diff --git a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Atari/2600/Atari2600.Core.cs b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Atari/2600/Atari2600.Core.cs
index 1aeaed6933..eb4b1f49af 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Atari/2600/Atari2600.Core.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Atari/2600/Atari2600.Core.cs
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Atari.Atari2600
 
 		private bool _frameStartPending = true;
 
+		private bool _leftDifficultySwitchPressed = false;
+		private bool _rightDifficultySwitchPressed = false;
+
+		private bool _leftDifficultySwitchHeld = false;
+		private bool _rightDifficultySwitchHeld = false;
+
+
 		internal byte BaseReadMemory(ushort addr)
 		{
 			addr = (ushort)(addr & 0x1FFF);
@@ -390,6 +397,26 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Atari.Atari2600
 					HardReset();
 				}
 
+				if (Controller["Toggle Left Difficulty"] && !_leftDifficultySwitchHeld)
+				{
+					_leftDifficultySwitchPressed ^= true;
+					_leftDifficultySwitchHeld = true;
+				}
+				else if (!Controller["Toggle Left Difficulty"])
+				{
+					_leftDifficultySwitchHeld = false;
+				}
+
+				if (Controller["Toggle Right Difficulty"] && !_rightDifficultySwitchHeld)
+				{
+					_rightDifficultySwitchPressed ^= true;
+					_rightDifficultySwitchHeld = true;
+				}
+				else if (!Controller["Toggle Right Difficulty"])
+				{
+					_rightDifficultySwitchHeld = false;
+				}
+
 				_tia.BeginAudioFrame();
 				_frameStartPending = false;
 			}
@@ -468,8 +495,15 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Atari.Atari2600
 			if (reset) { value &= 0xFE; }
 			if (select) { value &= 0xFD; }
 			if (SyncSettings.BW) { value &= 0xF7; }
-			if (SyncSettings.LeftDifficulty) { value &= 0xBF; }
-			if (SyncSettings.RightDifficulty) { value &= 0x7F; }
+			if (_leftDifficultySwitchPressed)
+			{
+				value &= 0xBF;
+			}
+
+			if (_rightDifficultySwitchPressed)
+			{
+				value &= 0x7F;
+			}
 
 			if (!peek)
 			{
diff --git a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Atari/2600/Atari2600.cs b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Atari/2600/Atari2600.cs
index ae221d9364..9ca2bdbf9a 100644
--- a/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Atari/2600/Atari2600.cs
+++ b/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/Atari/2600/Atari2600.cs
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Atari.Atari2600
 			Settings = (A2600Settings)settings ?? new A2600Settings();
 			SyncSettings = (A2600SyncSettings)syncSettings ?? new A2600SyncSettings();
 
+			_leftDifficultySwitchPressed = SyncSettings.LeftDifficulty;
+			_rightDifficultySwitchPressed = SyncSettings.RightDifficulty;
+
 			Rom = rom;
 			_game = game;
 
@@ -45,16 +48,16 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Atari.Atari2600
 				game.AddOption("m", DetectMapper(rom));
 			}
 
-            if (Rom.HashSHA1() == "3A77DB43B6583E8689435F0F14AA04B9E57BDDED" ||
-                Rom.HashSHA1() == "E986E1818E747BEB9B33CE4DFF1CDC6B55BDB620")
-            { 
-                game.RemoveOption("m");
-                game.AddOption("m", "F8_sega");
-            }
+			if (Rom.HashSHA1() == "3A77DB43B6583E8689435F0F14AA04B9E57BDDED" ||
+				Rom.HashSHA1() == "E986E1818E747BEB9B33CE4DFF1CDC6B55BDB620")
+			{
+				game.RemoveOption("m");
+				game.AddOption("m", "F8_sega");
+			}
 
-            Console.WriteLine("Game uses mapper " + game.GetOptionsDict()["m"]);
-            Console.WriteLine(Rom.HashSHA1());
-            RebootCore();
+			Console.WriteLine("Game uses mapper " + game.GetOptionsDict()["m"]);
+			Console.WriteLine(Rom.HashSHA1());
+			RebootCore();
 			SetupMemoryDomains();
 
 			Tracer = new TraceBuffer { Header = Cpu.TraceHeader };
@@ -103,7 +106,7 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Atari.Atari2600
 			{
 				"P1 Up", "P1 Down", "P1 Left", "P1 Right", "P1 Button", 
 				"P2 Up", "P2 Down", "P2 Left", "P2 Right", "P2 Button", 
-				"Reset", "Select", "Power"
+				"Reset", "Select", "Power", "Toggle Left Difficulty", "Toggle Right Difficulty"
 			}
 		};