Controller Hotkeys

Every game gets the same muscle-memory layout — save, load, change slot, and quit from the pad, no menu-diving. The Vault writes these into each emulator for you at launch; they're never the emulator's own defaults.

The universal scheme

Combo	Action
Modifier + R	💾 Save state
Modifier + L	📤 Load state
Modifier + ▲ / ▼	Next / previous save slot
Modifier + Start	Quit back to the library

💡 Set up for you

The Vault picks the input driver and writes these mappings automatically each time you launch — including the tricky NSO pads. For RetroArch it also avoids the setting that would overwrite them on exit. All of it is customizable in Settings → Controllers.

The modifier button, per pad

The "Select"-style modifier you hold differs by controller (each pad's natural spare button):

Controller	Modifier	Notes
DualSense (RetroArch)	Create	Full save/load/slot/quit
NSO NES / SNES	Select	Full scheme
NSO Genesis	Mode	Full scheme (hid driver)
NSO N64	Select-equivalent	Full scheme (same as NES/SNES) — hold its Select-role button, then R Save, L Load, ▲/▼ slot, Start Quit.
GameCube (Dolphin)	Capture	Capture+R Save, Capture+L Load, Capture+Start Quit (no slot combo — the bridge doesn't bind ▲▼). Details

Customizing

In Settings → Controllers, the per-emulator hotkey editor lets you change the modifier button and each action's keystroke (with "Reset to Factory Defaults"). Streaming clients (Moonlight/Artemis) get a passthrough editor instead — anything left as "None" passes straight through to the streamed PC.

The visual Controller Setup screen, Hotkeys tab, for a RetroArch NES game — The visual hotkey editor: hold the modifier (Create on a DualSense) and press R to Save, L to Load, ▲/▼ to change slot. Each action's keystroke is editable; ⚡ marks the built-in defaults.

Beyond hotkeys

For arbitrary combos → actions (not just save/load), see controller-combo running scripts and Remapping, Macros & Chords.