ePSXe adds Google Drive cloud saves in long-awaited Android update

ePSXe’s latest Android update turns a long-requested convenience into something much more practical: memory cards and save states can now live in Google Drive instead of staying trapped on one phone or tablet. For anyone who has ever rebuilt an Android handheld, swapped devices, or lost a setup to a dead battery and a factory reset, that is the kind of change that matters immediately.

The new 2.0.19 release does more than add cloud storage. It also brings the Oboe Sound Engine, which should cut audio latency for players using Bluetooth headphones or simply wanting tighter sound response on modern Android hardware. ePSXe already supported Dropbox for cloud backup, but Google Drive will be the easier fit for many people because it plugs into the account most Android users already have on the device.

The update lands in a crowded PS1-emulation scene, where DuckStation has become the modern benchmark for accuracy and game support. Even so, ePSXe still has a role because it runs on modest hardware and reaches down to older Android setups that can struggle with heavier emulators. The official Android page says it is designed for smartphones, tablets, and Android TV, while the current compatibility claims sit above 98% on the site and above 99% on Google Play. The app also lists 1M+ downloads and a 4.5-star rating from 57.4K reviews, a reminder that this aging emulator still has a real audience.

The Android changelog shows how long that audience has been around. ePSXe first released on Android in August 2012, then added scoped storage support for Android 11 and later in v2.0.16 on April 20, 2023. Its history on Google Play has not always been smooth, either, with a removal in October 2016 over a malicious-behavior policy violation before the app returned later that month. Version 2.0.19 also updates the Dropbox API for memory cards and save states, improves CHD support, adds CAS and MMPX shaders, 16Kb align support, edge-to-edge support, SDK 35 updates, and better image centering in portrait 4:3 modes.

That is what makes this update feel useful instead of merely routine. ePSXe was already the kind of emulator people kept around on old phones; now, with Google Drive cloud saves and lower-latency audio, it is a little easier to keep that old PS1 library alive when the device changes around it.