Editing PSU

The PSU file format is an archive format used by PS2 save data management tools like uLaunchELF and mymcplus. A PSU corresponds to the savedata files of one icon displayed in the PS2 savedata management menu. The PSU file format has the advantage of conserving timestamps and permissions of files, and makes savedata transfer and management easier than having to deal with unpacked files contained in folders. The PSU file format has the drawback of adding one more layer for file management: when emulating a PS2 game, the emulator uses a memory card image file, which contains savedata folders and files. If you want to edit a file in the memory card image, you do not need to deal with PSU files, although using PSU files has the advantage of lessening the risk of corrupting other games savedata.

= Usage =

== Obtaining a PSU file ==

=== From an actual PS2 ===

By running uLaunchELF on an actual PS2, one can export PSU files from the PS2 Memory Card to USB or network.

=== From a PS2 emulator ===

PCSX2 stores the PS2 savedata in a virtual memory card file whose extension is .mcd. Each per-game savedata contained in the MCD file can be extracted to a PSU file by using mymcplus tool for example.

== Extracting a PSU file ==

The best way to extract a PSU file would be to use pypsu by McCaulay if it was not bugged (for example on Jak X: "[-] month must be in 1..12", and on games that have a filename identical as the folder name, cannot export that file).
* [https://github.com/McCaulay/pypsu pypsu python library by McCaulay (2023-01-27)]
A GUI tool for PSU file edition is
* [https://www.psx-place.com/threads/ps2-save-builder-by-vector.19057/ PS2 Save Builder v0.8 by Vector (2003-2004)]
but it is only for Windows and its source code is missing.

So the current workaround is to convert PSU to another savedata format, like PSV or MAX. For example, you can use
* [https://github.com/bucanero/psv-save-converter psv-save-converter by bucanero]
to convert to PSU or MAX, then extract files from PSU or MAX using
* [https://github.com/PMStanley/PSV-Exporter PSV Export v1.3 by PMStanley]
In the past there was a tool named psutools (link requires registration, to mirror)
* [https://www.psxdev.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1025 psutools in FreeBASIC with source code by LameGuy64 (2016-07-02)]
A good tool might finally be
* [https://github.com/root670/PS2SaveUtility PS2 Save Utility by root670 (2018-09-22)]

= Structure =

* [https://www.ps2savetools.com/documents/ps2-save-game-format-for-ems-adapter-psu/ PSU file format description by gothi (2013-01-19)]

= See also =

* http://www.hkems.com/product/ps2/ps2-mem.htm
* http://www.hkems.com/product/ps2/ps2%20usb.htm