Save States

Using save states and save state management in Dolphin

Save states allow you to save and load your game at any moment, providing quick saves beyond the game’s built-in save system. This guide covers how to use save states effectively in Dolphin.

What are Save States?

Save states capture the complete emulator state at a specific moment:

• CPU registers and memory
• GPU state and video memory
• Audio state
• Controller inputs
• Everything needed to resume exactly where you left off

Save states are different from in-game saves. They capture the entire emulator state, allowing you to save anywhere, anytime.

Save States vs In-Game Saves

Feature	Save States	In-Game Saves
Save anywhere	Yes	Only at save points
Instant save/load	Yes	Usually slower
Compatible across versions	Sometimes	Yes
Transferable to console	No	Yes (via memory card)
Size	Large (100+ MB)	Small (KB)

Save State Slots

Dolphin provides 10 save state slots (Slot 1 - Slot 10) per game:

• Each slot stores one complete save state
• Slots are game-specific
• Overwriting a slot replaces the previous save

Creating Save States

Using Hotkeys (Recommended)

Default hotkeys for save states:

Quick Save

Shift + F1 through Shift + F8: Save to slots 1-8

Quickly save to a specific slot without interrupting gameplay.

Selected Slot

Shift + F11: Cycle through slots

Shift + F12: Save to currently selected slot

Use the selected slot for quick save/load operations.

Using the Menu

1. Open Emulation Menu

   While a game is running, click Emulation in the menu bar

2. Save State

   Navigate to Save State > Save to Slot [X]

3. Confirmation

   An on-screen message confirms the save state was created

Saving to File

Save to a custom file instead of using slots:

1. Emulation Menu

   Click Emulation > Save State

2. Save State As

   Select Save State As…

3. Choose Location

   Browse to a location, enter a filename, and click Save

Save state files have the .sav extension and can be shared, backed up, or organized in custom folders.

Loading Save States

Using Hotkeys (Recommended)

Default hotkeys for loading:

Quick Load

F1 through F8: Load from slots 1-8

Instantly load a saved state.

Selected Slot

F11: Cycle through slots

F12: Load from currently selected slot

Using the Menu

1. Open Emulation Menu

   Click Emulation while game is running

2. Load State

   Navigate to Load State > Load from Slot [X]

3. Resume

   The game resumes from the saved state

Loading from File

1. Emulation Menu

   Click Emulation > Load State

2. Load State From

   Select Load State From…

3. Select File

   Browse to the .sav file and click Open

Save State Manager

View and manage all save states for the current game:

1. Open Manager

   While playing, click Emulation > Save State > Save State Manager

2. View States

   See all save states with:

   • Slot number
   • Timestamp
   • Preview screenshot (if available)
3. Actions

   • Click a state to load it
   • Delete unwanted states
   • Export states to files

Advanced Save State Features

Undo Load State

If you accidentally load the wrong state:

• Hotkey: F10 (default)
• Menu: Emulation > Undo Load State

This restores the state before the last load operation.

Undo Load State creates a temporary save before loading, allowing you to revert if needed.

Undo Save State

Revert to the previous save in a slot:

• Menu: Emulation > Undo Save State

This restores the save state that was overwritten by the last save operation.

Load Last State

Quickly load the most recently saved state:

1. Emulation Menu

   Click Emulation > Load State

2. Load Last State

   Select Load Last Saved State

This loads the most recent save state regardless of slot.

Configuring Save State Hotkeys

Customize save state hotkeys:

1. Open Hotkey Settings

   Navigate to Controllers > Hotkey Settings

2. Save State Section

   Scroll to the Save State section

3. Map Keys

   Click any hotkey field and press your desired key combination:

   • Save State Slot 1-10
   • Load State Slot 1-10
   • Select State Slot
   • Save/Load Selected Slot
   • Undo Load State
   • Undo Save State

You can also map save state functions to controller buttons for quick access during gameplay.

Save State Storage Location

Save states are stored in:

• Windows: Documents\Dolphin Emulator\StateSaves\
• Linux: ~/.dolphin-emu/StateSaves/ or ~/.config/dolphin-emu/StateSaves/
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Dolphin/StateSaves/

File Naming Convention

Save state files are named:

[GameID].s[SlotNumber]

Example: GALE01.s01 (slot 1 for Super Smash Bros. Melee)

Custom save states use .sav extension.

Save State Compatibility

Save states are NOT guaranteed to be compatible across different Dolphin versions.

Version Compatibility

• Same version: Fully compatible
• Minor updates: Usually compatible
• Major updates: May be incompatible
• Development builds: Frequently incompatible

Always keep in-game saves as backups. Save states should complement, not replace, in-game saves.

What Changes Save State Compatibility

• Emulation core changes
• Memory layout modifications
• Graphics backend updates
• DSP emulation changes

Best Practices

Use Multiple Slots

Don’t rely on a single save state:

• Rotate between 2-3 slots
• Keep backup states at major progress points
• Prevents losing progress if a state becomes corrupted

Regular In-Game Saves

Use in-game saves in addition to save states:

• More reliable long-term
• Compatible across Dolphin versions
• Can be transferred to real consoles

Backup Important States

For critical progress:

1. Locate Save States

   Navigate to the StateSaves folder

2. Copy Files

   Copy important .s## files to a backup location

3. Restore When Needed

   Copy files back to restore states

Avoid Save States During Specific Actions

Do not create save states during:

• FMV/cutscenes (may cause playback issues)
• Loading screens
• Saving in-game (can corrupt save data)
• Online play (NetPlay has its own state system)

Save States in NetPlay

NetPlay has special save state handling:

• Host controls states: Only the host can create/load states
• All players sync: States apply to all connected players
• Automatic saves: NetPlay can create automatic checkpoint states

See the NetPlay guide for more information.

Troubleshooting

Save State Failed to Save

If save states fail to create:

1. Check Disk Space

   Ensure sufficient disk space (states can be 100-500 MB)

2. Verify Permissions

   Confirm write permissions to the StateSaves directory

3. Disable Savestates Setting

   Check if Enable Savestates is disabled in configuration

Save State Failed to Load

If a save state won’t load:

• Incompatible version: State may be from different Dolphin version
• Corrupted file: File may be damaged
• Wrong game: Ensure you’re loading the correct game
• Missing files: Some games require specific BIOS or system files

If a state won’t load, try loading an earlier state or using an in-game save.

Save States Cause Crashes

If loading states crashes Dolphin:

1. Update to the latest Dolphin version
2. Try loading different states
3. Check for game-specific issues on Dolphin Wiki
4. Disable Store EFB Copies to Texture Only in Graphics settings

Large Save State File Sizes

Save state sizes vary by:

• Game (more RAM usage = larger states)
• Graphics settings (texture cache adds to size)
• Internal resolution (higher resolution = larger cache)

Typical sizes: 50-500 MB per state

You can enable Save Texture Cache to State in Graphics settings for more consistent state behavior, but this increases file size.

Enable/Disable Save States

Save states can be disabled entirely:

1. Open Configuration

   Navigate to Options > Configuration

2. Advanced Tab

   Click the Advanced tab

3. Toggle Setting

   Uncheck Enable Savestates to disable save state functionality

This prevents accidental state saves/loads during competitive play or TAS creation.