Game Saves

Common terms used in this page

<userid> The number assigned by the system to this user when his account was created (is a counter). Stored in XRegistry.sys, e.g: 00000001

<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY> Name of the folder where the savedata files are stored, composed by TITLE_ID + some variable characters added by the game, e.g: BLES00001-nick01save01

<TITLE_ID> Name of the folder where the game was installed (different than the TITLE_ID in his PARAM.SFO that refers to the originall ID when the game was released years ago as a disc)

<virtual_memcard> The name you assigned to the card when it was created from the "Memory Card Utility (PS/PS2)" in XMB

PS3 Saved Games

Storage Media	Path	Notes
Internall HDD	dev_hdd0/home/<userid>/savedata/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY>
Externall USB device	dev_usb0/PS3/SAVEDATA/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY>

File	Description/Purpose
PARAM.PFD	Signatures of some of the files in the folder. The signature method is still unknown.
PARAM.SFO	Various information about the title. This one is never encrypted, although it's always supervised by PARAM.PFD.
Content Information Files	Multimedia Files like icons, audio, etc...
Other Files	Any other files generated by the game, with any name and extension, e.g: PROFILE.BIN, PROGRESS.SAV etc...

Copy Protection Flag

The ones without "Copy Protection" can be copyed to an externall USB storage device (by pressing triangle over his icon in XMB with the option "copy" of the side menu)

Copy protection can be removed from a Game Save by changing a flag in the ATTRIBUTE of his PARAM.SFO. This can be done when PARAM.PFD doesnt contains the signature of PARAM.SFO (only a few old games)

Games which are unprotected

There are two types of possible protections:

• One possible encryption in the files generated by the game that is not mandatory and depends of the developers of the game.

• And other protection based on signatures stored in PARAM.PFD generated and managed by the system. This file supervises signatures of other files of the folder, the list of files supervised is not fixed and again... it depends of the developers of the game, but usually PARAM.SFO is inside this list

This allows modifications/cheats for some games wich files are not encrypted, and not supervised by PARAM.PFD

• MotorStorm (protected with CRC32 checksum)
• Call Of Duty 4 (hacked saves can be found on the internet)
• Battlefield: Bad Company
• Assassin's Creed
• Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII

For a more complete list, with example download links : http://www.ps3hax.net/showthread.php?t=8559

Source: http://ps3dev.wikispaces.com/Saved+Games

Minis Saved Games

This format is inherited from PSP (is older than PS3), and later implemented in PSvita, the "Minis Saved Games" can be exported/imported between the 3 consoles. There is no conversion of the files between the 3 consoles.

Storage Media	Path	Notes
Internall HDD	dev_hdd0/home/<userid>/minis_savedata/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY>
Externall USB device	dev_usb0/PSP/SAVEDATA/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY>

File	Description/Purpose
PARAM.SFO	Various information about the title. This one is never encrypted.
Content Information Files	Multimedia Files like icons, audio, etc...
Other Files	Any other files generated by the game, with any name and extension, e.g: PROFILE.BIN, PROGRESS.SAV etc...

• A common name used for the protected files is SECURE.BIN but the name can vary.

PS1 Classics Saved Games

When you copy the saved data from ps3 to psp, ps3 ask if you want to convert it for use with the psp. From psp to ps3 you can continue your game (PS1/Minis under differents formats such as cso/iso) and continue on ps3 after transfer of your savedata if the game share at least the same DiscID Emulation

Storage Media	Path	Notes
Internall HDD	dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/<virtual_memcard>.VM1
Externall USB device	dev_usb0/PS3/EXPORT/PSV/game file.PSV
Externall PSP device	dev_usb0/PSP/SAVEDATA/your game folder

File	Description/Purpose
PARAM.SFO	Various information about the title. This one is never encrypted.
Content Information Files	Multimedia Files like icons, audio, etc...
CONFIG.BIN
SCEVMC0.VMP	Virtual Memory Card 0 (in "P" format ?)
SCEVMC1.VMP	Virtual Memory Card 1 (in "P" format ?)

PS2 Classics Saved Games

Storage Media	Path	Notes
Internall HDD	?????
Externall USB device	dev_usb0/PS3/EXPORT/PS2SD/<TITLE_ID>

File	Description/Purpose
PARAM.SFO	Various information about the title. This one is never encrypted.
Content Information Files	Multimedia Files like icons, audio, etc...
SCEVMC0.VME	Virtual Memory Card 0 (in "E" format ?)
SCEVMC1.VME	Virtual Memory Card 1 (in "E" format ?)

PS2 Disc Saved Games

Storage Media	Path	Notes
Internall HDD	dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/<virtual_memcard>.VM2