There is no single folder that holds every game’s save files. On PC, the location depends on the game, its edition and storefront, your operating system, and whether the game uses a platform save API or cloud sync. On Nintendo Switch, save data is kept in the console’s System Memory, not on a microSD card. Before you move, replace, or delete any save, check the game’s own support page and your platform’s save settings.
Quick reference by platform
| Platform or service | Where saves are usually found | Can you open the files directly? | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam on Windows | C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata |
Often, but only if the game uses Steam Cloud and the developer has not configured a different path | Local and cloud copies can conflict |
| Steam on macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata |
Same as Windows, game-dependent | Same sync conflict risk |
| Steam on Linux | ~/.local/share/Steam/userdata |
Same as Windows, game-dependent | Same sync conflict risk |
| PC games using Microsoft’s Xbox Game Saves APIs | Under %AppData%LocalPackages<PACKAGE_NAME>SystemAppData, in an xgs or wgs subfolder, depending on the API |
Only for titles that use those APIs; Microsoft’s documentation does not extend the paths to every PC game | Editing files without the expected lock can cause sync conflicts |
| Xbox consoles | Managed through the Xbox system interface; no file path is given in Microsoft’s guidance | Not stated | Deleting console data does not delete the cloud copy |
| Nintendo Switch | Console System Memory | Not stated; Nintendo says saves cannot be saved or copied to microSD | Archiving or deleting downloaded software does not delete save data |
Steam: where Steam Cloud files sit
Steam Support gives default local roots for Steam Cloud files on each operating system. Inside those roots, Steam organizes data by Steam account ID and then by game AppID, so a game’s cloud data typically sits in a folder structured like Steamuserdata[steamID][appID].
Default locations
- Windows:
C:Program Files (x86)Steamuserdata - macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Steam/userdata - Linux:
~/.local/share/Steam/userdata
These are the starting point for Steam Cloud files. They do not prove that every game’s active save lives there, because a game can store its save somewhere else.
Developer-configured paths
Steamworks documentation lists the common roots a developer can choose for Steam Cloud. On Windows these include the game’s install directory, Documents, AppData Local, AppData LocalLow, AppData Roaming, and Saved Games. On macOS they include the home folder, Application Support, and Documents. On Linux they include the home folder and XDG data paths. Because the developer picks the location, treat this list as a set of examples rather than a map of where every save is kept.
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Sync conflicts and recovery
Steam says games can use Steam Cloud for save games and other user-specific data. When a local file and its cloud copy differ, the sync can produce a conflict. Steam Support is direct about the risk: “If any saves or other data have been lost, it is not likely that we will be able to recover them.” Resolve conflicts before you delete or overwrite anything.
Xbox and Microsoft PC games
Microsoft’s documentation for PC games covers two named save APIs, and each has its own folder pattern:
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XGameSaveFiles:%AppData%LocalPackages<PACKAGE_NAME>SystemAppDataxgs<HexXuid>_<Scid>XGameSave:%AppData%LocalPackages<PACKAGE_NAME>SystemAppDatawgs<HexXuid>_<Scid>
These paths apply only to games built on those APIs. They are not a guarantee that every Xbox app or PC Game Pass title exposes its saves in the same place. Microsoft also warns that sync logic still applies when PC save data is changed by hand, and that changes made without the expected lock can cause conflicts.
On Xbox consoles
On console, Microsoft directs you to manage saved data through the Xbox interface rather than through the file system. Deleting a game’s data through the system UI does not delete its cloud copy. Launching the game can sync that cloud data back to the console, so a deletion you intended as a clean-up can be undone the next time you play.
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- Please note: Nintendo Switch 2 is only compatible with microSD Express cards. If the microSD cards you have used for Nintendo Switch do not support microSD Express standards, you cannot use them with Nintendo Switch 2.
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo states that save data for a game is stored in the console’s System Memory, whether the game was played from a game card or downloaded. Save data cannot be saved or copied to a microSD card, so a larger card will not hold saves for you. Archiving or deleting downloaded software does not delete its save data, which is why removing a game to free space is not the same as erasing its progress.
Why the exact game and edition decide the answer
Generic platform advice has limits. Obsidian’s support guidance separates save locations by game edition and storefront, and it notes that players cannot access save files for certain Windows Store or Xbox PC Game Pass versions because Xbox manages them. If a general folder from the table above does not contain your save, look up the specific game and edition on the publisher’s support site before searching the disk.
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Safe steps before you move or delete a save
- Identify the exact game, edition, storefront, and operating system. A Steam copy and a Game Pass copy of the same title can store saves differently.
- Open the game’s official support article and confirm its save path and whether the platform manages the save.
- Check the platform’s cloud-save status before touching local files. In Steam, compare the times shown in any conflict prompt and your recent play history before choosing which copy to keep.
- If the files are accessible and you want a manual copy, copy the whole game folder to a separate location such as an external drive. This is an optional safeguard drawn from the documented paths and sync warnings, not a substitute for platform sync, and it does not guarantee that a save can be restored.
- Do not delete or overwrite a save until you have confirmed which copy is current. On Xbox consoles, deleting local data does not necessarily remove the cloud copy.
Common questions behind the title
Readers often search with narrower phrasing. “Where are my Steam saves stored?” is answered by the Steam section and then by the game’s own support page, because Steam’s default roots are only a starting point. “Where are Xbox Game Pass saves on PC?” depends on whether the title uses the Xbox Game Saves APIs described above and on the edition involved. “Can Switch saves be stored on an SD card?” has a clear answer: no, Nintendo states that save data cannot be saved or copied to microSD.
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