diff --git a/pcsx2/SaveState.h b/pcsx2/SaveState.h
index f250ccf19e..7926f63af3 100644
--- a/pcsx2/SaveState.h
+++ b/pcsx2/SaveState.h
@@ -15,9 +15,12 @@
 
 #pragma once
 
+#include <deque>
+#include <memory>
 #include <vector>
 
 #include "System.h"
+#include "common/Assertions.h"
 #include "common/Exceptions.h"
 
 enum class FreezeAction
@@ -33,7 +36,7 @@ enum class FreezeAction
 // [SAVEVERSION+]
 // This informs the auto updater that the users savestates will be invalidated.
 
-static const u32 g_SaveVersion = (0x9A32 << 16) | 0x0000;
+static const u32 g_SaveVersion = (0x9A33 << 16) | 0x0000;
 
 
 // the freezing data between submodules and core
@@ -118,6 +121,36 @@ public:
 
 	void PrepBlock( int size );
 
+	template <typename T>
+	void FreezeDeque(std::deque<T>& q)
+	{
+		// overwritten when loading
+		u32 count = static_cast<u32>(q.size());
+		Freeze(count);
+
+		// have to use a temp array, because deque doesn't have a contiguous block of memory
+		std::unique_ptr<T[]> temp;
+		if (count > 0)
+		{
+			temp = std::make_unique<T[]>(count);
+			if (IsSaving())
+			{
+				u32 pos = 0;
+				for (const T& it : q)
+					temp[pos++] = it;
+			}
+
+			FreezeMem(temp.get(), static_cast<int>(sizeof(T) * count));
+		}
+
+		if (IsLoading())
+		{
+			q.clear();
+			for (u32 i = 0; i < count; i++)
+				q.push_back(temp[i]);
+		}
+	}
+
 	uint GetCurrentPos() const
 	{
 		return m_idx;
diff --git a/pcsx2/Sio.cpp b/pcsx2/Sio.cpp
index 84ac57b16b..8ef767c732 100644
--- a/pcsx2/Sio.cpp
+++ b/pcsx2/Sio.cpp
@@ -868,53 +868,9 @@ void SaveStateBase::sio2Freeze()
 {
 	FreezeTag("sio2");
 
-	if (IsSaving())
-	{
-		std::deque<u8>::iterator iter;
-		size_t backupSize;
-
-		// Copy fifoIn
-		if (fifoIn.size())
-		{
-			sio2.fifoInBackup = std::make_unique<u8[]>(fifoIn.size());
-			iter = fifoIn.begin();
-			backupSize = 0;
-
-			while (iter != fifoIn.end())
-			{
-				const u8 val = *iter++;
-				sio2.fifoInBackup.get()[backupSize++] = val;
-			}
-
-			sio2.fifoInBackupSize = backupSize;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			sio2.fifoInBackupSize = 0;
-		}
-
-		// Copy fifoOut
-		if (fifoOut.size())
-		{
-			sio2.fifoOutBackup = std::make_unique<u8[]>(fifoOut.size());
-			iter = fifoOut.begin();
-			backupSize = 0;
-
-			while (iter != fifoOut.end())
-			{
-				const u8 val = *iter++;
-				sio2.fifoOutBackup.get()[backupSize++] = val;
-			}
-
-			sio2.fifoOutBackupSize = backupSize;
-		}
-		else
-		{
-			sio2.fifoOutBackupSize = 0;
-		}
-	}
-
 	Freeze(sio2);
+	FreezeDeque(fifoIn);
+	FreezeDeque(fifoOut);
 
 	// CRCs for memory cards.
 	// If the memory card hasn't changed when loading state, we can safely skip ejecting it.
@@ -944,28 +900,6 @@ void SaveStateBase::sio2Freeze()
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		
-		// Restore fifoIn
-		fifoIn.clear();
-
-		if (sio2.fifoInBackupSize)
-		{
-			for (size_t i = 0; i < sio2.fifoInBackupSize; i++)
-			{
-				fifoIn.push_back(sio2.fifoInBackup.get()[i]);
-			}
-		}
-
-		// Restore fifoOut
-		fifoOut.clear();
-
-		if (sio2.fifoOutBackupSize)
-		{
-			for (size_t j = 0; j < sio2.fifoOutBackupSize; j++)
-			{
-				fifoOut.push_back(sio2.fifoOutBackup.get()[j]);
-			}
-		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/pcsx2/Sio.h b/pcsx2/Sio.h
index a4cf5c84da..3ede33433d 100644
--- a/pcsx2/Sio.h
+++ b/pcsx2/Sio.h
@@ -198,11 +198,6 @@ public:
 	size_t dmaBlockSize = 0;
 	bool send3Complete = false;
 
-	std::unique_ptr<u8[]> fifoInBackup;
-	size_t fifoInBackupSize;
-	std::unique_ptr<u8[]> fifoOutBackup;
-	size_t fifoOutBackupSize;
-
 	Sio2();
 	~Sio2();