RetroArch Dummy Core: Load Dummy on Core Shutdown

The Dummy core is a minimal libretro core maintained by the RetroArch Team. It is intended for a specific situation: some cores include a shutdown feature that, when enabled, prevents the core from closing RetroArch. In that case, RetroArch can load a dummy core instead of exiting.

How the Load Dummy on Core Shutdown option works

When a loaded core whose shutdown feature is enabled requests a shutdown, RetroArch can either close the program or switch away from that core. Enabling the Load Dummy on Core Shutdown option selects the second behavior: the shutting-down core is unloaded and a dummy core is loaded in its place, so RetroArch keeps running.

The setting is exposed in RetroArch's Core settings, where it appears as Load Dummy on Core Shutdown.

Enabling the option

• 1. Start RetroArch.
• 2. Open the Settings menu.
• 3. Open the Core settings submenu.
• 4. Turn on the option named Load Dummy on Core Shutdown.
• 5. Keep the setting saved so it applies the next time a core with an enabled shutdown feature requests a shutdown.

Expected outcome: when the option is on and a core with an enabled shutdown feature requests a shutdown, RetroArch does not exit; it loads a dummy core instead. The exact on-screen result of the swap depends on the core that initiated the shutdown.

To restore the default behavior, turn the Load Dummy on Core Shutdown option off in Core settings. With the option off, the shutdown path behaves as it did before you changed the setting.

Author and license

The Dummy core was authored by the RetroArch Team and is licensed under the MIT license.

The official documentation links to the Libretro Dummy core GitHub repository at https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch/tree/master/cores.