Aethersx2 Save data file download-import and Export tutorial

What is Aethersx2 save data

AetherSX2 save files are digital backups of your game progress in PlayStation 2 emulation, and understanding how to manage them is critical for any serious player.
Unlike original PS2 hardware where you swapped physical memory cards, AetherSX2 uses virtual memory cards stored on your Android device. These digital cards work exactly the same way—they hold your game saves, progression data, and sometimes even custom saves you download from online communities. The best part? You can move these saves between your phone and PC using PCSX2, giving you complete flexibility in how you play.

How to Save and Transfer Data in Aethersx2 ?

There are 2 different techniques that can be used to save and transfer data in Aethersx2.

Built-in Export / Import

This method is ideal for transferring save data between Android emulators, such as AetherSX2, NetherSX2, or even PCSX2.

While playing a game, tap the Pause button.
Select Save State and choose an available slot.
Your progress is now saved in the Data Manager.
Return to the main menu and open Data Transfer.
Tap Export to view all saved files.
Select the file you want to transfer.
Choose an existing folder or create a new one.
Confirm to export the data.
Transfer the exported file to another emulator (e.g., NetherSX2 or PCSX2).
On the target emulator, open Data Transfer from the main menu.
Tap Import and navigate to the folder containing your saved file.
Select the files to import it.
Go to Save Data Manager.
Load your saved file and continue playing.

Data transfer From online sources using virtual memory card

This method is useful for the import of data from online sources without using a PC. Before initializing the process make sure your device have 2 additional applications:

ZArchiver
Winlator App

If you already have saved data for that game, please delete it before the process.
Download your desired game save data from any trustworthy online source like GameFAQs.
Go to Android/data/xyz.aethersx2/files/memcards folder on your Android.
Cut the Mcd001.ps2 file and paste it into the Download folder.
Next, launch your Winlator application and add a new container.
Click on the play button of this new container.
Now go to D:/mymc-alpha-2.7/mymc.exe and open the Mcd001.ps2 file.
Click on Import Files, then find your saved game file.
Close the Winlator app.
Go back to the Download folder and cut the Mcd001.ps2 file, then paste it back into Android/data/xyz.aethersx2/files/memcards.
And that it your data is saved now

Common Troubleshoot

Save File Doesn’t Appear in the Game

This issue is commonly due to file saving in wrong location. Open your file manager and navigate to /Android/data/com.aethersx2.android/files/memcards/ and check if your file is there.
Also make sure that your file is in right format i.e .ps2, .psu, or .bin.

The Game Crashes When You Load the Save

This usually means the save is corrupted. Check the file size. If it’s much larger than 512KB or seems abnormally small, something went wrong during download.

Import Fails With an Error Message

First, make sure the file format is actually supported. .ps2 and .psu files almost always work. .bin works but is less common. .max and older formats need conversion.
Also check the check how much free storage you have.

Frequently Asked Questions

Archive.org (the Internet Archive) hosts thousands of PS2 saves organized by game title. Dedicated emulation Discord servers and subreddits like r/Roms also maintain curated save collections where users vote on quality. Game-specific fan communities, especially for popular titles like Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid, or Dragon Quest.

AetherSX2 supports several PlayStation 2 save file formats. The most common are .ps2 (full virtual memory card images) and .psu (single save transfer files). It also supports .bin memory card images. Older formats like .max and .xps are not directly supported and usually need to be converted before use.

AetherSX2 saves your data in its internal app storage on Android. Memory cards are stored in:

/Android/data/com.aethersx2.android/files/memcards/

on your Android device. You’ll need a file manager that can show hidden folders to access it.