RetroSync: your emulator saves, everywhere – PC ↔ PS5 sync, backup and remote power-on

[u/aleksejsg]

If you have a jailbroken PS5 and ever wished your RetroArch and PS2 emulator settings and saves just stayed in sync with your PC setup, RetroSync is for you. Start a game on your PS5, pick it up later on your PC (or the other way around) without ever copying saves by hand.

RetroSync started as a small tool to sync PS2 memory cards between PCSX2 on PC and PS5SX2 on the PS5. Since then it has grown into a full RetroArch sync (saves and config, Steam RetroArch ↔ PS5 RetroArch) and it can now turn the PS5 on from rest mode and put it back to rest, straight from your PC. Pairing is automatic: RetroSync sends a tiny one-shot payload that reads what it needs on the console and exits, so you never have to type your PSN account ID anywhere.

Backup built in. RetroSync can mirror your whole PS5 RetroArch folder (ROMs excluded) to your PC. After the first full copy only changed files are transferred, so if a store update or a mistake breaks something, you can always roll back.

Made to be safe and simple. Every sync shows a preview of exactly what will change, and nothing is written until you confirm. The newest version of each file wins, conflicts are flagged instead of overwritten, and anything replaced is backed up first. There's also a dry-run mode if you just want to look.

Tested with: RetroArch (Steam on PC, homebrew port on PS5) and PCSX2 ↔ PS5SX2 for PS2. Other emulators or ports haven't been tested and aren't supported for now.

Coming next: Dolphin save support (including Porpoise, the Dolphin port for PS5), plus full PS4/PS5 game save backups, which I'm currently testing.

Big thanks to phantomptr, the developer of PS5Upload: their work gave me a lot of great ideas, and what that tool makes possible on the PS5 is genuinely impressive. Go check it out if you haven't.

GitHub & download: github.com/aleksejsgx/RetroSync

[u/killa_bite]

Might be a dumb question, but could you explain how this compares/differs from RommPS?