A few times you mention that your devices have to be on the same network to sync. I've used Syncthings for several years to sync all my documents and other such files and the almost magical thing is - they DONT have to be on the same network. Once you've configured the devices to sync with each other, they can sniff each other out over the web automatically, without any further setup, and sync wherever they are (as long as they are connected to the internet ofc). It's what truly makes Syncthing amazing.
@@secureb00t39you said it yourself, “if you haven’t specifically configured it to sync securely” Most people who use this feature like this are required to do this in order to make it work in the first place otherwise the devices wouldn’t be able to find each other across networks.
I spent a whole night last week trying to set up syncthing between my devices. And when I did, you released this video, hahaha. Now I'm going to see how it's really done, thank you very much!
This was a great beginner's guide. For anyone who wants to set this up with Batocera and Knulli compatibility: - In the Saving menu (at 6:52), you'll want to sort saves and states by content directory. - In Settings > Directory, you need to make sure Save files and Save states gets stored in the same folder. If your device comes with both 64 and 32 bit versions of Retroarch, this needs to get done with both versions. Bear in mind that this has to be one folder in total, and not one for 32 bit and one for 64 bit. One upside of doing it like this is that Syncthing only needs to sync one folder. I've been using this setup for about a month now, syncing between various Batocera devices and a RG353V running Ark OS.
Thank you, you are a lifesaver. Been scratching my head trying to figure out how to get my Batocera box and RP4Pro to sync, and changing the settings you mentioned on RetroArch on the RP4Pro did the trick. The only thing I haven't figured out is how to deal with the few standalone emulators I use. I was able to get my PPSSPP data to sync, because I have PPSSPP set to save userdata to the SD card, which is accessible by SyncThing. However Duckstation and Dolphin were a no-go because they store their user data (save files, etc.) within the Android filesystem which is unfortunately not accessible by Syncthing. (I suppose if I were to root my device then that wouldn't be a problem, but that is one can of worms I'd rather not have to open.) For now I'll have to manually copy over my Gamecube and PS1 saves whenever I update them, which is kind of a pain but that's the only way.
Thanks for the feedback! One of the main reasons I chose to omit KNULLI from this starter guide is because KNULLI and Batocera dump their saves and states in the same folder (even if they are sorted by content directory or core), which is contrary to how RA saves by default, and how we configured the host PC and all other devices in this guide (in separate saves and states folders). And unfortunately messing with this configuration can break the way KNULLI functions. So what this means is if we were to sync with other devices, you will be populating both the saves and states folders individually with the entirety of your save files (both states and saves), creating duplicates across two folders just to accommodate KNULLI's single-folder solution. So rather than reconfigure every other device to play nicely with KNULLI/Batocera's somewhat unconventional saving system, my advice was to treat KNULLI and Batocera as its own ecosystem. The great thing about Syncthing is that it does give you the freedom to configure it however you would like, so either solution is possible!
@@RetroGameCorps That's completely fair! I wouldn't say I'm pleased with the way their saving system either, but by the time I figured what they were doing, I had already accumulated two years worth of saves. In the end it was easier for me to succumb. With your amount of handhelds to configure, I could see why it would be a hassle :D
@@Tonno7 There is a way to get syncthing to work on ArkOS but it's a little bit fiddly. Do a search on your favorite web search engine with rgb30 arkos syncthing and you should find some guides. Also, look for some starting scripts to automatically get it to start without having to go into ssh every time. You will need to work a bit to get it to work though but it's doable (my rgb30 arkos system has it installed).
@@JGLCSW Technically, I use SyncTrayzor (has syncthing built-in) to backup my home plex library. It backs up to another PC I have at work, and a laptop I use for travel. Anytime I delete or add anything to my home library, it syncs across those devices. They don't have to be on the same local network. If my house burns down I still have my library.
Russ - I say this as someone who holds your content is a ridiculously high esteem. This may be your best work ever. I tried doing cloud based sync and it was so complicated. This was a simple 30 or so minutes to make of on 2 mini and pocket S best buddies. I am now way more excited for my new android devices that are on preorder. Thanks man.
For anyone in on dorm LAN/WAN/wifi or that connects those devices to public wifi (library, hotel, coffee shop, etc) I would definitely recommend setting up the username/password.
Data in transit uses TLS and should not be easily broken. They would need to reverse the handshake of the private keys. You're not wrong in principle, it's good advice those networks are a haven for bad actors, but if you need to briefly sync something and that's the only option, you're still probably okay. I'd worry more about an unpatched vulnerability in Windows...
@@InakaGames having the config available and hosted on an unsecured port definitely is a risk if anyone wanted to scan the network for IPs listening on that port. I am speaking from a point of concern there. Not that the data being synced can be intercepted.
This is awesome, thank you so much Russ! I've been faithfully watching and hoping this video would come out eventually. I am constantly blown away by how much effort you put into your guides, and how clear and concise they are. I know this video and guide in particular was more complicated than others because you covered multiple different operating systems. I don't know how you keep up with the demand when the supply of retro handhelds constantly changes. Hopefully you are making videos at a pace that you want and aren't overwhelmed by the sheer number of devices that constantly come out. Thank you very much for all you do!
This is the video I have been waiting on for 1-2 years. I remember requesting that you make it awhile back and am glad you took the effort to tackle this difficult task. This opens up endless possibilities for me to keep playing between my Android phone, Miyoo Mini Plus, RG35XXSP, Steam Deck, ODIN 2 and whatever other future gaming handheld I may purchase in the future. Thank you Russ!
I use Syncthing to sync my notes between phone and PC, didn't think of using it this way too! I will definitely try it out with the Miyoo Mini Plus, Steam Deck, phone and PC 👍
I've been using sync thing for a few yesrs, and installed it on my steam deck the day I got it. It's a perfect solution for this problem. Also I must say that I applaud your decision to spend the effort on your written guides. Video is great for many things, but a step by step guide is much better in a well edited text.
Like RLM, Russ’ videos are perfect if you want to watch something while chowing down. He did influence me on getting an RG35XX and a Steam Deck, so these recommendations and guides certainly work lol
Just followed this and synced all saves for all devices across PC, steamdeck, and retroid pocket 2s. Had some issues and took all day to debug. But now every system is synced up good and I am so glad for this video. Now I can start a game with great shaders on my pc and continue the game in my bed with retroid. You have no idea how much that changes how I play games.
Worth mentioning I think that for MuOS, you need a little bit more depending on your RetroArch setup. With the default PC RA settings from EmuDeck, I needed to adjust the saving configuration to match what was in MuOS (or at least enable per-core saving). I suppose you could do the opposite as well, disabling that setting in MuOS to match the PC's setup. Either way, that discrepancy did cause a small bit of confusion when I was working on this for a MuOS device. Edit: I did a goof. You already have that covered in the RA Best Practices guide, and at least 1 link to it in the written guide for this video. Leaving this up in case others miss it like I did. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks so much for this amazing video, I was struggling trying to install it, because the process was kind of confusing. your guide as well as this video came on the right time for me THANKS AGAIN YO ARE AWESOME!!!!
I love this is a thing, and that you've made such a good video explaining it all. I doubt I'll need it as I don't really switch devices with retro games, but save syncing in general is awesome.
I had syncthing set up had my RG35xxH, my PC and my phone, but after 1 or 2 syncs I'd keep getting out of sync errors. After watching your video though, I think I found my problem. Instead of just adding the folders on the host device and ONLY syncing those, I would do the "add folder" step on EACH device. That would explain why I had so many syncing errors. Looking forward to trying this again after work! Thanks for the video! Edit to add: It definitely worked! Got it all set up on my lunch break! Thanks again for the vid, Russ!
@@CheesePlow for me i just see wifi settings icon settings and retroarch settings. Even on wifi i see see bluetooth wifi and moonlight. I dont see web services.
I guide for syncing saves through cloud would be awesome. I searched over the Internet about it, and the vast amount of solutions and methods it's overwhelming. I couldn't find a "simple easy to follow" guide
There are millions of so-called how to videos for literally everything you can think of out there. I am at the embryonic state of this whole retro gaming thing, only just having bought a single device, the Miyoo Mini+. It's exactly what I needed and all I will likely ever need, thanks largely to this channel. But my point here is this: few if any guides or how-tos can match your sheer comprehensive detail. Truly step by step, which is exactly what everyone needs IMO, including those that may already be at say an intermediate+ level with this stuff. You've literally done ALL the research and testing work, which in turn makes it truly hard to screw up for people who know how to follow directions. XD Simply ludicrously great work Russ. Clearly, you're THE man for this stuff on youtube as far as I am concerned. You are in fact doing "god's" work. Excellence indeed is found in all areas of human endeavors and that's what you offer.
I am pretty new to Syncthing. I now have three handhelds that I use it with. I use my Android phone as my main hub that all of the devices sync with. Seems to be working great so far. My phone is also syncing my saves folder to my Drive account effectively giving me cloud saves. I use the same autosync app to sync several other Android devices to the folder on Drive.
This is exactly the video I needed as I'm looking to upgrade from my current handheld and didn't want to lose all my saves. This channel is a godsend, thanks Russ!
Thanks for this, Russ. Recently took on this challenge about a week ago and it took till yesterday to get it all working without “Out of Sync” errors randomly showing up. I used a Synology NAS for main client as it’s always on and lower power usage than my desktop PC. If anyone wants to know how to do that reply and I’ll share some links I used! Also, I recommend changing “Full Rescan Interval (s)” (edit folder -> advanced) to something like 15 instead of the default 3600 on any MuOS systems. I think there is still an issue with that OS recognizing when changes are made because my RG35XX systems were never syncing on their own which created a bit of a mess. All fixed now that syncthing forces a refresh frequently.
omg you're a lifesaver. Set this up today and couldn't understand why my RP2S would sync just fine but MuOS kept failing. Implemented the change you suggested at the end and now it works like a charm. King 👑
BONUS TIP! (Assuming you haven't covered this yet...still watching) I highly recommend for each folder you're setting up, in syncthing choose advanced and check the option for "Ignore permissions". This will prevent sync conflicts associated with the folders being owned by different users across different systems.
I suggest everyone that has multiple handhelds take the time to do this. Its a game changer! Thanks Russ for this guide! Edit: I use my Android phone as my Synchting "server". Your battery life takes a hit but it makes syncing so easy.
I definitely don't want any more battery drains, I wish I could just replace my battery, but this sounds good for when my phone is the WiFi provider? to my handheld, which I didn't put on the local network wherever I happen to be.
This video is awesome. I have my games synced now, android, miyoo, windows, steam deck. I also added my iPad to the mix. Shortcuts on the iPad is the way to get the saves from the RetroArch location to your choice of sync program. I used iCloud. I’m really going to enjoy my games now. I’m feeling like a kid who got a Christmas present 😂
Thanks Russ for this great tutorial. Also, I finally figured out how to get the save states working for ROCKNIX OS, at 31:55 you need to change the path to: /storage/roms/savestates// The only thing that sucks is that you would have to create a folder for each console.
So happy someone did this video. Given that you touted knulli so hard on the rg35xx-H, though, I'm sad to see knulli syncthing excluded. I know muOS is another good option, but I really enjoy the knulli experince.
Knulli is great but in my opinion it works best when limited to other Knulli and Batocera builds, as opposed to trying to getting it to work with other operating systems.
I feel like this is so important in the retro space! It is very annoying when i want to play certain games wherever whenever, but i can't because it is too much of a hassle to transfer save files. Making it as easy to play when and how you want is important to the enjoyment.
I'm glad you made this video. I figured out how to do it but it was not easy. Your video is the most clear now that I've watched this video now. I know I'm doing it right now. I can send it to my friends so they can have an easy time But for me Steam Deck,35xxh and RGCube for syncing no PC
i've been using synchthing to sync my savestate between devices for years, it really helps a lot. I syncing my roms directory too, so when i need to add or delete roms i just need to do it on my PC and all devices synced to it will automatically have the same roms.
Now if only MuOS could get their network settings more consistent. I can't get my SP to actually get and stay connected to wifi regardless of the troubleshooting attempts. I was really looking forward to this one as the video contains all the devices I have/use, so I guess I'll either phase out the SP or just deal with it being its own set up. Great vid Russ
Anything with dedicated game saves are easy... what I have issues with is PS2 and Gamecube like systems which have "memory cards". I will also note, although it's easier to make a single save folder, some systems wont play nicely with that. Batocera, for example, wants you to have save folders for each system.
I use this with my PC, HTPC and Steam Deck. Even on my nintendo switch running Android. Don’t forget to use incremental saves, so you can always go back. It a little hard finding where to sync but once done, it’s set and forget. Also, my always-online host is a simple Raspberry Pi Zero.
Hi Russ, Great video as always. I've recently bought my first retro handheld (Anbernic RG556). Been an avid collector since secondary school. The effort you've put into this, like all your other videos, is awesome. Do you happen to know how to go about setting up RG556 to PC Syncthing for Dolphin or know of anyone else who has a good guide on how to set up? Followed a few others but just keep hitting the same stumbling block - no access to the Dolphin Data on Android.
I will definitely set up my NAS server as the host machine. It's the one machine at home that's always powered on, so syncing up with it is as easy as connecting to the same network. I'm using it for many things, I see no reason not to use it for this too.
Good that is the way to do it. It's easy to run into bizarre problems if syncing just between all devices. Might work well for awhile, but will likely result in disaster. I love it, but also use 24/7 server to sync centrally
Quick note: if you use RetroBat as your frontend in Windows you can make your saves be the same structure as Batocera/Knulli by changing just one line in the es_savestates.cfg file to make RetroBat not save savestates in subfolders.
Would you consider doing a review of the Clockwork uConsole? I imagine it might be a bit underpowered for a lot of gaming but I'm thinking of picking one up for multiple purposes and I like your tests on brightness and usability. A lot of the videos on it I've seen stop after they finish building it and don't spend much time exploring the software experience.
I use synthing for over a year - yea, I sync the saves between my windows PC, AyaNeo Geek 1S, Odin 2, and Batocera MiniPC. I'm also syncing external emulators such as ppsspp or vita3k, rpcs3 (batocera and windows machines) and xenia canary (at least between windows machines) and yuzu :) All of this works great. One thing you need to be careful is that - i guess it's good to sync the machines hmm rather frequently. So, if you played on your handheld and you ended, it's good to turn on your windows / host machine so it gets synced. Unfortunately sometimes the syncing may break, some errors will occur and most often you just need to clean up the folder, remove / add sync etc. - a bit of hassle but generally I'm very happy with this approach. That way, pretty often I can play on my Odin 2, Ayaneo Geek 1S, windows PC, batocera / mini PC under my TV with my saves being synced. At some point I also wanted to sync ... Vita3k with PS Vita somehow :D but i failed (PS Vita have saves encrypted as far as i remember, and even after decrypting is a lot of hassle to make it work in Vita3k)
You do not need a host system, or to be on the same network. You can use the matchmaking system without using a relay, and get full-speed still. Build folder relationships between your target sync devices, rather than using one as a hub.
Would have loved to see the Onion OS set up as that one is a bit more tricky and basically sums up all the different obstacles your might encounter doing this! Going to definitely tackle this for my Miyoo mini plus, Odin 2 and Steam Deck. I am going to see if i keep syncthing runnin on my mac mini that hosts my plex server as that stays on most of the day and auto shuts off and on over night on a timer. Thinking about setting it up in a VM just for this within the mac mini.
Syncthing is such a great feature, I don't want to use a gaming device without it any more. It's awesome on my batocera-based devices, but super awkward on a Miyoo because Onion does everything differently and has most of it hard-coded.
In order to sync all devices regardless if they are on or not, you need a central device to work as hub, where all other devices will point to, if your current phoen is an Android, I assume you keep it always on, that can be your central hub. This way you don't need to worry if your system will have another device that's online to sync the new files with
Oh Russ do yourself a big favor and color correct your GBA games!! IMO makes a World of difference. GBA looks way to saturated without it. Core options/ Color correction / Gameboy advance. Great video Btw
14:00 if you click just after path in window you will get path for it but with slashes. In this moment if you clicked just after …> RetroArch-Win64 > it would appear more copy paste friendly. Works on Windows 10 so it would work on 11.
First of all, awesome video! I recently got a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, and Im loving it! I do have a question, which probably people already mentioned. Is there any way to do this between and Android device like my Retroid, and an iphone/iPad? Sadly, i dont have an android phone, and the only devices i can use to play my games are these. Ty so much for all your content!
Thank you for putting this together, I have been intimidated by syncthing so i havent dove in yet. I wonder how well it works when you point your Primary Syncthing install at a OneDrive location. OneDrive is how i sync my saves across window machines and then I use an App called OneSync to connect my android devices, but i havent been able to get my Miyoo Mini plus and RGXX/linux devices in the mix. Also I store all my RetroArch saves based on Content Directory because some of the cores dont exists across all the devices BUT i was only having that issue 3-4 years ago, im sure most of the cores are the same now days. I can never remember what GBA core i use. (I also hate how Myioo names its game folders FC,SFC,MD ... i understand its japanese but PS instead of PSX!!!! ARE THESE PEOPLE CRAZY!!!
It would be cool if I could also sync saves from the original hardware. I have 13 handhelds, and only 3 of those are emulators. All 13 still use the same games, but of course, they are limited to what each console can actually run. It would be nice to be able to sync at least ds, 3ds and psp. Also, it's a shame that Knulli isn't as simple to set up with syncthing.
A few times you mention that your devices have to be on the same network to sync. I've used Syncthings for several years to sync all my documents and other such files and the almost magical thing is - they DONT have to be on the same network. Once you've configured the devices to sync with each other, they can sniff each other out over the web automatically, without any further setup, and sync wherever they are (as long as they are connected to the internet ofc). It's what truly makes Syncthing amazing.
You should probably disable that feature. It's super insecure if you have t specifically configured it to sync securely
@@secureb00t39 I would be devastated if hackers got my Chrono Trigger save files
Good point, thank you! I've added additional context to my written guide to help clarify.
@@secureb00t39you said it yourself, “if you haven’t specifically configured it to sync securely”
Most people who use this feature like this are required to do this in order to make it work in the first place otherwise the devices wouldn’t be able to find each other across networks.
You can use something like Tailscale but that would over complicate the guide.
I spent a whole night last week trying to set up syncthing between my devices. And when I did, you released this video, hahaha. Now I'm going to see how it's really done, thank you very much!
This was a great beginner's guide. For anyone who wants to set this up with Batocera and Knulli compatibility:
- In the Saving menu (at 6:52), you'll want to sort saves and states by content directory.
- In Settings > Directory, you need to make sure Save files and Save states gets stored in the same folder.
If your device comes with both 64 and 32 bit versions of Retroarch, this needs to get done with both versions. Bear in mind that this has to be one folder in total, and not one for 32 bit and one for 64 bit. One upside of doing it like this is that Syncthing only needs to sync one folder.
I've been using this setup for about a month now, syncing between various Batocera devices and a RG353V running Ark OS.
How did you setup synchting on ArkOS? It's not officially supported and it seemed too complicated doing it myself...
Thank you, you are a lifesaver. Been scratching my head trying to figure out how to get my Batocera box and RP4Pro to sync, and changing the settings you mentioned on RetroArch on the RP4Pro did the trick. The only thing I haven't figured out is how to deal with the few standalone emulators I use. I was able to get my PPSSPP data to sync, because I have PPSSPP set to save userdata to the SD card, which is accessible by SyncThing. However Duckstation and Dolphin were a no-go because they store their user data (save files, etc.) within the Android filesystem which is unfortunately not accessible by Syncthing. (I suppose if I were to root my device then that wouldn't be a problem, but that is one can of worms I'd rather not have to open.) For now I'll have to manually copy over my Gamecube and PS1 saves whenever I update them, which is kind of a pain but that's the only way.
Thanks for the feedback! One of the main reasons I chose to omit KNULLI from this starter guide is because KNULLI and Batocera dump their saves and states in the same folder (even if they are sorted by content directory or core), which is contrary to how RA saves by default, and how we configured the host PC and all other devices in this guide (in separate saves and states folders). And unfortunately messing with this configuration can break the way KNULLI functions. So what this means is if we were to sync with other devices, you will be populating both the saves and states folders individually with the entirety of your save files (both states and saves), creating duplicates across two folders just to accommodate KNULLI's single-folder solution. So rather than reconfigure every other device to play nicely with KNULLI/Batocera's somewhat unconventional saving system, my advice was to treat KNULLI and Batocera as its own ecosystem. The great thing about Syncthing is that it does give you the freedom to configure it however you would like, so either solution is possible!
@@RetroGameCorps That's completely fair! I wouldn't say I'm pleased with the way their saving system either, but by the time I figured what they were doing, I had already accumulated two years worth of saves. In the end it was easier for me to succumb. With your amount of handhelds to configure, I could see why it would be a hassle :D
@@Tonno7 There is a way to get syncthing to work on ArkOS but it's a little bit fiddly. Do a search on your favorite web search engine with rgb30 arkos syncthing and you should find some guides. Also, look for some starting scripts to automatically get it to start without having to go into ssh every time. You will need to work a bit to get it to work though but it's doable (my rgb30 arkos system has it installed).
I use Syncthing for my PLEX library. Never imagined using it for this. Brilliant.
What for?
I am wondering the same thing! @@enihi
How? I don't see why if you can play it from the server.
I'm curious of how it would be used with Plex too. Educate us please.
@@JGLCSW Technically, I use SyncTrayzor (has syncthing built-in) to backup my home plex library. It backs up to another PC I have at work, and a laptop I use for travel. Anytime I delete or add anything to my home library, it syncs across those devices. They don't have to be on the same local network. If my house burns down I still have my library.
Russ - I say this as someone who holds your content is a ridiculously high esteem. This may be your best work ever. I tried doing cloud based sync and it was so complicated. This was a simple 30 or so minutes to make of on 2 mini and pocket S best buddies. I am now way more excited for my new android devices that are on preorder. Thanks man.
For anyone in on dorm LAN/WAN/wifi or that connects those devices to public wifi (library, hotel, coffee shop, etc) I would definitely recommend setting up the username/password.
Data in transit uses TLS and should not be easily broken. They would need to reverse the handshake of the private keys.
You're not wrong in principle, it's good advice those networks are a haven for bad actors, but if you need to briefly sync something and that's the only option, you're still probably okay.
I'd worry more about an unpatched vulnerability in Windows...
@@InakaGames having the config available and hosted on an unsecured port definitely is a risk if anyone wanted to scan the network for IPs listening on that port. I am speaking from a point of concern there. Not that the data being synced can be intercepted.
This is awesome, thank you so much Russ! I've been faithfully watching and hoping this video would come out eventually. I am constantly blown away by how much effort you put into your guides, and how clear and concise they are. I know this video and guide in particular was more complicated than others because you covered multiple different operating systems. I don't know how you keep up with the demand when the supply of retro handhelds constantly changes. Hopefully you are making videos at a pace that you want and aren't overwhelmed by the sheer number of devices that constantly come out. Thank you very much for all you do!
I was just thinking a few days ago if there was a way to sync the save states between my devices. Lo and behold a new Retro Game Corps vid drops 🤯
This is the video I have been waiting on for 1-2 years. I remember requesting that you make it awhile back and am glad you took the effort to tackle this difficult task. This opens up endless possibilities for me to keep playing between my Android phone, Miyoo Mini Plus, RG35XXSP, Steam Deck, ODIN 2 and whatever other future gaming handheld I may purchase in the future. Thank you Russ!
I can't believe it, I've been struggling with Syncthing and now you dropped a video! Let me check it!
Great timing! I was in the process of getting this set up between my RG35xxh on Knulli and my Odin 2
I use Syncthing to sync my notes between phone and PC, didn't think of using it this way too! I will definitely try it out with the Miyoo Mini Plus, Steam Deck, phone and PC 👍
Definitely saving this video to use later when I finally get a device.
I've been using sync thing for a few yesrs, and installed it on my steam deck the day I got it. It's a perfect solution for this problem. Also I must say that I applaud your decision to spend the effort on your written guides. Video is great for many things, but a step by step guide is much better in a well edited text.
Who else watches these videos even when you don't need the tutorial and don't even plan on attempting it?
At a minimum. Russ is always playing in the background
Like RLM, Russ’ videos are perfect if you want to watch something while chowing down. He did influence me on getting an RG35XX and a Steam Deck, so these recommendations and guides certainly work lol
It’s my ASMR lol
Me
Literally a sleep-aid for me. I think I've gone to bed with the recent Razor device vid like, 4 times now. Lol
Just followed this and synced all saves for all devices across PC, steamdeck, and retroid pocket 2s. Had some issues and took all day to debug. But now every system is synced up good and I am so glad for this video.
Now I can start a game with great shaders on my pc and continue the game in my bed with retroid. You have no idea how much that changes how I play games.
Worth mentioning I think that for MuOS, you need a little bit more depending on your RetroArch setup. With the default PC RA settings from EmuDeck, I needed to adjust the saving configuration to match what was in MuOS (or at least enable per-core saving). I suppose you could do the opposite as well, disabling that setting in MuOS to match the PC's setup. Either way, that discrepancy did cause a small bit of confusion when I was working on this for a MuOS device.
Edit: I did a goof. You already have that covered in the RA Best Practices guide, and at least 1 link to it in the written guide for this video. Leaving this up in case others miss it like I did. Thanks a bunch!
I actually use this to keep my Linux Laptop, Macbook, and Windows PC synced for my Documents folder! Great video Master Chief Russ! 🫡
I love syncthing. Have it on all my devices not only to sync game saves but loads of work and personal data.
Thanks so much for this amazing video, I was struggling trying to install it, because the process was kind of confusing. your guide as well as this video came on the right time for me THANKS AGAIN YO ARE AWESOME!!!!
I love this is a thing, and that you've made such a good video explaining it all. I doubt I'll need it as I don't really switch devices with retro games, but save syncing in general is awesome.
Impeccable timing. I was planning on figuring this out after work today and now I can just follow your guide instead 🎉
I had syncthing set up had my RG35xxH, my PC and my phone, but after 1 or 2 syncs I'd keep getting out of sync errors.
After watching your video though, I think I found my problem. Instead of just adding the folders on the host device and ONLY syncing those, I would do the "add folder" step on EACH device. That would explain why I had so many syncing errors.
Looking forward to trying this again after work! Thanks for the video!
Edit to add: It definitely worked! Got it all set up on my lunch break! Thanks again for the vid, Russ!
How did you get syncthing on your RG35xxh ? I cant find it
@@erikbaquero47 It's in the options menu. Should be under Web Services
@@CheesePlow for me i just see wifi settings icon settings and retroarch settings. Even on wifi i see see bluetooth wifi and moonlight. I dont see web services.
Super helpful. I'll watch again this weekend when I set it up!
I've been using this for my saves and keepass2 db files for a while. Glad to see this get more traction
Thank you for this video guide. It's very detailed and in depth. Can't thank you enough!
Best regards
I guide for syncing saves through cloud would be awesome. I searched over the Internet about it, and the vast amount of solutions and methods it's overwhelming. I couldn't find a "simple easy to follow" guide
Oh hell yeah, perfect. Was going to begin researching syncthing and now a rgc vid! Fantastic
Handheld time with Russ one of the Retro Kings of the Round Table
There are millions of so-called how to videos for literally everything you can think of out there. I am at the embryonic state of this whole retro gaming thing, only just having bought a single device, the Miyoo Mini+. It's exactly what I needed and all I will likely ever need, thanks largely to this channel.
But my point here is this: few if any guides or how-tos can match your sheer comprehensive detail. Truly step by step, which is exactly what everyone needs IMO, including those that may already be at say an intermediate+ level with this stuff. You've literally done ALL the research and testing work, which in turn makes it truly hard to screw up for people who know how to follow directions. XD
Simply ludicrously great work Russ. Clearly, you're THE man for this stuff on youtube as far as I am concerned.
You are in fact doing "god's" work. Excellence indeed is found in all areas of human endeavors and that's what you offer.
This is the exact guide I've been waiting for you to make!!! Thanks for the hard work
Amazing! I got sync thing set up on a retroid pocket and a windows pc and its wonderful
I am pretty new to Syncthing. I now have three handhelds that I use it with. I use my Android phone as my main hub that all of the devices sync with. Seems to be working great so far. My phone is also syncing my saves folder to my Drive account effectively giving me cloud saves. I use the same autosync app to sync several other Android devices to the folder on Drive.
This is exactly the video I needed as I'm looking to upgrade from my current handheld and didn't want to lose all my saves. This channel is a godsend, thanks Russ!
Just copy the SD card. Why do you need syncthing for that?
@@enihi some people like to over complicate things for absolutely no reason
I think the idea is to be able to resume a game on another device without losing place in the game
Thank you so much!!! Ive been waiting for this and was hoping you would release a video!!! Thank you so much. Love every video you come out with
This is such a smart idea. Thanks! ✌️
Thanks for this, Russ. Recently took on this challenge about a week ago and it took till yesterday to get it all working without “Out of Sync” errors randomly showing up. I used a Synology NAS for main client as it’s always on and lower power usage than my desktop PC. If anyone wants to know how to do that reply and I’ll share some links I used!
Also, I recommend changing “Full Rescan Interval (s)” (edit folder -> advanced) to something like 15 instead of the default 3600 on any MuOS systems. I think there is still an issue with that OS recognizing when changes are made because my RG35XX systems were never syncing on their own which created a bit of a mess. All fixed now that syncthing forces a refresh frequently.
omg you're a lifesaver. Set this up today and couldn't understand why my RP2S would sync just fine but MuOS kept failing. Implemented the change you suggested at the end and now it works like a charm. King 👑
Literally looked this up last night and needed to finish since the android link wasnt working, thanks!
you made it so easy, did it in 5 mins with your beautiful guidance
BONUS TIP! (Assuming you haven't covered this yet...still watching) I highly recommend for each folder you're setting up, in syncthing choose advanced and check the option for "Ignore permissions".
This will prevent sync conflicts associated with the folders being owned by different users across different systems.
I suggest everyone that has multiple handhelds take the time to do this. Its a game changer! Thanks Russ for this guide! Edit: I use my Android phone as my Synchting "server". Your battery life takes a hit but it makes syncing so easy.
Maybe those that have an old phone could use that as their server!
This is a great guide! I’ve used Syncthing before and found this helpful.
🤔 idk I think I'll just emulate on the deck and play newer games on the ally.
Id even advise to do this as a backup
I definitely don't want any more battery drains, I wish I could just replace my battery, but this sounds good for when my phone is the WiFi provider? to my handheld, which I didn't put on the local network wherever I happen to be.
Been waiting for a video like this for months! Thank you Russ!
This video is awesome. I have my games synced now, android, miyoo, windows, steam deck. I also added my iPad to the mix. Shortcuts on the iPad is the way to get the saves from the RetroArch location to your choice of sync program. I used iCloud. I’m really going to enjoy my games now. I’m feeling like a kid who got a Christmas present 😂
Russ, you are a bonafide LEGEND for this!
Nice! I’ve been waiting for this lol
Thanks Russ for this great tutorial. Also, I finally figured out how to get the save states working for ROCKNIX OS, at 31:55 you need to change the path to:
/storage/roms/savestates//
The only thing that sucks is that you would have to create a folder for each console.
Fantastic guide, Russ! Thanks!
Thank you Russ! I've been manually doing this like a dork.. No longer!
So happy someone did this video. Given that you touted knulli so hard on the rg35xx-H, though, I'm sad to see knulli syncthing excluded. I know muOS is another good option, but I really enjoy the knulli experince.
Knulli is great but in my opinion it works best when limited to other Knulli and Batocera builds, as opposed to trying to getting it to work with other operating systems.
I was no kidding going to set up sync thing today but got pulled away for family stuff and I have never been more thankful for my procrastination
Thank you. I started trying to make a guide like this a couple months ago and after way too much time I gave up because I kept confusing myself
I was just thinking about this today - great timing 😍
Awesome guide as always. Thank you!!
Best channel ever. I wouldn't ever try to modify my handhelds if it wasn't for your videos. Cheers!
This couldn't have come out at a better time for me!
As soon as I saw Golden Sun being played I smashed the like button!
I feel like this is so important in the retro space! It is very annoying when i want to play certain games wherever whenever, but i can't because it is too much of a hassle to transfer save files. Making it as easy to play when and how you want is important to the enjoyment.
Holy shit I was just starting to research this last night. Thanks!
I did this a few days ago and synced up my steam deck and my pc running steam fork. It works beautifully.
Un grand merci pour la vidéo!
I'm glad you made this video. I figured out how to do it but it was not easy. Your video is the most clear now that I've watched this video now. I know I'm doing it right now. I can send it to my friends so they can have an easy time But for me Steam Deck,35xxh and RGCube for syncing no PC
Already using Syncthing-Fork on my RG353V (Android), but I used it to sync my whole roms folder with my PC. So I can manage my roms/saves on PC.
You can rock syncthing in the Linux side as well.
You can sync saves?! Now that’s rad
I did not think that was possible, but it is a life changer, thank you
Amazing I was just attempting to do this. Thank you1
i've been using synchthing to sync my savestate between devices for years, it really helps a lot. I syncing my roms directory too, so when i need to add or delete roms i just need to do it on my PC and all devices synced to it will automatically have the same roms.
Russ you're amazing!!! Thank you!
Now if only MuOS could get their network settings more consistent. I can't get my SP to actually get and stay connected to wifi regardless of the troubleshooting attempts. I was really looking forward to this one as the video contains all the devices I have/use, so I guess I'll either phase out the SP or just deal with it being its own set up. Great vid Russ
There's no way I was looking this up recently and now you've made a video about it (There is a god after all)
Anything with dedicated game saves are easy... what I have issues with is PS2 and Gamecube like systems which have "memory cards".
I will also note, although it's easier to make a single save folder, some systems wont play nicely with that. Batocera, for example, wants you to have save folders for each system.
very cool, im using nextcloud and forcing sync every time I go from my pc to my retroid pocket
Been meaning to do this since I got a steam deck to complement my mm+!
I use this with my PC, HTPC and Steam Deck. Even on my nintendo switch running Android. Don’t forget to use incremental saves, so you can always go back.
It a little hard finding where to sync but once done, it’s set and forget.
Also, my always-online host is a simple Raspberry Pi Zero.
If there's not one already, would you like to potentially make a guide on muliplayer on retro handhelds?
To clarify I mean like link cable more so
Hi Russ,
Great video as always. I've recently bought my first retro handheld (Anbernic RG556). Been an avid collector since secondary school.
The effort you've put into this, like all your other videos, is awesome. Do you happen to know how to go about setting up RG556 to PC Syncthing for Dolphin or know of anyone else who has a good guide on how to set up? Followed a few others but just keep hitting the same stumbling block - no access to the Dolphin Data on Android.
I will definitely set up my NAS server as the host machine. It's the one machine at home that's always powered on, so syncing up with it is as easy as connecting to the same network. I'm using it for many things, I see no reason not to use it for this too.
Good that is the way to do it. It's easy to run into bizarre problems if syncing just between all devices. Might work well for awhile, but will likely result in disaster. I love it, but also use 24/7 server to sync centrally
Quick note: if you use RetroBat as your frontend in Windows you can make your saves be the same structure as Batocera/Knulli by changing just one line in the es_savestates.cfg file to make RetroBat not save savestates in subfolders.
Would you consider doing a review of the Clockwork uConsole? I imagine it might be a bit underpowered for a lot of gaming but I'm thinking of picking one up for multiple purposes and I like your tests on brightness and usability. A lot of the videos on it I've seen stop after they finish building it and don't spend much time exploring the software experience.
I use synthing for over a year - yea, I sync the saves between my windows PC, AyaNeo Geek 1S, Odin 2, and Batocera MiniPC. I'm also syncing external emulators such as ppsspp or vita3k, rpcs3 (batocera and windows machines) and xenia canary (at least between windows machines) and yuzu :)
All of this works great.
One thing you need to be careful is that - i guess it's good to sync the machines hmm rather frequently. So, if you played on your handheld and you ended, it's good to turn on your windows / host machine so it gets synced. Unfortunately sometimes the syncing may break, some errors will occur and most often you just need to clean up the folder, remove / add sync etc. - a bit of hassle but generally I'm very happy with this approach. That way, pretty often I can play on my Odin 2, Ayaneo Geek 1S, windows PC, batocera / mini PC under my TV with my saves being synced.
At some point I also wanted to sync ... Vita3k with PS Vita somehow :D but i failed (PS Vita have saves encrypted as far as i remember, and even after decrypting is a lot of hassle to make it work in Vita3k)
I'm guessing Russ has his windows PC running 24/7 so no sync issues
Consider a Raspberry Pi Zero for a always-online host. Works great for me.
Russ really doing the lords work
You are doing the Lord's work. If the Lord wanted to finish mega man 2 but kept buying new handhelds.
You do not need a host system, or to be on the same network. You can use the matchmaking system without using a relay, and get full-speed still.
Build folder relationships between your target sync devices, rather than using one as a hub.
Would have loved to see the Onion OS set up as that one is a bit more tricky and basically sums up all the different obstacles your might encounter doing this! Going to definitely tackle this for my Miyoo mini plus, Odin 2 and Steam Deck. I am going to see if i keep syncthing runnin on my mac mini that hosts my plex server as that stays on most of the day and auto shuts off and on over night on a timer. Thinking about setting it up in a VM just for this within the mac mini.
Syncthing is such a great feature, I don't want to use a gaming device without it any more. It's awesome on my batocera-based devices, but super awkward on a Miyoo because Onion does everything differently and has most of it hard-coded.
The intro sounded slower, that's a 'me' thing isn't it? Love this subject, have also been meaning to get around to it :)
Very helpfull. Gonna use my steamdeck as base with my rp3+
In order to sync all devices regardless if they are on or not, you need a central device to work as hub, where all other devices will point to, if your current phoen is an Android, I assume you keep it always on, that can be your central hub. This way you don't need to worry if your system will have another device that's online to sync the new files with
I was really looking forward to OnionSync for save screen synchronization between Steam Deck and Miyoo Mini. Hope that solution comes out soon
Russell this is helpful
Oh Russ do yourself a big favor and color correct your GBA games!! IMO makes a World of difference. GBA looks way to saturated without it. Core options/ Color correction / Gameboy advance. Great video Btw
My hero! Saving for later!
Thx 😃
Yeah man, I wanna do it!
I really wish there was a guide video guide for ArkOS.
Same! I have been searching for it for months. I found some info online but it seems way too complicated without a step by step video guide.
14:00 if you click just after path in window you will get path for it but with slashes.
In this moment if you clicked just after …> RetroArch-Win64 > it would appear more copy paste friendly.
Works on Windows 10 so it would work on 11.
First of all, awesome video! I recently got a Retroid Pocket 4 Pro, and Im loving it! I do have a question, which probably people already mentioned. Is there any way to do this between and Android device like my Retroid, and an iphone/iPad? Sadly, i dont have an android phone, and the only devices i can use to play my games are these. Ty so much for all your content!
Thank you for putting this together, I have been intimidated by syncthing so i havent dove in yet. I wonder how well it works when you point your Primary Syncthing install at a OneDrive location. OneDrive is how i sync my saves across window machines and then I use an App called OneSync to connect my android devices, but i havent been able to get my Miyoo Mini plus and RGXX/linux devices in the mix.
Also I store all my RetroArch saves based on Content Directory because some of the cores dont exists across all the devices BUT i was only having that issue 3-4 years ago, im sure most of the cores are the same now days. I can never remember what GBA core i use. (I also hate how Myioo names its game folders FC,SFC,MD ... i understand its japanese but PS instead of PSX!!!! ARE THESE PEOPLE CRAZY!!!
Yeah i already have an Odin 2 and I'm planning on using emulation sometimes when i buy the Ally X. So this'll help a ton thanks Russ!
This is huge. 💯🙏🏻
It would be cool if I could also sync saves from the original hardware. I have 13 handhelds, and only 3 of those are emulators. All 13 still use the same games, but of course, they are limited to what each console can actually run. It would be nice to be able to sync at least ds, 3ds and psp. Also, it's a shame that Knulli isn't as simple to set up with syncthing.