Where Does Mesen Store Saves and Settings?
Mesen lets first-run choose between user-profile and portable storage on PC, with saves and states beneath. Linux builds use XDG config.
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Mesen asks where to live on first launch and honors the answer. User-profile mode nests everything under Documents while portable mode keeps the executable company. Overrides relocate saves and recordings afterward.
Battery saves travel between emulators while states stay home. Linux builds follow XDG config with JSON settings in-tree. Confirm the Folders pane before quoting paths, since version naming drifts.
Where Mesen stores this, by platform
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Mesen
Default user-profile home with Saves, SaveStates and Screenshots beneath. Mode chosen at first run with Overrides available later. Exact folder name varies by version.
~/.config/Mesen2
XDG config tree with settings JSON plus saves in-tree per secondary guides. Confirm against the running build, since primary docs describe modes rather than names.
Frequently asked questions
Where are my Mesen saves?
Check the Folders preference first to learn which mode the install uses. User-profile mode nests Saves and SaveStates under Documents Mesen, while portable keeps them beside the executable. Folder Overrides can relocate either side afterward.
Can I move Mesen saves to another emulator?
They transfer while states do not. Battery saves use the portable format every emulator reads, but state files bind to Mesen versions. Screenshots ride along in their own folder in both modes.
Where does Mesen2 store data on Linux?
It follows XDG config with settings JSON plus saves in the same tree, per secondary guides. Exact Windows-side naming varies by version, so confirm the Folders pane rather than assuming Documents.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.