diff --git a/libretro-common/streams/file_stream.c b/libretro-common/streams/file_stream.c
index db9d23b565..d9406dba80 100644
--- a/libretro-common/streams/file_stream.c
+++ b/libretro-common/streams/file_stream.c
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 
 #include <streams/file_stream.h>
 #include <memmap.h>
+#include <retro_miscellaneous.h>
 
 struct RFILE
 {
@@ -76,6 +77,18 @@ struct RFILE
 
 #define HAVE_BUFFERED_IO 1
 
+#ifdef _WIN32
+#define MODE_STR_READ L"r"
+#define MODE_STR_READ_UNBUF L"rb"
+#define MODE_STR_WRITE_UNBUF L"wb"
+#define MODE_STR_WRITE_PLUS L"w+"
+#else
+#define MODE_STR_READ "r"
+#define MODE_STR_READ_UNBUF "rb"
+#define MODE_STR_WRITE_UNBUF "wb"
+#define MODE_STR_WRITE_PLUS "w+"
+#endif
+
 #if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
    FILE *fp;
 #endif
@@ -104,7 +117,12 @@ RFILE *filestream_open(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
    int            flags = 0;
    int         mode_int = 0;
 #if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
+#ifdef _WIN32
+   const wchar_t *mode_str = NULL;
+   wchar_t path_wide[PATH_MAX_LENGTH] = {0};
+#else
    const char *mode_str = NULL;
+#endif
 #endif
    RFILE        *stream = (RFILE*)calloc(1, sizeof(*stream));
 
@@ -132,7 +150,7 @@ RFILE *filestream_open(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
 #else
 #if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
          if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
-            mode_str = "r";
+            mode_str = MODE_STR_READ;
 #endif
          /* No "else" here */
          flags    = O_RDONLY;
@@ -145,7 +163,7 @@ RFILE *filestream_open(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
 #else
 #if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
          if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
-            mode_str = "rb";
+            mode_str = MODE_STR_READ_UNBUF;
 #endif
          /* No "else" here */
          flags    = O_RDONLY;
@@ -158,7 +176,7 @@ RFILE *filestream_open(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
 #else
 #if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
          if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
-            mode_str = "wb";
+            mode_str = MODE_STR_WRITE_UNBUF;
 #endif
          else
          {
@@ -176,7 +194,7 @@ RFILE *filestream_open(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
 #else
 #if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
          if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
-            mode_str = "w+";
+            mode_str = MODE_STR_WRITE_PLUS;
 #endif
          else
          {
@@ -195,13 +213,19 @@ RFILE *filestream_open(const char *path, unsigned mode, ssize_t len)
 #if defined(HAVE_BUFFERED_IO)
    if ((stream->hints & RFILE_HINT_UNBUFFERED) == 0)
    {
+#ifdef _WIN32
+      MultiByteToWideChar(CP_UTF8, 0, path, -1, path_wide, sizeof(path_wide) / sizeof(path_wide[0]));
+      stream->fp = _wfopen(path_wide, mode_str);
+#else
       stream->fp = fopen(path, mode_str);
+#endif
       if (!stream->fp)
          goto error;
    }
    else
 #endif
    {
+      /* FIXME: HAVE_BUFFERED_IO is always 1, but if it is ever changed, open() needs to be changed to _wopen() for WIndows. */
       stream->fd = open(path, flags);
       if (stream->fd == -1)
          goto error;