Streaming retro games has surged in popularity, thanks to modern emulators that allow gamers to relive classics on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. However, one common hiccup for streamers—especially those aiming for a professional-looking broadcast—is accidentally showing emulator menus or overlays during gameplay. Not only can this look clunky and distract from the viewing experience, but it may also reveal too much about the emulator settings and configurations you’re using.
TL;DR
If you’re looking to stream emulated games without showing emulator menus, the key lies in proper window capturing, full-screen output controls, and scene layering in your streaming software. Stick with borderless or exclusive fullscreen modes if possible, and avoid using monitor capture. Use scene transitions or delay timers when switching, and configure hotkeys for menu navigation off-camera. With the right workflow, your viewers can enjoy your gameplay uninterrupted.
Why Emulator Menus Can Disrupt Your Stream
While emulator menus are useful behind the scenes, they break immersion when accidentally shown mid-stream. Whether you’re switching ROMs, adjusting shaders, or opening save states, viewers are momentarily snapped out of the nostalgic experience and placed into a software interface they likely don’t care about. For professional streams, this is something you’ll want to prevent.
Fortunately, there are several effective techniques you can use to ensure your audience sees *only* the gameplay and nothing else.
1. Use the Right Capture Method
When setting up your stream in broadcasting software like OBS Studio or Streamlabs OBS, the way you capture your emulator window plays a major role in whether or not menus show up. Here are some options with pros and cons:
- Window Capture: This is the most straightforward method. You select your emulator’s gameplay window, and OBS locks onto it. It only captures what’s inside that specific window—so if another menu or window pops up elsewhere, it won’t be shown unless it’s part of the same window.
- Display (Monitor) Capture: This captures everything visible on your screen, including emulator menus, system pop-ups, and even browser windows. Unless you’re doing desktop walkthroughs, this isn’t ideal for game streaming.
- Game Capture: Some emulators, especially newer ones, are compatible with OBS’s game capture feature. This interacts directly with the rendered frame and won’t show mouse-over effects or other overlays.
Pro Tip: Always test before going live. Some emulators update their rendering mode when going to fullscreen, which could disconnect or change the capture source temporarily.
2. Choose the Best Emulator Settings
Different emulators offer different display modes. Understanding and using these properly can help you avoid showing parts of the UI that you don’t want streaming over OBS.
The ideal settings include:
- Fullscreen or Borderless Windowed Mode: Changes ensuring only the actual game screen is visible. Borderless windowed mode is great because it avoids minimizing when switching tabs and still looks great for viewers.
- Auto-Hide UI Elements: Some emulators include UI elements (like FPS counters, overlays, or quick menus). Disable or auto-hide these under display settings.
- Separate Menu Windows: Emulators like RetroArch allow for menus to open in separate windows from the gameplay. This means you can have OBS capture only the gameplay window and ignore the rest.
Example: If you’re using RetroArch, you can set it to open the game in a new core window while keeping menus in the main window. Set OBS to capture the core window only. Users of Dolphin emulator can adjust graphics output to render the game in a “Render to Main Window” option, which helps with capture consistency.
3. Utilizing Scenes and Layers in OBS
OBS gives you powerful tools to manage what your viewers see. The magic happens with scenes and layers. Here’s how to use them like a pro:
- Create a dedicated “Gameplay” scene: This scene should contain only the emulator window capture, your webcam (if any), and perhaps a custom overlay.
- Use hotkeys for scene switching: If you need to access menus mid-stream, set up a “BRB” or “Pause” scene and switch to it using a hotkey before opening anything.
- Add Delay Transitions: Short delays before a scene switch can give you time to hide menus or pause gameplay before it’s publicly visible.
Bonus Tip: Add a secondary source layer like an animated “Overlay” image on top that stays fixed even if the game window closes briefly. This keeps your stream looking smooth—even if something goes wrong behind the scenes.
4. Configure Emulator Hotkeys Properly
Menus are typically triggered with hotkeys (like F1 for quick menu in RetroArch). The unfortunate side effect is accidentally opening menus live on stream. To avoid this:
- Change hotkeys to complex combos: Use something less likely to be triggered unintentionally, such as Ctrl+Shift+M.
- Use a second keyboard or macro pad: Devices like a Stream Deck or macro keyboard allow off-screen input for menu navigation.
- Use scripts or plugins: Advanced users can configure scripts to minimize emulator windows and bring up menu windows on a different monitor, completely invisible to viewers.
This becomes especially relevant during live troubleshooting. Having complex hotkeys ensures you don’t break immersion by flashing a save state window or config menu in front of hundreds of live viewers.
5. Running Games on a Second Display
For dual monitor setups, consider running the emulator and editing tools on your main screen while sending gameplay to a second monitor specifically for OBS capture. This isolates the game from other activity.
Try this workflow: Set the emulator to output fullscreen on Monitor 2, then capture only that monitor as your game source. Keep all menus and Discord chats on Monitor 1, away from OBS’s focus.
6. Use Emulators That Support “Presentation Mode”
Some modern emulators are aware of the needs of streamers and include a “Presentation Mode” or similar feature that hides everything except the gameplay output.
Notable examples include:
- Cemu (Wii U): Has a “Fullscreen with no UI” mode that’s perfect for clean gameplay-only streaming.
- Dolphin (GameCube/Wii): Offers options to hide the main GUI while keeping the rendered game in a standalone window.
- mGBA / PPSSPP / PCSX2: All feature settings to hide toolbars or run as minimal UI instances.
You can find these under display or advanced window configuration settings within each emulator. Spending time here pays off with a crisp, uninterrupted stream.
Final Thoughts
Streaming emulated games successfully comes down to preparation and practice. Your goal as a streamer is to keep your audience immersed in the game. By combining smart window capture strategies, emulator configuration, and OBS scene management, you can avoid displaying distracting menus mid-stream. Setting things up the right way ensures your gameplay is front and center—just as it should be.
Keep in mind: The more familiar you become with both your emulator and streaming software, the easier it gets to maintain a polished broadcast. So keep experimenting, memorize your shortcuts, and don’t forget to entertain!
