How to Transfer Emulator Saves Between PC and Android 2026

PPSSPP is the easiest cross-platform save transfer because the save format is identical on PC and Android — just copy the files.

PC save location: Documents\PPSSPP\PSP\SAVEDATA\
Android save location: /sdcard/PSP/SAVEDATA/

Method 1 — USB cable (fastest):

1. Connect Android to PC via USB cable.
2. On your Android, pull down the notification bar → tap USB preference → select File Transfer (MTP).
3. On PC, open File Explorer → your Android appears as a device under This PC.
4. Navigate to: Android device → Internal Storage → PSP → SAVEDATA\
5. Copy the game's save folder (e.g., ULUS10041GWDATA00) to Documents\PPSSPP\PSP\SAVEDATA\ on your PC (or vice versa for the other direction).
6. The game folder name must match exactly between PC and Android — don't rename it.

Method 2 — Google Drive / Dropbox (wireless):

1. On PC: upload the SAVEDATA\GameFolderName\ to a Google Drive or Dropbox folder.
2. On Android: open the Drive/Dropbox app, download the folder to /sdcard/PSP/SAVEDATA/.
3. To reverse: upload from Android's /sdcard/PSP/SAVEDATA/ and download to PC.

PPSSPP save states are in PPSSPP_STATE\ on both platforms. They transfer the same way, but save states are version-sensitive — use SAVEDATA (in-game saves) for cross-device compatibility.

RetroArch's .srm (save RAM) files are identical on PC and Android — the same format regardless of core. This makes cross-platform transfer very reliable.

PC save location: %APPDATA%\RetroArch\saves\
Android save location: /sdcard/RetroArch/saves/

Transfer steps:

1. On PC, find your game's .srm file (named after the ROM, e.g., Super Mario World.srm).
2. Connect Android via USB (File Transfer mode) and copy the .srm file to /sdcard/RetroArch/saves/.
3. On Android RetroArch, load the same ROM — the save loads automatically from the .srm file.

Important: Use the same core on both devices. A .srm from the Snes9x core may not load correctly on the bsnes core (different internal save format even though the file extension is the same). Keep the core consistent.

RetroArch Cloud Sync (OneDrive):

• Both PC and Android RetroArch support OneDrive cloud sync under Settings → Cloud Synchronization. Enable on both devices with the same OneDrive account and saves sync automatically. This is the most seamless option for ongoing cross-device play.

Dolphin saves are compatible between PC and Android, but the folder structure must be respected.

GameCube memory cards:

• PC: Documents\Dolphin Emulator\GC\USA.raw (or EUR.raw / JAP.raw)
• Android: /sdcard/dolphin-emu/GC/USA.raw
• Copy the .raw file between these locations. The file is one shared memory card for all GC games in that region.

Wii saves:

• PC: Documents\Dolphin Emulator\Wii\ (large folder with title IDs)
• Android: /sdcard/dolphin-emu/Wii/
• Copy the entire Wii\ folder. Wii save data is stored by title ID inside NAND emulation — the folder structure must be preserved.

Save states (Dolphin):

• PC: Documents\Dolphin Emulator\StateSaves\
• Android: /sdcard/dolphin-emu/StateSaves\
• Transfer works the same way, but save states are version-specific. Use memory card saves for permanent cross-device saves; save states for convenience only.

Eden / Yuzu (Switch saves):

• PC save location: %APPDATA%\Eden\nand\user\save\
• Android save location: /sdcard/Eden/nand/user/save/
• Switch saves are stored by game title ID inside layered directories. Copy the entire save\ subfolder to preserve the structure.
• User ID mismatch: If PC and Android use different user profile IDs inside Eden, the save won't appear. On Android Eden, go to System → Profile Manager — create a profile with the same username as your PC profile to help the save resolve correctly.
• Save states in Eden are emulator-version-specific; avoid relying on them for cross-device transfer.

NetherSX2 / PCSX2 Android (PS2 saves):

• Android (NetherSX2): /sdcard/NetherSX2/memcards/ — files are .ps2 format (same as PCSX2 on PC).
• PC (PCSX2): Documents\PCSX2\memcards\
• Direct copy works: copy Mcd001.ps2 from your Android to PC's memcards folder and point PCSX2 at it in Settings → Memory Cards. Your PS2 saves transfer exactly. See also: PCSX2 memory card guide.