Save types

Save Types

Game Boy cartridges store progress in a few different ways, and understanding them helps explain why some old games lose their saves while others do not. The save method is built into each cartridge, not the console, so behaviour varies from title to title.

Battery-backed SRAM

The most common method uses static RAM inside the cartridge kept alive by a small coin cell. When the battery runs out, after decades it often has, the cartridge forgets your saves the moment it loses power. This is why so many old carts now wipe their progress on shutdown. Replacing the internal battery, a process sometimes called a battery swap, restores save retention.

Other methods

• EEPROM and Flash, used by some cartridges, store saves without needing a battery and so do not suffer the same failure.
• Password and code systems, where the game has no save memory at all and instead gives you a code to re-enter your progress.
• No save, common in early arcade-style titles meant for single sessions.