diff --git a/osu.Framework.Android/AndroidGameHost.cs b/osu.Framework.Android/AndroidGameHost.cs
index 54a0c35dc5..256b02f0f8 100644
--- a/osu.Framework.Android/AndroidGameHost.cs
+++ b/osu.Framework.Android/AndroidGameHost.cs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 using osu.Framework.Android.Input;
 using osu.Framework.Configuration;
 using osu.Framework.Extensions;
+using osu.Framework.Extensions.IEnumerableExtensions;
 using osu.Framework.Extensions.ObjectExtensions;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Textures;
 using osu.Framework.Graphics.Video;
@@ -67,11 +68,9 @@ protected override IEnumerable<InputHandler> CreateAvailableInputHandlers() =>
 
         public override Storage GetStorage(string path) => new AndroidStorage(path, this);
 
-        public override IEnumerable<string> UserStoragePaths => new[]
-        {
+        public override IEnumerable<string> UserStoragePaths
             // not null as internal "external storage" is always available.
-            Application.Context.GetExternalFilesDir(string.Empty).AsNonNull().ToString(),
-        };
+            => Application.Context.GetExternalFilesDir(string.Empty).AsNonNull().ToString().Yield();
 
         public override bool OpenFileExternally(string filename) => false;
 
diff --git a/osu.Framework/Platform/GameHost.cs b/osu.Framework/Platform/GameHost.cs
index a0232673a4..8a2768e2b7 100644
--- a/osu.Framework/Platform/GameHost.cs
+++ b/osu.Framework/Platform/GameHost.cs
@@ -206,7 +206,9 @@ public abstract class GameHost : IIpcHost, IDisposable
         /// <summary>
         /// All valid user storage paths in order of usage priority.
         /// </summary>
-        public virtual IEnumerable<string> UserStoragePaths => Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.Personal).Yield();
+        public virtual IEnumerable<string> UserStoragePaths
+            // This is common to _most_ operating systems, with some specific ones overriding this value where a better option exists.
+            => Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.Create).Yield();
 
         /// <summary>
         /// The main storage as proposed by the host game.
diff --git a/osu.Framework/Platform/Linux/LinuxGameHost.cs b/osu.Framework/Platform/Linux/LinuxGameHost.cs
index d67da94aa8..03a94ab3f9 100644
--- a/osu.Framework/Platform/Linux/LinuxGameHost.cs
+++ b/osu.Framework/Platform/Linux/LinuxGameHost.cs
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 // Copyright (c) ppy Pty Ltd <contact@ppy.sh>. Licensed under the MIT Licence.
 // See the LICENCE file in the repository root for full licence text.
 
-using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
-using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using SDL2;
 using osu.Framework.Input;
@@ -35,22 +33,6 @@ protected override void SetupForRun()
             base.SetupForRun();
         }
 
-        public override IEnumerable<string> UserStoragePaths
-        {
-            get
-            {
-                string? xdg = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("XDG_DATA_HOME");
-
-                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(xdg))
-                    yield return xdg;
-
-                yield return Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.UserProfile), ".local", "share");
-
-                foreach (string path in base.UserStoragePaths)
-                    yield return path;
-            }
-        }
-
         protected override IWindow CreateWindow(GraphicsSurfaceType preferredSurface) => new SDL2DesktopWindow(preferredSurface);
 
         protected override ReadableKeyCombinationProvider CreateReadableKeyCombinationProvider() => new LinuxReadableKeyCombinationProvider();
diff --git a/osu.Framework/Platform/MacOS/MacOSGameHost.cs b/osu.Framework/Platform/MacOS/MacOSGameHost.cs
index 1600b9af05..9b39b725d8 100644
--- a/osu.Framework/Platform/MacOS/MacOSGameHost.cs
+++ b/osu.Framework/Platform/MacOS/MacOSGameHost.cs
@@ -27,17 +27,11 @@ public override IEnumerable<string> UserStoragePaths
         {
             get
             {
-                yield return Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.UserProfile), "Library", "Application Support");
-
-                string xdg = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("XDG_DATA_HOME");
-
-                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(xdg))
-                    yield return xdg;
-
-                yield return Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.UserProfile), ".local", "share");
-
                 foreach (string path in base.UserStoragePaths)
                     yield return path;
+
+                // Some older builds of osu! incorrectly used ~/.local/share on macOS.
+                yield return Path.Combine(Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.UserProfile), ".local", "share");
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/osu.Framework/Platform/Windows/WindowsGameHost.cs b/osu.Framework/Platform/Windows/WindowsGameHost.cs
index 2bae681b06..ae1db05b3f 100644
--- a/osu.Framework/Platform/Windows/WindowsGameHost.cs
+++ b/osu.Framework/Platform/Windows/WindowsGameHost.cs
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ public class WindowsGameHost : DesktopGameHost
 
         protected override ReadableKeyCombinationProvider CreateReadableKeyCombinationProvider() => new WindowsReadableKeyCombinationProvider();
 
-        public override IEnumerable<string> UserStoragePaths =>
-            // on windows this is guaranteed to exist (and be usable) so don't fallback to the base/default.
-            Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData).Yield();
+        public override IEnumerable<string> UserStoragePaths
+            // The base implementation returns %LOCALAPPDATA%, but %APPDATA% is a better default on Windows.
+            => Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.ApplicationData, Environment.SpecialFolderOption.Create).Yield();
 
         public override bool CapsLockEnabled => Console.CapsLock;