Save state
Also known as: savestates , savestate , save states , instant save
A save state is a snapshot of the entire emulator memory (CPU registers, RAM contents, audio buffers, video state) written to disk in one atomic write. Loading a save state restores the emulator to exactly that moment — useful for retrying a tough boss, scrubbing past unskippable cutscenes, or pausing across sessions in games without native save support. Save states are NOT portable across emulators or even across major versions of the same emulator: the binary layout depends on internal data structures.