Why 1Retro?
Dropbox, scripts, SD cards, manual copies. You can make it work, but it's always a hassle. 1Retro was built specifically for this.
The problem with retro saves
Modern games have cloud saves. Retro games don't. So your progress lives on whatever device you played on last, with no backup and no easy way to move it.
Corrupted SD card
One bad eject and hundreds of hours are just gone.
New device, no saves
Got a new laptop or handheld? Cool, now start every game over.
Switching emulators
Hope you remember where RetroArch keeps its saves. And hope the new emulator uses the same format.
Playing on multiple devices
Desktop at home, handheld on the go. Your saves are stuck on whichever one you played last.
Accidental overwrites
A generic sync tool doesn't know what a save file is. It'll happily replace your 40-hour RPG with a fresh file.
How does 1Retro compare?
People manage retro saves in a few different ways. Here's how they compare.
| 1Retro | Dropbox / Google Drive | Manual Copies | RetroArch Cloud Sync | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic save detection | Syncs folders, not saves | RetroArch cores only | ||
| Works with any emulator | If you configure folders manually | RetroArch only | ||
| Save versioning & rollback | Paid plans only, not save-aware | |||
| Conflict detection | Creates duplicate files | |||
| MiSTer / FPGA support | SD card swapping | |||
| Handheld device support | Manual file transfer | |||
| Web dashboard | ||||
| Save file parsing & metadata | ||||
| Cross-platform (macOS/Win/Linux) | Cloud sync is experimental | |||
| No configuration needed | Requires folder setup | Entirely manual | Requires core setup | |
| Free tier |
What sets 1Retro apart
Built for saves, not files
Dropbox doesn't know what a save file is. 1Retro does. It detects saves automatically, tracks versions, parses metadata, and handles conflicts instead of quietly overwriting your 40-hour RPG with a fresh file.
Every device, every emulator
RetroArch on your desktop, MiSTer in the living room, OnionOS on the go. 1Retro syncs between all of them. You're not locked into one emulator or one platform.
Set it and forget it
No symlinks, no scripts, no folder configuration. Install the app, point it at your emulator, and play. Saves sync in the background. That's it.
Your data stays yours
We don't sell your data, we don't analyze it, and we don't share it. Your saves are stored securely and only you can access them. If you delete your account, everything gets deleted too.