mGBA standalone persistence can contain more than the cartridge battery bytes when RTC state is present. Libretro save RAM exposes the raw savedata region. Phase 36 keeps those concepts explicit: stripping is permitted only at a known selected raw-size boundary, and restoration of RTC metadata requires an existing validated template. This avoids silently dropping or manufacturing timing state under a generic .sav/.srm rename.
Emulator & Retro Tools
mGBA Save Converter
Convert explicitly typed GBA battery-save bytes between mGBA standalone SAV representation and libretro raw save RAM while preserving an existing mGBA 16-byte RTC record only when it is actually present.
01 / Tool workbench
Use the runtime only when it is actually ready.
The application shell fails closed. An input interface is not enabled merely because a WordPress Tool record exists; the declared engine must be registered in the current build.
Session change summary
No output has been built in this session.
02 / Compatibility
Know the supported input before opening a file.
Compatibility fields are intentionally explicit. Missing values stay unclaimed rather than being filled with generic assumptions.
Accepted extensions
.sav.srm
Platforms
Game Boy Advance / mGBA
Supported versions / editions
Explicit GBA EEPROM/SRAM/Flash raw battery sizes already supported by the GBA tool, plus mGBA standalone saves whose optional RTC record follows the raw save region at the documented boundary. Libretro save RAM is treated as the raw battery region.
Input constraints
The user must select the known GBA save-memory geometry. Input must equal that raw size, or for mGBA standalone input may equal raw size plus exactly 16 RTC bytes. Raw-to-mGBA may preserve RTC only from a same-type mGBA template that already contains the record.
Known limitations
No cartridge-type autodetection from bytes, RTC synthesis, clock adjustment, save-state conversion, game-specific checksum repair, or generic extension renaming is performed. A 16-byte trailer is never invented when no validated template supplies it.
Output / result
A raw libretro-compatible .srm containing only the selected battery region, an optional separately downloadable 16-byte RTC record when stripped from mGBA input, or an mGBA .sav with raw bytes plus a byte-identical RTC record preserved from a supplied template.
03 / Instructions
Use a reversible workflow.
File-oriented workflows start with an untouched original. Tool-specific instructions add only details documented for this utility.
- 01Keep the original
Preserve an untouched copy before creating or transforming binary output.
- 02Confirm scope
Match the file size, format, platform, and version to the support information on this page.
- 03Process locally
Use the runtime only when the page reports that its declared engine is loaded.
- 04Validate output
Compare or test the result before replacing any working source file.
Tool-specific steps
Select the known save-memory type and direction. For mGBA to raw, the RTC trailer is separated only when the exact selected raw size plus 16 bytes validates. For raw to mGBA, supply an RTC-bearing same-type mGBA template only when RTC preservation is required.
04 / Privacy and processing
The processing mode is part of the product contract.
SaveEditor.com should state local processing only when the implementation truly keeps file contents in the browser. Server or hybrid processing must be disclosed just as clearly.
Declared mode
Browser local
Runtime state
Operational
Tool-specific privacy notes
Phase 36 reads a selected file only after explicit local file selection. Parsing, inspection, normalization, extraction, and supported conversions run in the browser. The emulator-retro runtime contains no fetch, XMLHttpRequest, WebSocket, or sendBeacon calls. The shared file ceiling is 16 MiB, with stricter format-specific limits where appropriate.
05 / Troubleshooting
When a file is rejected, do not force it.
A rejection can indicate an unsupported size, format, version, platform, or byte sequence. Preserve the original and correct the input instead of bypassing validation.
Re-check the documented input type and browser size limit before retrying.
A generic converter does not imply support for every game-specific container, signing scheme, or serialization format.
Return to the untouched source instead of repeatedly processing a damaged or partially transformed file.
Known Tool issues
Wrong-size input is rejected. If a game uses RTC and no suitable mGBA template is available, SaveEditor intentionally emits a raw-only mGBA save rather than fabricating clock state. Keep original files until the target environment accepts the conversion.
06 / Verification
Support claims should be traceable.
The verification date, method notes, and public references are kept separate from marketing language so compatibility can be reviewed over time.
Last verified2026-08-08
Profilemgba-save-converter
Method notes
Verified against mGBA save-memory constants, savedata RTC read/write placement, the 16-byte GBASavedataRTCBuffer declaration, and mGBA libretro save-RAM exposure, with deterministic raw/RTC strip/preserve fixtures and negative size/template tests.
Public references
- https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/blob/master/include/mgba/internal/gba/memory.h
- https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/blob/master/src/gba/savedata.c
- https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/blob/master/include/mgba/internal/gba/savedata.h
- https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/blob/master/src/platform/libretro/libretro.c
07 / FAQ
Questions to answer before editing.
These answers are generated from the Tool record and current runtime state rather than generic compatibility promises.
Is mGBA Save Converter ready to use?
The Tool record is verified and declares an operational runtime. The page enables its input controls only when the declared engine module is loaded in the current build.
Does processing stay in the browser?
Yes for this declared mode. The loaded runtime processes the explicit input in the browser; Tool-specific privacy notes describe the exact scope and limits.
Should I keep the original file?
Yes. Keep an untouched source file until any generated output has been validated.
What if my input is rejected?
Use the validation message to correct the base, encoding, width, timezone, byte alignment, or size. The runtime does not guess through invalid input.
Related tools
Continue with the same tool family.
Only index-ready verified records from the same Tool Family are shown here.
Related guides
Read the guidance connected to this tool.
Only reviewed, index-ready Guides that explicitly reference this Tool are included.
Beginner
Save File Formats
Game Boy Advance Raw Save Integrity & Troubleshooting Guide
A fail-closed Game Boy Advance Raw Save troubleshooting guide for distinguishing representation problems from unsupported semantics and for selecting read-only integrity checks before any repair attempt.
Beginner
Backups & Safety
mGBA RTC-Appended Save Backup & Identification Guide
A safety-first mGBA RTC-Appended Save guide for identifying the intended representation, preserving an untouched source copy, and choosing only a verified compatible Tool.
Beginner
Save File Formats
mGBA RTC-Appended Save Integrity & Troubleshooting Guide
A fail-closed mGBA RTC-Appended Save troubleshooting guide for distinguishing representation problems from unsupported semantics and for selecting read-only integrity checks before any repair attempt.