How retro games save: batteries, EEPROM, flash and memory cards

Knowing where a save lives tells you what can go wrong with it. A save on the cartridge travels with the game; a save on a memory card stays with the card. And a save that depends on a battery is only as safe as that battery. This guide goes through what the sources listed at the end say for each console. Where a console has no entry on a point, the sources say nothing about it, so neither does this guide.

Where does each console keep your saves?

Which cartridges depend on a battery?

The Game Boy is the clearest case: games that save keep it in battery-backed RAM on the cartridge, and if the battery dies or is disconnected, the saves are lost². Game Boy Color games that save use battery-backed RAM on the cartridge too, and some cartridges also carry a real-time clock chip that keeps time while the handheld is off³.

Those batteries have a limited lifespan, and they are soldered in, so replacing one means desoldering it¹⁴. Put those two facts together and the catch on a Game Boy cartridge is plain: swapping the battery disconnects it, and a disconnected battery loses the save²¹⁴.

Home consoles have them too: some NES and Famicom cartridges save with a battery on the cartridge, as do some Mega Drive/Genesis and 32X cartridges, and ConsoleMods keeps a list of each¹⁰¹². Some SNES cartridges contain battery-backed SRAM to save the game¹¹.

Why is the Nintendo 64 a mixed case?

Because some Game Paks save internally to EEPROM, flash memory or battery-backed RAM, while other games save to a separate memory card, which Nintendo marketed as the Controller Pak¹.

The cartridges that rely on a battery use a CR2032 cell, in every known case, and ConsoleMods keeps a list of those games¹⁵. The memory card is not battery-free either: Nintendo's original Controller Paks keep saves in SRAM backed by a CR2032 battery, split into 123 pages¹⁸.

Which saves need no battery at all?

The Game Boy Advance moved away from battery saves: SRAM was the near-universal standard on the previous generation, but many licensed GBA games save to EEPROM or flash memory instead, and neither needs a battery⁴. Some newer GBA cartridges use FRAM in place of SRAM, which also holds its data without a battery¹³. Cartridges that do save to SRAM still need a battery, with the same limited lifespan and the same desoldering to replace it¹⁴.

GBATEK lists the chip sizes: EEPROM of 512 bytes or 8 KB, SRAM of 32 KB, and flash of 64 or 128 KB¹³.

Nintendo DS game cards usually have a small amount of flash memory or an EEPROM chip to save data such as game progress or high scores¹⁶.

The Dreamcast's VMU keeps saves in flash memory: 128 KB of it, of which 200 blocks are for data⁸. Its two CR2032 batteries only matter for the mini-games: without battery power, a VMU still works as a memory card⁸.

Which consoles save to memory cards or internal memory?

The PlayStation saves to a 128 KB memory card; the first block is the directory, which leaves 15 blocks for files⁵. A PlayStation 2 accepts those cards, but only for original PlayStation games⁶. The PS2's own memory card holds 8 MB and uses MagicGate encryption⁶.

The GameCube has two memory card ports, and Nintendo released three cards: Memory Card 59 in grey (512 KB), Memory Card 251 in black (2 MB) and Memory Card 1019 in white (8 MB)⁷. The original Wii accepts GameCube memory cards, along with GameCube games and controllers⁷. For more on that, see backward compatibility.

The PSP saves to a Memory Stick Duo¹⁷. The PSP Go has no UMD drive; it stores games on 16 GB of internal flash memory, and a Memory Stick Micro (M2) adds another 16 GB¹⁷.

The Saturn keeps saves in its own internal backup memory⁹. Its cartridge slot is not used for games but for backup memory or RAM cartridges, and a backup memory cartridge extends the space for saves⁹.

How to check yours

1. Look the game up, not just the console. For the NES and Famicom, the Mega Drive/Genesis and 32X, and the Nintendo 64, ConsoleMods keeps lists of games that save with a battery in the cartridge¹⁰¹²¹⁵.
2. Use the right bit if you open a cartridge. The table below lists what each one takes, per the sources.
3. Think before replacing a Game Boy cartridge battery. It is soldered in, and if it is disconnected, the saves on it are lost²¹⁴.
4. Identify a GameCube memory card by colour. Nintendo's Memory Card 59 is grey, the 251 black and the 1019 white⁷.
5. Keep PS2 saves on a PS2 card. An original PlayStation card in a PS2 only works for PlayStation games⁶.
6. A beeping VMU is about its batteries. A VMU without battery power beeps when the Dreamcast is switched on, and it still works as a memory card⁸.

If you are not sure which console and edition a game belongs to, the RetroReady app can tell you from a photo.

Frequently asked

Does a Game Boy cartridge battery die?

Yes, in time: the batteries have a limited lifespan¹⁴, and if one dies or is disconnected, the cartridge loses its saves². They are soldered in, so replacing one means desoldering it¹⁴.

Do Game Boy Advance games have a save battery?

Many do not: they save to EEPROM or flash, which need no battery⁴, and some newer cartridges use FRAM, which needs none either¹³. Cartridges that save to SRAM do need a battery¹⁴.

Do N64 games save to the cartridge?

Some do, to EEPROM, flash memory or battery-backed RAM; other games save to a Controller Pak memory card instead¹. Nintendo's original Controller Paks rely on a CR2032 battery as well¹⁸.

Why does my Dreamcast VMU beep when I switch the console on?

A VMU without battery power beeps when the Dreamcast is switched on⁸. That does not stop it saving: the VMU stores data in flash memory, and without battery power it still works as a memory card⁸.

Can I use PlayStation memory cards on a PS2?

Yes, but only for original PlayStation games⁶. PS2 games save to the PS2's own 8 MB memory card⁶.

Sources

1. Nintendo 64 Game Pak, Wikipedia: "Some Game Paks include internal EEPROM, flash memory, or battery-backed-up RAM for saved game storage. Otherwise, game saves may be stored on a separate memory card, marketed by Nintendo as a Controller Pak."
2. Game Boy Game Battery Replacement, ConsoleMods (read via the Wayback Machine): "Game Boy cartridges allow you to save game saves to it's battery backed-up RAM. If the battery dies or is disconnected, it will lose any game saves stored on it."; "You will need a 3.8mm "game bit" screwdriver bit to remove the shell."
3. Game Boy Color, Wikipedia: "Some cartridges include up to 128 KB of RAM to increase performance, which can be battery-backed to save progress when the handheld is off, real-time clock chips can keep track of time even when the device is off"
4. GBA Game Battery Replacement, ConsoleMods (read via the Wayback Machine): "Unlike in the previous generation, where SRAM was the near universal de facto standard for saves, not that many licensed GBA games need constant power, as they could have used EEPROM or NOR Flash instead."
5. Controllers and Memory Cards, psx-spx: "Total Memory 128KB = 131072 bytes = 20000h bytes ... The first block is used as Directory, the remaining 15 blocks are containing Files"
6. PlayStation 2, Wikipedia: "The standard PlayStation 2 memory card has an 8 megabyte (MB) capacity and features MagicGate encryption."; "original PlayStation memory cards will only work with original PlayStation games"
7. GameCube, Wikipedia: "The GameCube features two memory card ports for saving game data. Nintendo released three memory card options: Memory Card 59 in gray (512 KB), Memory Card 251 in black (2 MB), and Memory Card 1019 in white (8 MB)."; "The original version of the GameCube's successor, the Wii, is backward-compatible with GameCube controllers, memory cards, and games, but not the Game Boy Player or other hardware attachments that use the Expansion Slot"
8. Visual Memory Unit, Wikipedia: "The VMU has 128 KB of flash memory, but by default 28 KB is reserved for system use leaving 100 KB for data storage, which is divided into 200 'blocks'"; "The VMU runs on two CR-2032 lithium batteries which are inserted into the rear of the VMU under a screw-secured lid. Without battery power, the VMU still functions as a memory card and auxiliary display, but cannot play downloaded mini-games."; "a VMU without battery power will beep when the Dreamcast is powered on"
9. Sega Saturn, Sega Retro: "Though it contains a cartridge slot, this is not used for games, but rather backup memory or RAM cartridges. The former was to extend the space for save games beyond that of the Saturn's internal memory"
10. List of NES Games with Save Batteries, ConsoleMods (read via the Wayback Machine): "The below list of Famicom and NES games use a save battery in the cartridge to retain save data."
11. Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Wikipedia: "Cartridges may also contain battery-backed SRAM to save the game state"
12. List of Genesis Games with Save Batteries, ConsoleMods (read via the Wayback Machine): "The below list of Genesis and 32X games use a save battery in the cartridge to retain save data."
13. GBATEK, problemkaputt.de: "FRAM (Ferroelectric RAM) is a newer technology, used in newer GBA carts, unlike SRAM (Static RAM), it doesn't require a battery to hold the data."; "EEPROM_Vnnn EEPROM 512 bytes or 8 Kbytes (4Kbit or 64Kbit) SRAM_Vnnn SRAM 32 Kbytes (256Kbit) FLASH_Vnnn FLASH 64 Kbytes (512Kbit) (ID used in older files) FLASH512_Vnnn FLASH 64 Kbytes (512Kbit) (ID used in newer files) FLASH1M_Vnnn FLASH 128 Kbytes (1Mbit)"
14. Game Boy Game Pak, Wikipedia: "SRAM chips required a battery to retain data when the Game Boy was powered off. These batteries had a limited lifespan and needed to be desoldered for replacement."
15. List of Nintendo 64 Games with Save Batteries, ConsoleMods (read via the Wayback Machine): "The below list of games use a save battery in the cartridge to retain save data. All known games have CR2032 batteries."
16. Nintendo DS, Wikipedia: "The cards usually have a small amount of flash memory or an EEPROM to save user data such as game progress or high scores."
17. PlayStation Portable, Wikipedia: "a Memory Stick Duo for save games"; "The PSP Go lacks a UMD drive, instead opting to only 16 GB of internal flash memory. An additional 16 GB can be added with the addition of a Memory Stick Micro (M2)."
18. Nintendo 64 accessories, Wikipedia: "The original models from Nintendo have 256 kilobits (32 kilobytes) of CR2032 battery backed SRAM, split into 123 pages"
19. Game Boy Repair Tools, ConsoleMods (read via the Wayback Machine): "The same driver bits are used across the Game Boy Line. ... Gamebit/Bristol | 3.8mm | Cartridge"
20. GBA Repair Tools, ConsoleMods (read via the Wayback Machine): "All revisions of the Game Boy Advance use the same driver bits. ... Tri-Point | Y0 | Outer Shell Screws, Cartridge"
21. Tools, RetroRGB: "3.8MM Game Tool – For NES and SNES games, plus random others."; "4.5MM Game Tool – For ... some Genesis games"
22. 3.8mm or 4.5mm game cartridge and console security bit, Stone Age Gamer: "3.8mm bit (NES, SNES, N64, and GameBoy Cartridges)"
23. Nintendo Entertainment System, Wikipedia: "Early NES cartridges are held together with five small slotted screws."
24. SNES Cartridge Disassembly, ConsoleMods (read via the Wayback Machine): "describes the disassembly of a Europe/Japan-style Super Nintendo game cartridge. ... Remove the two 3.8mm "game bit" screws from the front of the cartridge."

How this guide was made. Written from facts we checked against the pages listed under Sources: each claim is quoted word for word from its source before it goes in. Spot a mistake? Write to support@retroready.app.

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