It's worth noting that with the introduction of PCSX2 version 1.4.0, the default data directory was moved to the user's Documents folder. For older versions (like 1.2.1 or earlier), the memcards and sstates folders were typically located directly in the emulator's installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\PCSX2\ ) or in My Documents\PCSX2 .
A "portable" installation lets you store PCSX2 and all its files (emulator, saves, configs) in a single folder. You can then place this folder on a USB drive or a cloud sync folder (like Dropbox) to run it on any PC without leaving traces behind. pcsx2 save game location
The Complete Guide to PCSX2 Save Game Locations: Where to Find and Backup Your PS2 Saves It's worth noting that with the introduction of
Here’s how to convert your existing PCSX2 to a portable setup: You can then place this folder on a
Finding your PCSX2 save files depends on how you installed the emulator (Installer vs. Portable) and which operating system you are using. By default, PCSX2 separates "Memory Card" saves (traditional in-game saves) from "Save States" (instant snapshots). Operating System Memory Card Files ( .ps2 ) Save States ( .p2s ) Windows (Standard) Documents\PCSX2\memcards Documents\PCSX2\sstates Windows (Portable) [PCSX2 Folder]\memcards [PCSX2 Folder]\sstates Linux $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/PCSX2/memcards $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/PCSX2/sstates macOS ~/Library/Application Support/PCSX2/memcards ~/Library/Application Support/PCSX2/sstates Steam Deck (EmuDeck) Emulation/saves/pcsx2/saves/ Emulation/saves/pcsx2/states/ How to Find Them Quickly
Newer versions may respect --portable mode (see Section 5).
Inside the main PCSX2 directory, your progress is split into two folders: : Contains