From ae4b7983aae8a21f336892abf6e4c38db933acfd Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: =?UTF-8?q?Henrik=20Rydg=C3=A5rd?= <hrydgard@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:12:24 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Make --pause-menu-exit quit the app whenever the game ends

- Fixes #18456

For external launchers (Android handhelds like the Retroid Pocket), which want
control back when the game ends. Before, only the pause menu's Exit quit the
app; now the game exiting by itself, a stop request and dismissing a load
error do too.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 Core/CmdLine.cpp |  2 +-
 Core/CmdLine.h   |  1 +
 UI/EmuScreen.cpp | 15 ++++++++++++---
 UI/EmuScreen.h   |  1 +
 4 files changed, 15 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/Core/CmdLine.cpp b/Core/CmdLine.cpp
index f7c17b7d00..960c093909 100644
--- a/Core/CmdLine.cpp
+++ b/Core/CmdLine.cpp
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ static const CommandLineParam g_autoParams[] = {
 	{POFF(fullscreen), CmdParamType::BoolInverse, "windowed", '\0', "Force windowed mode", CmdLineMode::Application},
 	{POFF(startScreen), CmdParamType::String, "start-screen", '\0', "Start on a specific screen (e.g. 'gamesettings', 'touchscreentest')", CmdLineMode::Application},
 	{POFF(escapeExit), CmdParamType::Bool, "escape-exit", '\0', "Escape key exits the application", CmdLineMode::Application},
-	{POFF(pauseMenuExit), CmdParamType::Bool, "pause-menu-exit", '\0', "Change \"Exit to menu\" in pause menu to \"Exit\"", CmdLineMode::Application},
+	{POFF(pauseMenuExit), CmdParamType::Bool, "pause-menu-exit", '\0', "Exit the application when the game ends, instead of returning to the menu", CmdLineMode::Application},
 	{POFF(appendConfig), CmdParamType::String, "appendconfig", '\0', "Merge config FILE into the current configuration"},
 	{POFF(root), CmdParamType::String, "root", 'r', "Mount directory as the root of host0:/."},
 	{POFF(memStick), CmdParamType::String, "memstick", '\0', "Memory stick root directory (contains PSP/GAME etc)"},
diff --git a/Core/CmdLine.h b/Core/CmdLine.h
index 12142eb100..7e7a68043a 100644
--- a/Core/CmdLine.h
+++ b/Core/CmdLine.h
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ struct CommandLineOptions {
 	std::optional<bool> escapeExit;
 	// Run as if no memory stick were inserted.
 	std::optional<bool> memStickInserted;
+	// Quit the app instead of going to the main menu when the game ends, for external launchers.
 	std::optional<bool> pauseMenuExit;
 
 	// Enables the WebSocket debugger on startup, on this port (0 = pick automatically).
diff --git a/UI/EmuScreen.cpp b/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
index 7651e3d8ed..c2fec82550 100644
--- a/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
+++ b/UI/EmuScreen.cpp
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ void EmuScreen::dialogFinished(const Screen *dialog, DialogResult result) {
 	// DR_CANCEL/DR_BACK means clicked on "continue", DR_OK means clicked on "back to menu",
 	// DR_YES means a message sent to PauseMenu by System_PostUIMessage.
 	if ((result == DR_OK || quit_) && !bootPending_) {
-		screenManager()->switchScreen(new MainScreen());
+		leaveGame();
 		quit_ = false;
 	} else {
 		RecreateViews();
@@ -563,7 +563,7 @@ void EmuScreen::sendMessage(UIMessage message, const char *value) {
 			INFO_LOG(Log::Loader, "REQUEST_GAME_STOP: running exit callback before shutdown.");
 		} else {
 			// No callback (or already in flight, or core not running) - the destructor will take care of shutting down.
-			screenManager()->switchScreen(new MainScreen());
+			leaveGame();
 		}
 	} else if (message == UIMessage::REQUEST_GAME_RESET) {
 		if (bootPending_) {
@@ -1532,12 +1532,21 @@ bool EmuScreen::checkPowerDown() {
 	// Also for REQUEST_STOP.
 	if (coreState == CORE_POWERDOWN && PSP_GetBootState() == BootState::Complete && !bootPending_) {
 		INFO_LOG(Log::System, "SELF-POWERDOWN!");
-		screenManager()->switchScreen(new MainScreen());
+		leaveGame();
 		return true;
 	}
 	return false;
 }
 
+void EmuScreen::leaveGame() {
+	// Switch screens even when exiting, so the game gets shut down the usual way.
+	screenManager()->switchScreen(new MainScreen());
+	if (g_Config.bPauseMenuExitsEmulator) {
+		INFO_LOG(Log::System, "Game ended, exiting (--pause-menu-exit)");
+		System_ExitApp();
+	}
+}
+
 ScreenRenderRole EmuScreen::renderRole(bool isTop) const {
 	auto CanBeBackground = [this, isTop]() -> bool {
 		if (skipBufferEffects_) {
diff --git a/UI/EmuScreen.h b/UI/EmuScreen.h
index ca99064229..790143f27a 100644
--- a/UI/EmuScreen.h
+++ b/UI/EmuScreen.h
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ private:
 
 	void AutoLoadSaveState();
 	bool checkPowerDown();
+	void leaveGame();
 
 	void ProcessQueuedVKeys();
 	void ProcessVKey(VirtKey vkey, bool down);