Retro Handheld Setup Guides, Starter Guides

Recommended ROM File Types & Compression

Note: Android users can use this video with CHDroid to convert.

Recommended ROM File Types

For any where the best file type is a .ZIP, it’s a very easy process to do. Let’s say you have a bunch of Game Boy ROM’s, and they’re all .GB. In Windows, if you right click on one of them then click Send to, Compressed (zipped) folder, it’ll ZIP them for you. Once you do that for each game, just delete the original .GB files.

Just keep in mind that not every device or emulator will like .ZIP files, so that’s why I include the actual file types below just in case.

Let’s jump into the best file types for each platform.

Arcade – FinalBurn Neo

  • ZIP

Microsoft XBOX

Microsoft XBOX 360

  • ISO

Nintendo 3DS

  • ZCCI (compressed using Azahar)
  • CIA (Updates/DLC to install into Azahar)

Neo Geo Pocket Color

  • ZIP
  • NGC

Nintendo 64

  • ZIP
  • Z64

Nintendo DS

  • ZIP
  • NDS

Nintendo Entertainment System

Make sure to only use Headered ROMs, do not use Headerless.

  • ZIP
  • NES

Nintendo Game Boy

  • ZIP
  • GB

Nintendo Game Boy Advance

  • ZIP
  • GBA

Nintendo Game Boy Color

  • ZIP
  • GBC

Nintendo GameCube

  • RVZ

Nintendo Switch

  • NSP

Nintendo Wii

  • RVZ

Nintendo Wii U

  • WUA

Sega Dreamcast

  • CHD

For Sega Dreamcast, you should be using CHD files.

Windows

Download this tool here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/ts6q224gxu9qn9h/chdman.zip/file. This lets you convert your .GDI to CHD.

You cannot convert from .BIN/.CUE to .CHD, it can only be done from .GDI. This CHDMAN is different than the others on the page and is meant to only work for Dreamcast.

Extract that tool, put your ROMS in the folder with the tool and run the GDI to CHD.bat. It’ll auto convert them to CHD.

Android

You can use the video posted at the very top for a visual reference.

Download CHDroid off of the Google Play Store.

Click the Plus icon bottom right and navigate to the folder that has your Sega Dreamcast games.

Then, click Convert files bottom right, keep Conversion Type as CD Type, and click Start to convert.

Sega Game Gear

  • ZIP
  • GG

Sega Genesis

  • ZIP
  • MD

Sega Master System

  • ZIP
  • MS

Sega Saturn

  • CHD

For Sega Saturn, you should be using CHD files.

Windows

Download this tool here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/bcid7sw82kbsn8s/chdman.zip/file. This lets you convert your .cue, .iso or .gdi to CHD.

Extract that tool, put your ROMS in the folder with the tool and run the Cue or GDI to CHD.bat. It’ll auto convert them to CHD.

MAC

For MAC users, you can find instructions on this page: https://github.com/rossmessing/retro-handheld-docs/blob/main/docs/chd_on_mac.md.

Android

You can use the video posted at the very top for a visual reference.

Download CHDroid off of the Google Play Store.

Click the Plus icon bottom right and navigate to the folder that has your Sega Saturn games.

Then, click Convert files bottom right, keep Conversion Type as CD Type, and click Start to convert.

Sony PlayStation

  • CHD

For Sony PlayStation, you should be using CHD files.

Windows

Download this tool here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/bcid7sw82kbsn8s/chdman.zip/file. This lets you convert your .cue, .iso or .gdi to CHD.

Extract that tool, put your ROMS in the folder with the tool and run the Cue or GDI to CHD.bat. It’ll auto convert them to CHD.

MAC

For MAC users, you can find instructions on this page: https://github.com/rossmessing/retro-handheld-docs/blob/main/docs/chd_on_mac.md.

Android

You can use the video posted at the very top for a visual reference.

Download CHDroid off of the Google Play Store.

Click the Plus icon bottom right and navigate to the folder that has your Sony PlayStation games.

Then, click Convert files bottom right, keep Conversion Type as CD Type, and click Start to convert.

Sony PlayStation 2

  • CHD

For Sony PlayStation 2, you should be using CHD files.

Windows

Download this tool here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/bcid7sw82kbsn8s/chdman.zip/file. This lets you convert your .cue, .iso or .gdi to CHD.

Extract that tool, put your ROMS in the folder with the tool and run the Cue or GDI to CHD.bat. It’ll auto convert them to CHD.

MAC

For MAC users, you can find instructions on this page: https://github.com/rossmessing/retro-handheld-docs/blob/main/docs/chd_on_mac.md.

Android

You can use the video posted at the very top for a visual reference.

Download CHDroid off of the Google Play Store.

Click the Plus icon bottom right and navigate to the folder that has your Sony PlayStation 2 games.

Then, click Convert files bottom right, keep Conversion Type as CD Type, and click Start to convert.

Sony PlayStation 3

  • Multiple ways

For Sony PlayStation 3, there’s sort of multiple ways. A lot of times they come as .ISO files, which is great. But some games come as a folder, and inside is a PS3_GAME and PS3_DISC.SFB file. You can add that folder to RPCS3 and it’ll detect it as a game.

For .ISO, you may need to decrypt it, in which case you can follow the instructions here to do so: https://github.com/13xforever/ps3-disc-dumper.

You can then put it back into a decrypted ISO using: https://www.psx-place.com/resources/ps3-iso-tools.68/.

Sony PlayStation Portable

  • CHD*
  • ISO*

For Sony PlayStation Portable, you should be using CHD files, however, because CHD support was added in a later version of PPSSPP, a lot of handhelds use an older version that won’t work with CHD, so it’s advised to keep a library of CHD and ISO roms (or just ISO roms if you prefer).

Windows

If you want to convert to CHD, do the following (does not delete the original ISO).

Download this tool here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/a5fw1gkh8jpe766/chdman.zip/file. This lets you convert your .cue, .iso or .gdi to CHD.

This CHDMAN uses the CREATEDVD function, so it’s different than all the other CHDMAN’s on this page, you should only use this specific one for PSP only.

Extract that tool, put your ROMS in the folder with the tool and run the Cue or GDI to CHD – DVD.bat. It’ll auto convert them to CHD.

MAC

For MAC users, you can find instructions on this page: https://github.com/rossmessing/retro-handheld-docs/blob/main/docs/chd_on_mac.md.

Android

You can use the video posted at the very top for a visual reference.

Download CHDroid off of the Google Play Store.

Click the Plus icon bottom right and navigate to the folder that has your Sony PlayStation Portable games.

Then, click Convert files bottom right, change Conversion Type to DVD Type, and click Start to convert.

Sony PlayStation Vita

  • ZIP

Super Nintendo

  • ZIP
  • SFC

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6 thoughts on “Recommended ROM File Types & Compression”

  1. – Don’t forget .7z (7zip) archives. They compress better than .zip, saving more storage space on your device. Not every emulator can open .7z archives but some can including RetroArch, and even arcade games can be loaded from an .7z archive in RetroArch.
    – As for the Nintendo 3DS, there are new z-compression formats (.zcci, .zcxi, .z3dsx, etc.) that can be converted using the latest version of Azahar and played within Azahar (but cannot be used on actual 3DS hardware or other/older 3DS emulators).
    – While .chd is indeed the best compression for PSP games (but not compatible on actual PSP/PS Vita hardware), .cso is also a decent alternative (which is compatible on an actual PSP/PS Vita in Adrenaline but with added load times and may stutter on PSP/PS Vita hardware depending on compression level).
    – As for Xbox, there is the xiso compression format that is playable in xemu. Can be done with extract-xiso.
    – And as for Xbox 360 and PS3 games, extract the ISO contents into bare folder(s) (ps3-disc-dumper for PS3 and XBOX 360 ISO Extract, Exiso-GUI or Exiso for Xbox 360). There is so much dead space in ISO files, taking up a lot of unnecessary space.

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