default overlay Menu works | Custom preset descriptor or hitbox | Inspect custom CFG and active page |
| Controller opens Quick Menu | Touch overlay path only | Test overlay alone |
| No input opens Quick Menu | Hotkey or kiosk/menu policy | Restore known Menu Toggle |
| Fails only for one game | Game override wins | Compare and remove narrow override |
A picture is not a button
Libretro overlays combine images with configuration descriptors and hitboxes. An icon can render correctly while the active overlay page has no Menu descriptor at that coordinate.
Quick Menu has an independent control path
The Quick Menu can be opened by a configured RetroPad combination, keyboard input, or a Menu control on many overlays. Proving another path works keeps a touch-layout problem from becoming a global reset.
Overrides should stay narrow
Core, directory, and game overrides can replace overlay settings, while input remaps are a separate system. Compare the smallest active override and preserve a recovery input before hiding or moving controls.
An overlay configuration does not grant rights to its artwork or to game content. Use only overlay images, ROMs, BIOS files, CHDs, audio, and profiles you may use, and do not package third-party assets with a troubleshooting report.