Game Saves

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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 Import/Export file conversions
Internall HDD dev_hdd0/home/<userid>/savedata/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY> PARAM.PFD values updated when imported ? (not verifyed)
Externall USB device dev_usb0/PS3/SAVEDATA/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY> PARAM.PFD values updated when exported ? (not verifyed)
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.
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 Import/Export file conversions
Internall HDD dev_hdd0/home/<userid>/minis_savedata/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY> None, direct copy of the folder
Externall USB device dev_usb0/PSP/SAVEDATA/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY> None, direct copy of the 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...
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

Storage Media Path Import/Export file conversions Notes
Internall HDD dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/<virtual_memcard>.VM1 When importing the "slot" is injected in the VM1 VM1 is a PS1 memory card in "PS3 format"
Externall USB dev_usb0/PS3/EXPORT/PSV/<virtual_memcard_slot_ID>.PSV When exporting to USB the "slot" is extracted from VM1 an saved separatedly as a PSV PSV is a PS1 "slot" in "PS3 format"
Externall PSP dev_usb0/PSP/SAVEDATA/<SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY>/SCEVMC0.VMP & SCEVMC0.VMP When exporting to PSP the "slot" is extracted from VM1 and injected in VMP VMP is a PS1 memory card in "PSP format"

PS1 Classics Save Game in internall HDD

Stored in slots inside a "PS1 virtual memory card" in PS3 format, games can use one slot or severall ones, each slot has a name that identifies it (the first one is at offset 0x64 inside virtual_memcard.VM1) 

dev_hdd0
|--- savedata
     |--- vmc
          |--- virtual_memcard.VM1

PS1 Classics Save Game in externall USB

When exporting to a "standard" USB device the Save Games are converted to "slots" in PS3 format. The name of the exported file is the identifier of the slot when it was inside a virtual_memcard.VM1 

dev_usb0
|--- PS3
     |--- EXPORT
          |--- PSV
               |--- virtual_memcard_slot_ID.PSV

PS1 Classics Save Game in externall PSP

To export to PSP first is needed to register the PSP as a remote play device (in PS3 settings menu), and activate the USB mode (in PSP XMB)

Then, from the Memory Card Utility (PS/PS2) you can browse the slots inside the virtual_memcards, by pressing triangle over an slot and selecting the option "copy" the PS3 gives two options, one is an icon of your PSP identifyed by his nick, by selecting the PSP icon the PS3 displays this message: "Do you want to convert this data for use with the PSP system and then copy it?. If you select [No] the data will be copied without being converted"

You can continue your game from PSP to PS3 under differents game formats such as cso/iso and continue on PS3 after transfer of your savedata if the game share the same DiscID. See: Emulation 

dev_usb0
|--- PSP
     |--- SAVEDATA
          |--- <SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY>
               |--- ICON0.PNG
               |--- PARAM.SFO <----- CATEGORY "MS"
               |--- SCEVMC0.VMP <----- Virtual Memory Card 0
               |--- SCEVMC1.VMP <----- Virtual Memory Card 1
  • When the game is installed in PS3 it contains a "SAVEDATA" folder stored with the rest of the game files, only used by the PS3 to generate Save Games in PSP format
  • This "SAVEDATA" folder used as a source contains a PARAM.SFO (with CATEGORY "MS" memory stick, and his SAVEDATA_DIRECTORY where it will be installed when exported to PSP), an ICON0.PNG (in 80x80 pixels) and two virtual_memcard.VMP (with empty slots). All in PSP format, never updated, and not intended to store Save Games, only to export them

Memory card format PS1

Original Memory card PS1 VMP
128KB = 131072 bytes = 0x20000 bytes 129 KB = 131200 bytes = 0x20080 bytes
Details
1 Block = 8KB = 8192 bytes = 0x2000 bytes
1 Frame =128 bytes = 0x80 bytes


The original memory card for the PS1 is 128 kilobytes of non-volatile RAM. This is split into 16 blocks each containing 8 kilobytes each. The very first block is is a header block used as a directory and file allocation table leaving 15 blocks left over for data storage. The data blocks contains the program data file name, block name, icon, and other critical information. The PSX accesses the data via a "frame" method. Each block is split into 64 frames, each 128 bytes. The first frame (frame 0) is the file name, frames 1 to 3 contain the icon, (each frame of animation taking up one frame) leaving the rest of the frames for save data. 

Original Memory Card PS1 (128 KB) (on PS3 XMB display :  freespace available / 120KB)
              |- Header Block 0 (this block is not accessible and visible from menu)
              |       |---1  Header Frame    ( 128 bytes)
              |       |---15 Directory Frame (1920 bytes)
              |       |---20 Unused Frame    (2560 bytes)
              |       |---Filled with FF     (3456 bytes)
              |       |---others             ( 128 bytes)
              |         (total: 8192 bytes : 8 KB)
              |
              |   
              |- Data Block 1   (this block and others are visible on screen, one game can use more than one block)
              |       |---Frame 0 (File Name: 128 bytes)
              |       |---Frame 1 (Icon) (Icon can be combine for animation or different display from the same game)
              |       |---Frame 2 (Icon) 
              |       |---Frame 3 (Icon)
              |       |---Frame 4 (Save Data)
              |       |---Frame 5 (Save Data)
              |       |--- ...  
              |       |---Frame 63 
              |         (total 64 frames: 8 KB)
              |
              |- Data Block 2
              |
              |- Data Block 3
              |  
              |- Data Block 4
              |
              |- ...
              |
              |- Data Block 15 
                        (total 16 block: 128 KB)

Memory card structure original PS1 (& VM1?) & VMP

(VM1 is similar as original ps1 but need more inspections)

Offset PS1 Size Value Note Frame Block Offset VMP
80 on VMP
Header Frame
0x00000 2 MC Magic 0 0 0x00080
0x00002 125 filled with zero Unused 0 0 0x00082
0x0007F 1 0E XOR code 0 0 0x000FF
15 Directory Frame
0x00080 1 Available blocks (similar on VM1?)

Upper 4 bits

A - Available

5 - partially used

F - Unusable

Lower 4 bits

0 - Unused

1 - There is no link, but one will be here later

2 - mid link block

3 - terminating link block

F - unusable

Example

A0 - Open block

51 - In use, there will be a link in the next block

52 - In use, this is in a link and will link to another

53 - In use, this is the last in the link

FF - Unusable

1 0 0x100
0x00081 3 When it's reserved it's FF FF FF 1 0 0x101
0x00084 4 Use Byte

Open block middle link block, or end link block

Per Block 0x2000 - No link, but will be a link

(00 20 00 - one blocks will be used)

(00 40 00 - two blocks will be used)

(00 E0 01 - 15 blocks will be used, max )

1 0 0x00104
0x00088 2 00 00 Link order Block/frame 0-14

If the bock/frame isn't in a link or if it's the last link in the line, it's 0xffff

1 0 0x00108
0x0008A 2 Country Code (BI, BA, BE)

In Japan the code is BI, Europe is BE, and America is BA.

1 0 0x0010A
0x0008C 10 Product Code (AAAA-00000)

AAAA:

Japan SLPS, SCPS (from SCEI)

America SLUS, SCUS (from SCEA)

Europe SLES, SCES (from SCEE)

1 0 0x0010C
0x00096 8 Identifier

This Number is created unique to the current game played. Meaning the first time a game is saved on the card, every subsequent save has the same identifier, but it a new game is started from the beginning, that will have a different identifier.

The identifier is a variation on the name of the game, for example FF7 will be FF7-S01, FF7-S02,....(last bytes are not used in this case, can be also filled with zero in other game) It don't really matter.

With a PocketStation program, the product ID is a monochrome icon, a hyphen and the later part containing a "P".

Country code(2 bytes)+Product number(10 bytes)+Identifier(8 bytes)= File name. See also: [DiscID]

1 0 0x
0x0009E 97 Unused 1 0 0x
0x000FF 1 A0 XOR Code 1 0 0x0017F
Repeat 14 others similars Directory Frame
20 Unused Directory Frame
0x00800 1 FF Available blocks (similar on VM1?) XX 0 0x00880
0x00801 3 FF FF FF Reserved (similar on VM1?&VMP) XX 0 0x00881
0x00804 4 00000000 Unused (similar on VM1?&VMP) XX 0 0x00884
0x00808 2 FF Link order Block/frame: FF XX 0 0x00888
0x0080A 118 filled with zero XX 0 0x
Repeat 19 Unused Directory Frame
Others
0x01200 3456 filled with FF XX 0 0x
0x01F80 128 XX 0 0x
Block 1
0x02000 2 SC 0 1 0x
0x02002 1 Icon Display Flag

00 : No icon

11 : Icon has 1 frame of animation (static)

12 : Icon has 2 frames (animation)

13 : Icon has 3 frames (animation)

0 1
0x02003 1 Block Number (1-15) ? 0 1
0x02004 Title of the save data (in Shift-JIS format)

Display on XMB, example: FF7/SAVE01/73:25 (in this case, time played is display but can be also level or others infos specific to the save data, or just generic)

0 1
0x02050 Used for PocketStation 0 1
0x02060 DATA/ICON 0 1


Source infos PS1: Inside the PSX by Joshua Walker p94-95-96 (need to find back the internal link/ copyrighted : Do with it what you please)

PS1 Save Games Tools

[MemcardRex v1.5] 

MemcardRex is a PSX memory card explorer/editor.

The following Memory Card formats are supported:
   * ePSXe/PSEmu Pro Memory Card(*.mcr)
   * DexDrive Memory Card(*.gme)
   * pSX/AdriPSX Memory Card(*.bin)
   * Bleem! Memory Card(*.mcd)
   * VGS Memory Card(*.mem, *.vgs)
   * PSXGame Edit Memory Card(*.mc)
   * DataDeck Memory Card(*.ddf)
   * WinPSM Memory Card(*.ps)
   * Smart Link Memory Card(*.psm)
   * MCExplorer(*.mci)
   * PSP virtual Memory Card(*.vmp) (opening only)

The following single save formats are supported:
   * PSXGame Edit single save(*.mcs)
   * XP, AR, GS, Caetla single save(*.psx)
   * Memory Juggler(*.ps1)
   * Smart Link(*.mcb)
   * Datel(*.mcx;*.pda)
   * RAW single saves
   * PS3 virtual saves (*.psv) (importing only)

PS2 Classics Saved Games

Storage Media Path Import/Export file conversions
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 Import/Export file conversions
Internall HDD dev_hdd0/savedata/vmc/<virtual_memcard>.VM2


PS2 Save Games Tools

[mymc] 

mymc is a PS2 memory card explorer/editor.
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