> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/yakushabb/mirror-ryujinx/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quick Start

> Get up and running with Ryujinx - from first launch to playing your first game

# Quick Start Guide

This guide will walk you through the initial setup of Ryujinx and help you load your first game.

<Info>
  Before proceeding, make sure you have [installed Ryujinx](/installation) and your system meets the [minimum requirements](/system-requirements).
</Info>

## First Launch Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Launch Ryujinx">
    Start Ryujinx for the first time:

    * **Windows**: Double-click `Ryujinx.exe`
    * **macOS**: Open `Ryujinx.app` from Applications
    * **Linux**: Run `./Ryujinx` from the installation directory

    On first launch, Ryujinx will automatically create necessary configuration folders and files.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Nintendo Switch Firmware (Required)">
    Ryujinx requires Nintendo Switch firmware files to function properly.

    <Warning>
      You must legally obtain firmware files from your own Nintendo Switch console. Ryujinx does not provide these files.
    </Warning>

    To install firmware:

    1. Click **Tools > Install Firmware** in the menu bar
    2. Select **Install from File**
    3. Browse to your firmware `.zip` file
    4. Click **Open** and wait for installation to complete

    <Note>
      Firmware files are typically in a format like `Firmware 18.0.0.zip`. The version number should match or exceed the version required by your games.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Production Keys (Required)">
    Production keys are required to decrypt game files.

    <Warning>
      You must legally obtain `prod.keys` from your own Nintendo Switch console. Ryujinx does not provide these keys.
    </Warning>

    To install keys:

    1. Click **File > Open Ryujinx Folder**
    2. Navigate to the `system` subfolder
    3. Place your `prod.keys` file in this folder
    4. Restart Ryujinx

    The file structure should look like:

    ```
    Ryujinx/
    └── system/
        └── prod.keys
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Game Directory">
    Tell Ryujinx where your games are located:

    1. Click **Options > Settings** (or **Ryujinx > Preferences** on macOS)
    2. Go to the **UI** tab
    3. Under **Game Directories**, click **Add**
    4. Browse to the folder containing your game files
    5. Click **Select Folder**
    6. Click **Save**

    <Info>
      You can add multiple game directories. Ryujinx will scan all of them for compatible games.
    </Info>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Loading Your First Game

<Steps>
  <Step title="Verify Game Appears in Library">
    After setting your game directory, Ryujinx will automatically scan for games.

    Compatible game formats:

    * `.nsp` - Nintendo Submission Package
    * `.xci` - NX Card Image
    * `.nca` - Nintendo Content Archive
    * `.nro` - Homebrew applications

    Games should appear in the main window with their title, icon, and metadata.

    <Note>
      If games don't appear, try clicking **File > Refresh** or verify that your game files are in a supported format.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Launch a Game">
    To start playing:

    1. **Double-click** the game in the library, or
    2. **Right-click** the game and select **Start**, or
    3. **Select** the game and press **Enter**

    The game window will open and begin loading.

    <Info>
      **First Launch Performance:** The first time you launch a game, you may experience shader compilation stutters and longer load times. This is normal and will improve significantly on subsequent launches, especially with PPTC (Profiled Persistent Translation Cache) enabled.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Controls (Optional)">
    Before or during gameplay, you may want to configure your input device:

    1. Click **Options > Settings**
    2. Go to the **Input** tab
    3. Select your **Player 1** device from the dropdown
    4. Click **Configure** to map buttons

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Keyboard">
        Default keyboard controls:

        * **WASD** or **Arrow Keys**: Left stick
        * **IJKL**: Right stick
        * **Q/E**: L/R triggers
        * **Z/C**: ZL/ZR
        * **Enter**: Plus (+)
        * **Backspace**: Minus (-)
        * **Space**: A button
        * **Tab**: B button

        You can customize all of these in the Input settings.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Controller">
        Ryujinx supports most modern controllers:

        * Xbox controllers (360, One, Series X/S)
        * PlayStation controllers (DualShock 4, DualSense)
        * Nintendo Switch Pro Controller
        * Joy-Cons (via Bluetooth)
        * Generic DirectInput/XInput controllers

        Most controllers work with default mappings, but you can customize them in Input settings.
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Essential Settings for Best Performance

Optimize Ryujinx for your first gaming session:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Enable PPTC (Recommended)">
    PPTC significantly reduces load times after the first few launches.

    1. Click **Options > Settings**
    2. Go to the **System** tab
    3. Ensure **Enable Profiled Persistent Translation Cache** is checked
    4. Click **Save**

    <Info>
      **How PPTC works:** You must launch a game at least **twice** to the title screen before performance improvements activate on the **third launch**. After that, improvements are permanent.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Graphics Backend">
    Choose the best graphics API for your system:

    1. **Options > Settings > Graphics**
    2. Select **Graphics Backend**:
       * **Vulkan**: Best performance on most systems (recommended)
       * **OpenGL**: Good compatibility, slightly lower performance
       * **Metal**: macOS only (via MoltenVK)
    3. Click **Save** and restart Ryujinx

    <Note>
      Try Vulkan first. If you experience issues, switch to OpenGL.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Adjust Memory Manager Mode">
    For best performance:

    1. **Options > Settings > System**
    2. **Memory Manager Mode**: Set to **Host unchecked** (default)

    <Info>
      **Host unchecked** is the fastest option and works well on most systems. Only change this if you experience crashes or stability issues.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Graphics Enhancements (Optional)">
    Enhance visual quality on powerful systems:

    1. **Options > Settings > Graphics**
    2. Adjust these settings based on your GPU:

    **Resolution Scale:**

    * **1x**: Native Switch resolution (720p/1080p)
    * **2x-4x**: Higher resolutions for sharper image

    **Other Enhancements:**

    * **Aspect Ratio**: Change from 16:9 to other ratios
    * **Anti-Aliasing**: Smooth jagged edges (FXAA, SMAA)
    * **Scaling Filter**: Use FSR for better upscaling
    * **Anisotropic Filtering**: Improve texture quality (Auto/2x-16x)

    <Warning>
      Higher settings require more powerful hardware. Start conservative and increase gradually while monitoring performance.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Managing Game Data

### Installing Updates and DLC

<Steps>
  <Step title="Right-Click Game in Library">
    Select the game you want to manage
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Management Option">
    * **Manage Title Updates**: Install game updates (`.nsp` files)
    * **Manage DLC**: Install downloadable content (`.nsp` files)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Content">
    1. Click **Add** in the dialog
    2. Browse to your update or DLC `.nsp` file
    3. Click **Open**
    4. The content will be installed and activated automatically
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Installing Mods

Ryujinx supports various mod types:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Mods Folder">
    1. Right-click the game in the library
    2. Select **Open Mods Directory**

    This opens the game-specific mods folder.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install Mods">
    Place mod files in this folder:

    * **RomFS mods**: Extract to `romfs/` subfolder
    * **ExeFS mods**: Extract to `exefs/` subfolder
    * **Cheats**: Place `.txt` cheat files in `cheats/` subfolder

    Example structure:

    ```
    mods/
    ├── romfs/
    │   └── [mod files]
    ├── exefs/
    │   └── [patch files]
    └── cheats/
        └── [cheat files]
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable Mods">
    Mods are automatically loaded when you launch the game. Some games may require you to enable specific mods through in-game options.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## In-Game Controls

While a game is running, use these shortcuts:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="F11" icon="expand">
    Toggle fullscreen mode
  </Card>

  <Card title="F8" icon="camera">
    Take screenshot (saved to screenshots folder)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pause/Break" icon="pause">
    Pause emulation
  </Card>

  <Card title="F4" icon="keyboard">
    Toggle between docked/handheld mode
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Troubleshooting Common Issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Game doesn't appear in library">
    **Solutions:**

    * Click **File > Refresh** to rescan directories
    * Verify game file format is supported (`.nsp`, `.xci`, `.nca`, `.nro`)
    * Check that the game directory is correctly added in **Options > Settings > UI**
    * Ensure the file isn't corrupted
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Game crashes on launch">
    **Solutions:**

    * Verify firmware version matches or exceeds game requirements
    * Check that `prod.keys` is correctly installed
    * Try different Memory Manager mode (System settings)
    * Check logs in **File > Open Logs Folder** for error details
    * Ensure you have at least 8GB RAM available
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Poor performance / low FPS">
    **Solutions:**

    * Launch the game 2-3 times to build PPTC cache
    * Switch to Vulkan graphics backend
    * Lower resolution scale to 1x or 2x
    * Disable graphics enhancements
    * Close background applications
    * Ensure Memory Manager Mode is set to "Host unchecked"
    * Check your system meets [minimum requirements](/system-requirements)
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Shader compilation stutters">
    **This is normal behavior:**

    * Games compile shaders during gameplay on first run
    * Stuttering decreases significantly after playing for a while
    * Enable disk shader caching (on by default) to persist compiled shaders
    * Subsequent playthroughs will be much smoother
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Controls not working">
    **Solutions:**

    * Verify controller is connected and recognized by your OS
    * Go to **Options > Settings > Input** and configure Player 1
    * Click **Configure** and test button mappings
    * For Joy-Cons, ensure they're properly paired via Bluetooth
    * Try switching between different controller types in the dropdown
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Viewing Logs

If you encounter issues, logs are essential for troubleshooting:

1. Click **File > Open Logs Folder**
2. Log files are named chronologically
3. Open the most recent log with a text editor
4. Look for errors or warnings (typically marked with `[ERROR]` or `[WARN]`)

<Info>
  When reporting bugs, always include the relevant log file. This helps developers diagnose the issue.
</Info>

## Next Steps

Now that you're up and running:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Configuration" icon="sliders" href="/user-guide/configuration">
    Deep dive into all settings and optimizations
  </Card>

  <Card title="Graphics Settings" icon="palette" href="/user-guide/graphics-settings">
    Learn about resolution scaling, filters, and enhancements
  </Card>

  <Card title="DLC & Mods" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/user-guide/dlc-and-mods">
    Install DLC and apply game modifications
  </Card>
</CardGroup>