Where Does RetroArch Store Saves?
Where RetroArch keeps SRAM saves and save states on Windows, macOS and Linux, and how to read the real path from the Directory settings.
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Two different files live in two different folders. SRAM saves are what an emulated console would have written to its own battery-backed memory, usually one .srm per game, and they move between devices cleanly. Save states are snapshots of a running emulator, tied to the exact core that produced them, and RetroArch keeps them in a separate states folder.
Defaults have shifted over the years and differ between the installer, the portable zip and the Flatpak, which makes any path from an article a starting point rather than an answer. Settings > Directory prints Savefile Directory and Savestate Directory as your build actually sees them, so check that screen before you copy anything around.
Where RetroArch stores this, by platform
C:\RetroArch-Win64\saves
The current installer puts RetroArch in C:\RetroArch-Win64 by default and writes saves to a saves folder and states to a states folder beside retroarch.exe. Portable zips work the same way because retroarch.cfg stores relative paths such as :\saves that resolve against the folder holding the exe. Installs from version 1.9.0 and older used %APPDATA%\RetroArch instead, so if neither matches, Settings > Directory is the authority.
~/Documents/RetroArch/saves
Current builds put saves in ~/Documents/RetroArch/saves and states in ~/Documents/RetroArch/states, while cores, config and assets stay under ~/Library/Application Support/RetroArch. Older versions kept everything in Application Support, and builds that date further back stashed files inside the app bundle itself. Settings > Directory shows the truth for your install.
~/.config/retroarch/saves
Follows the XDG convention: saves at ~/.config/retroarch/saves, states at ~/.config/retroarch/states, config at ~/.config/retroarch/retroarch.cfg. The Flatpak build lives under ~/.var/app/org.libretro.RetroArch/config/retroarch instead, which is the path Steam Deck users on the Flatpak get. Both are hidden folders, so enable hidden files in your file manager first.
Frequently asked questions
where are my retroarch save states
In the states folder, which sits beside the saves folder rather than inside it: ~/.config/retroarch/states on Linux, ~/Documents/RetroArch/states on macOS, and a states folder next to retroarch.exe on Windows. Settings > Directory lists the exact one your build uses.
why are my retroarch saves in the rom folder
The Savefile Directory is empty or set to default, and default means the folder the game was loaded from. Point it at a real folder in Settings > Directory, then run Main Menu > Configuration File > Save Current Configuration so the change sticks.
retroarch in game save not writing to disk
Saves sit in the core's memory until they are flushed. Settings > Saving has SaveRAM Auto Save Interval, which writes them every few seconds; 10 seconds is a common choice. Some cores ignore the setting, so closing content from the quick menu still matters.
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