Where Does Dolphin Save Games?

Dolphin is a popular emulator that allows users to play Nintendo GameCube and Wii games on their computers. One of the most common questions that Dolphin users ask is where the emulator saves their game progress. In this article, we will explore the different locations where Dolphin saves games and how to access them.

Save States

The first location where Dolphin saves games is through save states. Save states are snapshots of the game at a specific moment in time. They allow users to save their progress at any point in the game and resume from that point later. Save states are stored in the Dolphin emulator folder on the user’s computer.

To access save states, users need to navigate to the Dolphin emulator folder and look for the “States” folder. Inside this folder, users will find all of their saved states organized by game title. Each save state file is named after the game title and includes a timestamp of when it was created.

It is important to note that save states are not compatible between different versions of Dolphin. If a user updates their Dolphin emulator, they will need to create new save states for their games.

Memory Cards

The second location where Dolphin saves games is through memory cards. Memory cards are virtual cards that emulate the physical memory cards used on the Nintendo GameCube and Wii consoles. They allow users to save their game progress just like they would on a physical console.

Memory cards are stored in the Dolphin emulator folder on the user’s computer. To access memory cards, users need to navigate to the “GC” or “Wii” folder depending on which console they are emulating. Inside these folders, users will find all of their memory card files organized by game title.

Each memory card file is named after the game title and includes a “.raw” extension. Users can copy and paste memory card files between different versions of Dolphin to transfer their game progress.

GameCube and Wii Save Files

The third location where Dolphin saves games is through GameCube and Wii save files. These files are created by the games themselves and are stored on the virtual memory card. They contain all of the game progress data, including unlocked levels, items, and achievements.

GameCube and Wii save files are stored in the Dolphin emulator folder on the user’s computer. To access save files, users need to navigate to the “GC” or “Wii” folder depending on which console they are emulating. Inside these folders, users will find all of their save files organized by game title.

Each save file is named after the game title and includes a “.gci” or “.sav” extension depending on the console. Users can copy and paste save files between different versions of Dolphin to transfer their game progress.

Cloud Saves

The fourth location where Dolphin saves games is through cloud saves. Cloud saves allow users to store their game progress data on remote servers instead of their local computer. This is a convenient option for users who want to access their game progress from multiple devices or share it with friends.

Dolphin does not have built-in cloud save functionality, but users can use third-party services like Dropbox or Google Drive to store their save files. To set up cloud saves, users need to create a folder in their cloud storage service and sync it with their Dolphin emulator folder.

Once the cloud folder is synced, users can copy and paste their save files into it to upload them to the cloud. To download cloud saves, users need to copy and paste them from the cloud folder into their Dolphin emulator folder.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Dolphin saves games in four different locations: save states, memory cards, GameCube and Wii save files, and cloud saves. Each location has its own advantages and disadvantages, and users can choose the one that best suits their needs. Save states are convenient for quick saves and resuming from specific points in the game, while memory cards and save files are better for long-term game progress. Cloud saves are a great option for users who want to access their game progress from multiple devices or share it with friends.