# In-Game Menu

The **pause menu** is your control center during gameplay. Access save states, fast forward, cheats, screen filters, controller settings, and more — all without leaving your game.

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## Opening the Pause Menu

| Method                  | How                                                           |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **On-screen**           | Tap the **Menu** / **Pause** button on the controller overlay |
| **Physical controller** | Press the **Menu** / **Options** button                       |
| **Keyboard**            | Press `~` (tilde)                                             |

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## Menu Options

### Save States

Create, load, and manage save state snapshots:

* **Save State** — Freeze the game at this exact moment
* **Load State** — Resume from a previously saved snapshot
* **Auto Save** — Provenance automatically creates a save state when you leave a game or background the app
* **Overwrite / Delete** — Manage existing states (each shows a screenshot preview)

{% hint style="info" %}
Save states are tied to specific emulator cores. If you switch cores, old save states won't work. Use **in-game saves** (battery saves) for long-term progress. See [Game Saves](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/saves) for details.
{% endhint %}

### Fast Forward

Speed up gameplay — useful for grinding, slow cutscenes, or text-heavy RPGs:

* **Toggle Fast Forward** — Increases emulation speed (typically 2-4x, varies by core)
* Fast forward stays active until you toggle it off or exit the game

See [Fast Forward](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/fast-forward) for full details.

### Screen Filters

Change visual filters without leaving your game:

* Switch between CRT, LCD, smoothing, and other shader effects
* Preview how each filter looks in real-time
* Per-game filter settings override global defaults

See [Screen Filters & Shaders](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/shaders-and-filters) for all available filters.

### Cheats

Enable or disable cheat codes mid-game:

* Toggle individual cheats on/off
* Access the RetroArch cheats interface (RetroArch-based cores)
* Changes take effect immediately

See [Cheats](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/cheats) for setup instructions and code formats.

### Controller Settings

Adjust controller configuration during gameplay:

* **Player assignment** — Reassign controllers to different player slots
* **Controller skin** — Switch to a different on-screen skin
* View current controller mapping

### RetroArch Settings

For games running on **RetroArch-based cores**, access the full RetroArch settings interface:

* Advanced shader configuration
* Core-specific options (resolution scaling, audio settings)
* RetroAchievements settings
* Netplay / online multiplayer configuration
* Save/load RetroArch core overrides

{% hint style="info" %}
RetroArch settings are only available for RetroArch-based cores. Native cores (emuThreeDS, Dolphin) have their own configuration systems.
{% endhint %}

### Screenshot

Capture a screenshot of the current game frame.

### Reset

Restart the game from the beginning (simulates a console power cycle). Your save states and battery saves are preserved — this only resets the current play session.

### Quit to Library

Return to the game library. If auto-save is enabled, a save state is created automatically before quitting.

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## Quick Actions

Some actions can also be triggered without opening the full pause menu:

| Action                  | Method                           |
| ----------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Quick Save**          | Configurable controller shortcut |
| **Quick Load**          | Configurable controller shortcut |
| **Fast Forward Toggle** | Configurable controller shortcut |
| **Screenshot**          | Configurable controller shortcut |

Check Settings → Controllers to configure quick action shortcuts for your physical controller.

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## See Also

* [Fast Forward](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/fast-forward) — Speed up gameplay
* [Game Saves](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/saves) — Save states vs battery saves
* [Screen Filters & Shaders](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/shaders-and-filters) — Visual filter options
* [Cheats](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/cheats) — Cheat code support
* [Controllers & Controls](https://wiki.provenance-emu.com/using-provenance/controllers-and-controls) — Controller setup

***

{% hint style="info" %}
Need help? Ask on [Discord](https://discord.gg/provenance).
{% endhint %}