Save States

Save States

Save states capture the exact emulator state at a moment in time, separate from the in-game save system. You can return to that exact moment by loading the state.

This page covers save states for the Built-in Emulator.

Not every core can produce one -- some cores can't serialize their state at all. Argosy checks this per game, and when a core can't, Quick Save, Quick Load, and Manage States don't appear in the in-game menu rather than failing when tapped.

Quick saves

Use the quick-save and quick-load hotkeys (configurable -- see Hotkeys), or Quick Save / Quick Load in the in-game menu. Quick save keeps a rolling history of your recent saves instead of a single slot -- each save adds one and the oldest drops off once it's full; quick load restores the newest. To reach an older one, open the history from the timeline icon next to Quick Load in the in-game menu. Loading a state from the menu lists asks you to confirm first, with a screenshot and timestamp.

Numbered slots (in-game menu)

Open the in-game menu with the menu hotkey. Save State and Load State let you pick a numbered slot so you can keep multiple snapshots for a single game.

Save state sync

If RomM save sync is enabled, quick-slot and numbered-slot states sync to the server alongside battery saves, so you can resume on another device. Sync happens on exit; if you're offline, states queue locally and upload when the connection returns. The newest quick save is also carried as the auto state, so your most recent moment travels with your saves rather than only the numbered slots.

Restores and auto-resume

Restoring a save from the save manager always wins: the next launch loads exactly what you restored, and any lingering auto-resume state that would override it is cleared. Auto-resume only applies when you haven't made an explicit choice.

Deleting states

Deleting a state from the in-game menu removes it on the device, and if save sync is on, the deletion is remembered so the state doesn't reappear on the next sync. Deleting a state removes the server's copy too, not just the one on this device. Each numbered slot holds a single state; if more than one ever lands in the same slot, Argosy keeps the newest and clears the rest.

Managing states from the second screen

On a dual-screen device, a game's detail page carries a STATES tab on the lower screen: a grid of slots showing the screenshot each state was taken at, for the save channel currently in use. A on a slot opens a menu to copy that state into another slot, confirming first if that slot already holds one, or to delete it.

RetroAchievements interaction

Hardcore mode requires a clean run, so Quick Save, Quick Load, and Manage States are removed from the in-game menu entirely rather than just blocked when selected. On a dual-screen device, the companion screen's quick save/load shortcuts are hidden the same way during a hardcore session. Casual mode has no restriction.

Netplay interaction

During a netplay session, save states are disabled entirely for guests; hosts can save but not load. See Netplay for the full list of in-session restrictions.