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.

Mectura operating scope

Mectura customer guidance takes priority over generic Batocera instructions because each cabinet has a configured control map, hardware profile, theme, and software image.

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.

Navigate to a particular system

Press A until you return to the top-level Systems or Collections screen. Move the joystick left or right to highlight a system or collection, then press B to open it. Inside it, move the joystick up or down to choose a game and press B to launch it. Press A to go back one screen.

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.

Connect the cabinet to the internet, press Start → Scrape, choose the approved source and media, select the systems, then start the scrape. Large artwork or video scrapes can take time, bandwidth, and storage. Do not interrupt the process. If artwork does not appear when it finishes, use Start → Game Settings → Update Gamelists once.

Adding games and refreshing the library

Mectura cabinets use a curated software image. Contact Mectura before adding games, BIOS files, or changing the library. You are responsible for having lawful rights to any files. When Mectura approves an addition, place it in the matching system folder, confirm the accepted format in that folder’s _info.txt file, then use Start → Game Settings → Update Gamelists.

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. 1From the top-level Systems or Collections screen, move the joystick left or right to choose a system or collection, then press B. Inside it, move the joystick up or down to highlight a game; press L1 or R1 to move through the list one page at a time, then press B to launch. Press A to go back one screen.
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, approved 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.

Press Start → Network Settings and enable Wi-Fi. Wait for the scan, select the network name, and enter its password. Use manual input only for a hidden network. If Wi-Fi was just enabled and no networks appear, restart the cabinet once and try again.

Make sure the cabinet and computer are on the same trusted network. In Batocera, press Start → Network Settings to view its IP address. On Windows, open File Explorer and enter \BATOCERA or the displayed IP address. Use only approved shared folders and do not change system or configuration files.

Volume and menu audio

Use the TV remote for overall speaker volume and mute. In Batocera, Start → Sound Settings controls Frontend Music, Navigation Sounds, and Video Audio. Contact Mectura before adding or replacing system-specific background-music files.

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.

Do not update the configured system

Do not update Batocera on a configured Mectura cabinet. A version change can alter controls, drivers, emulators, save paths, themes, and optional hardware settings. Contact Mectura before making any software-version change.

Safe shutdown

Exit the active game by holding Hotkey and pressing Start. When the game list returns, press Start, choose Quit, then Shut Down System. Wait until the cabinet computer is fully off before switching off external power.