Your PSP progress lives in two folders inside PPSSPP’s memory stick. Copy them to the new device and you carry on exactly where you stopped. It works between Android phones, PC, Mac and iPhone, because PPSSPP uses the same save format everywhere.
On newer Android versions PPSSPP can keep its memory stick inside the app’s own folder. Uninstalling PPSSPP then deletes your saves. Copy them out first.
Where PPSSPP keeps your saves
Open PPSSPP → Settings → System → Memory Stick folder to see the location. Inside it, look in the PSP folder:
| Folder | What’s inside | Copy it? |
|---|---|---|
PSP/SAVEDATA | Normal in-game saves (what the game saves itself) | Yes, always |
PSP/PPSSPP_STATE | Save states (PPSSPP’s quick saves) | Yes, if you use them |
PSP/Cheats | Your cheat files | Optional |
PSP/SYSTEM | Your PPSSPP settings and game configs | Optional |
Android to Android
- On the old phone, open your file manager and go to the memory stick folder.
- Long-press the
SAVEDATAandPPSSPP_STATEfolders and compress them into one zip (with ZArchiver: select both → Compress → zip). - Send the zip to the new phone: Quick Share / Nearby Share, Google Drive, Telegram “Saved Messages” or a USB cable.
- On the new phone, install PPSSPP and open it once so it creates its folders. Check Settings → System → Memory Stick folder.
- Extract the zip into the
PSPfolder there, replacing the empty folders. - Open your game and load your save.
Phone to PC (or back)
On Windows, PPSSPP’s memory stick is in your Documents\PPSSPP folder by default (or the memstick folder next to PPSSPP.exe if you use the portable version). Copy PSP/SAVEDATA and PSP/PPSSPP_STATE between that folder and your phone over USB.
Android to iPhone
On iPhone, PPSSPP’s folder is in the Files app under On My iPhone → PPSSPP. Save the zip from your Android phone to iCloud Drive or Google Drive, open it in Files on the iPhone (tap it to extract), and move the SAVEDATA and PPSSPP_STATE folders into PPSSPP/PSP/. See our PPSSPP on iPhone guide.
Save states vs. normal saves
Save states are snapshots of the emulator. They’re handy but fragile: a state made in one PPSSPP version sometimes doesn’t load in another. Always make a normal in-game save as well; those work across any version and device.
Put your memory stick folder inside a folder that syncs to the cloud (for example with an app like FolderSync), or simply copy the SAVEDATA folder to Google Drive once a week.
FAQ
Where are PPSSPP save files on Android?
In the PSP/SAVEDATA folder of PPSSPP’s memory stick. Check Settings > System > Memory Stick folder to see where it is on your phone. Save states are in PSP/PPSSPP_STATE.
Will I lose my PPSSPP saves if I uninstall it?
You can, if the memory stick folder is inside PPSSPP’s app folder. Copy SAVEDATA and PPSSPP_STATE somewhere else before uninstalling.
Do PPSSPP saves work on PC and iPhone?
Yes. PPSSPP uses the same save format on Android, iPhone, Windows and Mac. Copy the SAVEDATA folder into the PSP folder on the other device.
Join the conversation