Core-wide core options (.opt) not saved on exit on Android; only per-game "Save Game Options" persists

[norman-zon]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• This is a bug in RetroArch frontend
• I have searched the existing issues

Description

On Android, RetroArch reads a core-wide core-options file
(config/Mupen64Plus-Next/Mupen64Plus-Next.opt) at load, but never writes it back
when options are changed and content is closed/quit — even with "Save
Configuration on Exit" ON and "Use Global Core Options File" OFF. As a result
GLideN64 settings for Mupen64Plus-Next appear to reset, because no change made
via the menu is ever persisted to the core-wide file.
Confirmed with a minimal repro (below): an existing Mupen64Plus-Next.opt with
43screensize="1280x960", no per-game override present. Changing 43screensize to
640x480 in the menu and doing Close Content leaves the file unchanged
("1280x960"). Only "Manage Core Options -> Save Game Options" (a synchronous
write to a per-game .opt) persists anything. The folder is writable
(per-game .opt files save there fine), so this is not a permissions issue. A
debug log of the close shows content teardown with no config/core-options write.

Expected behavior

Changing a core option in the menu and then closing content / quitting should
write config/Mupen64Plus-Next/Mupen64Plus-Next.opt (global toggle OFF), so
changes persist across launches for all content run with that core.

Steps to reproduce the bug

1. Settings -> Configuration -> "Save Configuration on Exit" = ON,
   "Use Global Core Options File" = OFF.
2. Ensure config/Mupen64Plus-Next/ contains ONLY Mupen64Plus-Next.opt
   (no per-game .opt), with mupen64plus-43screensize = "1280x960".
3. Load an N64 game (Mupen64Plus-Next). Log confirms the value is read: 1280x960.
4. Core Options -> Options -> set 4:3 resolution to 640x480.
5. Main Menu -> Close Content (also reproduced via Quit RetroArch).
6. Open Mupen64Plus-Next.opt -> mupen64plus-43screensize is STILL "1280x960".
   The core-wide file was not rewritten.
7. Contrast: Manage Core Options -> Save Game Options DOES create/persist a
   per-game .opt, confirming writes work and only the automatic
   core-wide save fails.

Version/Commit

1.22.2 (Git 69a4f0e), built Nov 20 2025

Bisect Results

Unknown — I have not tested older versions to identify when it broke.

Present in the nightly version

I don't know

Platform & operating system

Android 13, Retroid Pocket 4 Pro (GPU Mali-G77 MC9, OpenGL ES 3.2)

Affected Cores

Mupen64Plus-Next (GLES3 build: mupen64plus_next_gles3_libretro_android.so).
Note: this is a frontend save-path issue, not a core bug — RetroArch owns
writing .opt files.

Environment information

• "Use Global Core Options File" = OFF; "Save Configuration on Exit" = ON
• Config/playlists on internal storage: /storage/emulated/0/RetroArch/
• System/saves/states on SD card: /storage/FAE7-6CC3/EMULATION/EMULATOR_DATA/RetroArch/
• Overrides active (log: "[Override] Redirecting save file…")
• Per-game .opt saves fine (synchronous); core-wide .opt is read but never written on exit.

Relevant log output

https://gist.github.com/norman-zon/bdf210e78a2deccef96bd45cb0c656a2

[i30817]

Sorry about the bogus messages. I forgot some obvious facts about the system - it knows which .opt to use from the current selected .opt level.

From that, I do think this is a bug and probably a regression. As a workaround you can use the flush options button in "manage core options".

[norman-zon]

Thanks for verifying it is actually a bug.
What "Flush Options" button do you mean? In the "Manage Core Options" menu I only have "Active Options File", which is "Mupen64Plus-Next.opt", and 3 buttons: "Save Game Options", "Save Content Directory Options" and "Reset Core Options".

No way of directly saving to the "Active Options File"

[i30817]

Bad news, it flushed to disk here now. I think this might be a bit android lifecycle dependent (if it takes too long to exit android kills it before it writes).

And I'm testing ppsspp on a nightly from a week ago. There there is a button called "flush options to disk" or similar, which does what it says for the current selected options file.

[i30817]

Try changing a setting and closing with close content while you dont have a game or directory .opt. Retroarch won't close so it will be a effective test to see if files are really not being written or retroarch is crashing on exit.

[norman-zon]

Interesting. I just checked with the most recent nightly build and there is no "Flush" button either.

"Close Content" behaves the same. No core .opt gets written.

[i30817]

Go to settings > user interface > menu visibility > quick menu and look for and activate "show flush options to disk"

[i30817]

This might still be a regression mind you, just one that is hard to trigger (for me) and probably undefined behavior at the end of a core lifecycle

If I could build retroarch for android, and reproduce it reliably I could do a bisect, but I can't reproduce reliably (or build retroarch). I suspect that the one time it happened to me was a unrelated crash when trying to exit retroarch (and since you said it happens to you even when closing content, its likely it happened fairly recently if I dont have it).

[norman-zon]

Enabling and using the "Flush Options to Disk" button is a workaround for now 👍