The short answer is that save states work almost everywhere in ArkOS, but not in exactly the same way everywhere. Most systems share one familiar style of saving and loading, while a handful of systems keep their save states inside their own menus instead.
That makes ArkOS R36S save states easy to learn and slightly uneven in the details. Once you understand which systems behave alike, you can save anywhere, at any moment, with real confidence.
This article walks through what a save state actually is, how the save and load actions work on the R36S controls, whether every emulator treats states the same way, how the slots are organised, and the simple mistakes that most often cost players their progress.
What a Save State Is and How It Differs From a Normal In-Game Save
A save state is a snapshot of the game at one exact instant. When you create one, the emulator freezes everything about that moment — your position, health, items and even the action on screen — and stores it so you can jump straight back to it later.
An in-game save is the method the original game itself offers. You save at a checkpoint, an inn or a menu screen, and the game writes that progress into its own save file, just as it did on the original console decades ago.
How the Two Methods Work Together
The difference matters in practice. In-game saves are sturdy and belong to the game, while save states are instant and flexible but belong to the emulator, so they only make sense inside that same setup.
Smart players use both together. Save states handle the moment-to-moment risks, like a risky jump or a boss attempt, while in-game saves act as the permanent record you can always fall back on if anything goes wrong.
Neither Method Replaces the Other
There is also a difference in how it feels to use them. An in-game save respects the design of the game and only appears where the developers allowed it, while a save state ignores the design completely and answers only to you.
Neither method replaces the other. States give you freedom, and proper saves give you safety, and the combination is what makes long games on a handheld feel stress-free.
How Save and Load Actions Work on the R36S Controls
On the systems that share the common framework, you never need to open a menu to use a save state. You hold the Select button while playing, which turns the other buttons into shortcuts, then tap the right shoulder button to save or the left shoulder button to load.
Companion shortcuts let you move between save slots without pausing the game. Holding Select and tapping left or right on the D-pad steps the current slot number down or up, so you can keep several snapshots ready for the same game.
The Confirmation Message and Standalone Emulator Menus
A small message appears on the screen to confirm each save and each load. Treat that message as your proof: if you did not see it, assume the save never happened and press the buttons again.
A few systems run in their own standalone emulators rather than the shared framework. On those, you open the emulator’s own menu during play, usually with a button combination or the menu key, and choose the save or load option from the list instead.
The Standalone Route and the Select-Button Hold
The standalone route takes a few seconds longer, but the idea is identical. You are still taking a snapshot of the exact moment, just through a menu rather than a shortcut.
If the shortcut buttons seem to do nothing, check that you are holding Select first rather than pressing everything at once. That hold is what tells the system you want a shortcut, and releasing it too early is the most common reason new owners think save states are broken.
Whether Save States Behave the Same Across Different Emulators
For the majority of systems, yes, they behave the same. The cartridge consoles and PlayStation all share the common approach, so the shortcuts, the slots and the on-screen messages feel identical from one system to the next.
The exceptions are the more demanding systems, such as PSP and some Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 setups, which may run in standalone emulators. Their save states still exist and still work well, but the route to reach them and the number of slots can differ.
Smaller Differences and the One Rule That Never Changes
You may also notice smaller differences, like whether a preview picture is shown beside each slot or how the confirmation message is worded. These are cosmetic, but they are often the first hint that a system is running on a standalone emulator rather than the shared framework.
One rule never changes, whatever the system: a save state only loads in the emulator that created it. A snapshot made by one emulator is meaningless to a different one, even for the very same game.
What Changes After an Emulator Update
That rule becomes practical after system updates, when ArkOS occasionally changes which emulator handles a system. Older states for that system may then refuse to load, through no fault of yours.
In-game saves do not suffer from that problem, because they belong to the game itself. Knowing whether updating ArkOS deletes your saves becomes much less stressful when your main progress also lives in a proper game save.
How Save Slots Are Organised and How Many You Can Keep per Game
Each game gets its own set of numbered slots, stored on the SD card with the rest of your game data. Saving into slot three of one game never touches the slots of any other game in your library.
The number of slots is generous. Instead of a single overwrite, you get a run of numbered slots for every game, which is plenty for keeping a small chain of snapshots through a difficult section.
A Rotating Pattern That Protects Your Best Snapshot
Many players settle into a simple pattern. They keep one slot as a safe milestone at the start of a level or dungeon, then rotate the following slots for experiments, boss attempts and risky detours.
Working in that rotating way means a failed experiment never destroys your milestone. There is always one clean snapshot waiting a few slots back, ready to rescue the session.
Sharing the Handheld, and Watching Card Space
If you share the handheld with family, agree on whose slots are whose. The slots belong to the game, not to a person, and a well-meaning sibling can overwrite your best snapshot without ever realising it existed.
Because the states live on the card as ordinary files, they do add up in size over time. Large collections of states for CD-based games can quietly take real space, which is worth remembering on a nearly full card.
Common Save State Mistakes That Cost Players Their Progress
The classic mistake is saving at the worst possible moment. If you create a state a split second before a fatal fall or an unavoidable hit, you have saved the disaster itself, and loading it simply replays the disaster.
The second mistake is overwriting your only good state. Before trying something reckless, always move to a fresh slot first, so a failed attempt never replaces the snapshot you actually need.
Relying on States Alone, and Loading the Wrong Slot
Relying on save states alone is the third trap. A damaged state file, or an emulator change after an update, can leave you with nothing at all if you never once used the game’s own saving.
Loading the wrong slot causes quieter heartbreak. It is easy to load an old experimental slot over a good run, so glance at the slot number and the on-screen message before you commit.
Save Often, and Let Every Save Finish Writing
A gentler version of the same trap is saving too rarely because the process feels like a chore. On the shortcut systems it takes under a second, so build the reflex: before every door, every leap and every gamble, save.
Finally, be patient while a state is being written. Powering off, pulling the card or hammering buttons during those few seconds can corrupt the very file you were counting on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I save at any point in any game?
On the shared-framework systems, yes — save states ignore the game’s own checkpoints entirely. Standalone emulators may ask you to pause and use their menu, but the freedom to save mid-action is still there.
How many save states can I keep for one game?
You get a set of numbered slots for every game, which is plenty for normal play. Rotating three or four slots covers most situations comfortably, from boss retries to exploring branching paths.
Will my save states still work after I switch emulators?
Usually not. States are tied to the emulator that created them, so keep your important progress in the game’s own save file as a backup whenever an update changes things.
Do save states take up much room on the SD card?
Individually they are small, but big collections for CD-based games add up over months of play. Clearing out states for games you have finished keeps the card tidy and roomy.
Conclusion
Save states in ArkOS are one of the handheld’s best comforts: instant, generous and available on nearly every system. Learn the shared shortcut style, respect the few standalone exceptions, and back your states up with real in-game saves, and you will never lose an evening of progress again.
The habit takes ten minutes to learn, and it pays you back in every game you play afterwards. That combination of freedom and safety is a large part of why a retro handheld feels so much friendlier than the original consoles ever did.