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melonDS · Nintendo DS and DSi

Where melonDS keeps your saves.

melonDS writes each game's save as a .sav file next to the ROM, with the ROM's name, and save states (.ml1 to .ml8) beside it, unless you set other folders.

Save folders on each platform

Every platform (default)

Saves
<ROM folder>/<ROM name>.sav
States
<ROM folder>/<ROM name>.ml1

Settings

Windows
melonDS.toml next to the program
Linux
~/.config/melonDS
Flatpak
~/.var/app/net.kuribo64.melonDS/config/melonDS

Steam Deck with EmuDeck

Saves
~/Emulation/saves/melonds/saves
States
~/Emulation/saves/melonds/states

Steam Deck with RetroDECK

Saves
~/retrodeck/saves/nds/melonds
States
~/retrodeck/states/nds/melonds

Android (melonDS for Android)

Saves
Next to the ROM, unless you set a save folder

Change the folder

Config, Path settings has Save files path and Savestates path. Empty means the ROM's folder.

Moving saves between devices

  • The .sav name must match the ROM's, and the file size must be exactly what the game expects.
  • File, Import savefile converts saves from DeSmuME (.dsv), DraStic, and flash carts.
  • DSiWare saves live inside the DSi's NAND file, not as separate files.

Sync melonDS saves between devices

The SaveSync app for Windows, Mac, Linux, Steam Deck, and Android will watch melonDS's save folders and sync them when you close a game. It is coming next.

Today, if you play DS games in RetroArch with its melonDS DS core instead, RetroArch's built-in Cloud Sync syncs them with SaveSync on every device. See how to set it up.

SaveSync keeps the newest 20 versions of every save, so a bad sync or an overwritten slot is one click to undo.

Questions

Where does melonDS save games?
Next to the ROM, as a .sav file with the ROM's name, unless Config, Path settings sets another folder.
How do I use a DeSmuME save in melonDS?
Use File, Import savefile and pick the .dsv. melonDS converts it to its raw .sav.

Checked against melonDS's documentation and source in October 2026: melonDS FAQ, EmuInstance.cpp (melonDS), EmuDeck's setup script, RetroDECK's setup.

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