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[GH-ISSUE #2549] [Feature Request]: Option to Change User Folder Path to AppData #837

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opened 2026-02-27 21:08:25 +03:00 by kerem · 6 comments

kerem commented

2026-02-27 21:08:25 +03:00

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Originally created by @aminenr-hub on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025).
Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4/issues/2549

Checklist

I have searched for a similar issue in this repository and did not find one.

Description

Currently, the user folder in shadPS4 is linked to the portable directory of the emulator. This setup can be problematic for users who run multiple versions of shadPS4 for testing purposes.

To improve flexibility, I propose adding an option during the initial setup to choose where the user folder should be stored—either in the emulator's directory or in the system's AppData folder. This would allow users to maintain consistency across different versions and avoid conflicts.

Reason

Proposed Behavior

When launching shadPS4 for the first time (or if no user folder is found), the emulator should prompt the user to select a preferred location for the user folder, with a brief explanation of the benefits of each option:

**AppData path:** Recommended for users who want a persistent location for saves and trophies across different versions.
**Portable path:** Useful for those who prefer keeping all data within the emulator's directory for portability.

Examples

Handling Existing User Folders

There would be three possible cases:

If a user folder exists in AppData, shadPS4 automatically uses it.

If a user folder exists in the portable directory, shadPS4 defaults to that.

If no user folder is found in either location, shadPS4 prompts the user to choose a preferred location.

This enhancement would provide more flexibility and better support for users with multiple emulator versions.

Originally created by @aminenr-hub on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025). Original GitHub issue: https://github.com/shadps4-emu/shadPS4/issues/2549 ### Checklist - [x] I have searched for a similar issue in this repository and did not find one. ### Description Currently, the user folder in shadPS4 is linked to the portable directory of the emulator. This setup can be problematic for users who run multiple versions of shadPS4 for testing purposes. To improve flexibility, I propose adding an option during the initial setup to choose where the user folder should be stored—either in the emulator's directory or in the system's AppData folder. This would allow users to maintain consistency across different versions and avoid conflicts. ### Reason **Proposed Behavior** When launching shadPS4 for the first time (or if no user folder is found), the emulator should prompt the user to select a preferred location for the user folder, with a brief explanation of the benefits of each option: **AppData path:** Recommended for users who want a persistent location for saves and trophies across different versions. **Portable path:** Useful for those who prefer keeping all data within the emulator's directory for portability. ### Examples **Handling Existing User Folders** There would be three possible cases: - If a user folder exists in AppData, shadPS4 automatically uses it. - If a user folder exists in the portable directory, shadPS4 defaults to that. - If no user folder is found in either location, shadPS4 prompts the user to choose a preferred location. This enhancement would provide more flexibility and better support for users with multiple emulator versions.

kerem closed this issue

2026-02-27 21:08:26 +03:00

kerem commented

2026-02-27 21:08:26 +03:00

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@GHU7924 commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025):

On Linux, the "User" folder is located in a separate directory, I think for Windows you can do the same, for example, the storage location will be in "My Documents". In theory, the emulator should pick it up right away.

@GHU7924 commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025): On Linux, the "User" folder is located in a separate directory, I think for Windows you can do the same, for example, the storage location will be in "My Documents". In theory, the emulator should pick it up right away.

kerem commented

2026-02-27 21:08:26 +03:00

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@aminenr-hub commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025):

On Linux, the "User" folder is located in a separate directory, I think for Windows you can do the same, for example, the storage location will be in "My Documents". In theory, the emulator should pick it up right away.

how , there is no way to change the user default directory only where your game save files are saved

@aminenr-hub commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025): > On Linux, the "User" folder is located in a separate directory, I think for Windows you can do the same, for example, the storage location will be in "My Documents". In theory, the emulator should pick it up right away. how , there is no way to change the user default directory only where your game save files are saved

kerem commented

2026-02-27 21:08:26 +03:00

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@GHU7924 commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025):

how , there is no way to change the user default directory only where your game save files are saved

This seems to be done by default, but only on Linux (although it is possible on Mac OS as well).
It doesn't matter where you have the emulator installed, but when the "User" folder is created,
it will be created using the path - */.local/share/shadPS4 (user = shadPS4), if I remember correctly.
So you can have multiple versions of the emulator, but the "User" folder will be shared by all versions.

I don't really care how much this folder is hidden in Windows (My Documents, AppData or something else),
but access to it should be fast. I think adding the user's folder to this menu (Open User Folder) will simplify the task :

@GHU7924 commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025): >how , there is no way to change the user default directory only where your game save files are saved This seems to be done by default, but only on Linux (although it is possible on Mac OS as well). It doesn't matter where you have the emulator installed, but when the "User" folder is created, it will be created using the path - `*/.local/share/shadPS4` (user = shadPS4), if I remember correctly. So you can have multiple versions of the emulator, but the "User" folder will be shared by all versions. I don't really care how much this folder is hidden in Windows (My Documents, AppData or something else), but access to it should be fast. I think adding the user's folder to this menu (Open User Folder) will simplify the task : ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5b8473d8-b859-4daf-b8db-1d6a51d4d4f8)

kerem commented

2026-02-27 21:08:26 +03:00

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Owner

@aminenr-hub commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025):

how , there is no way to change the user default directory only where your game save files are saved

This seems to be done by default, but only on Linux (although it is possible on Mac OS as well). It doesn't matter where you have the emulator installed, but when the "User" folder is created, it will be created using the path - */.local/share/shadPS4 (user = shadPS4), if I remember correctly. So you can have multiple versions of the emulator, but the "User" folder will be shared by all versions.

I don't really care how much this folder is hidden in Windows (My Documents, AppData or something else), but access to it should be fast. I think adding the user's folder to this menu (Open User Folder) will simplify the task :

yeah my thought exactly but in win it should be somewhere so all the shadps4 vers use the same one , i said Appdata cuz shadps4 seems to already use that path for some temp data but thats about it

@aminenr-hub commented on GitHub (Feb 27, 2025): > > how , there is no way to change the user default directory only where your game save files are saved > > This seems to be done by default, but only on Linux (although it is possible on Mac OS as well). It doesn't matter where you have the emulator installed, but when the "User" folder is created, it will be created using the path - `*/.local/share/shadPS4` (user = shadPS4), if I remember correctly. So you can have multiple versions of the emulator, but the "User" folder will be shared by all versions. > > I don't really care how much this folder is hidden in Windows (My Documents, AppData or something else), but access to it should be fast. I think adding the user's folder to this menu (Open User Folder) will simplify the task : ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5b8473d8-b859-4daf-b8db-1d6a51d4d4f8) yeah my thought exactly but in win it should be somewhere so all the shadps4 vers use the same one , i said Appdata cuz shadps4 seems to already use that path for some temp data but thats about it

kerem commented

2026-02-27 21:08:26 +03:00

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@GHU7924 commented on GitHub (Mar 3, 2025):

@GHU7924 commented on GitHub (Mar 3, 2025): ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a6868303-b4cc-4171-8374-4dface427282)

kerem commented

2026-02-27 21:08:26 +03:00

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@aminenr-hub commented on GitHub (Mar 3, 2025):

Yeah this would be perct thought I'd name it enable global user folder or something like that with explanation in the details box

@aminenr-hub commented on GitHub (Mar 3, 2025): > ![Image](https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/a6868303-b4cc-4171-8374-4dface427282) Yeah this would be perct thought I'd name it enable global user folder or something like that with explanation in the details box

kerem referenced this issue

2026-02-27 21:14:00 +03:00

[PR #837] [MERGED] video_core: Add fallback path for pipelines with more than 32 bindings #1800