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This guide explains how to rip your PlayStation 3 (PS3) games and use such backups with RPCS3. This process is colloquially referred to as ''dumping'' and entails different processes depending on the format in which your game is present. PS3 games are available in two formats: '''physical Blu-ray discs''' and '''digital PSN packages'''. For Blu-ray discs, dumping refers to decrypting the Blu-ray image and extracting all the files within whereas for PSN packages, it involves downloading the original game (.pkg) file and creating the necessary license (.rap) file.
This guide explains how to obtain your PlayStation 3 (PS3) games and then use your backups with RPCS3. This process is often referred to as ''dumping'' and includes different processes depending on the format of your game. PS3 games are available in two formats:
'''physical Blu-ray discs''' and '''digital PSN packages'''. For Blu-ray discs, dumping refers to decrypting the Blu-ray image and extracting all the files on the respective Discs. Whereas for Digital games and DLCs, it involves downloading the original game (.PKG) file and creating the necessary license (.RAP) file for it.


__TOC__
== Overview ==
== Overview ==
Before we begin, please read the <span class="plainlinks">[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart Quickstart guide]</span> to familiarise yourself with how PS3 games are to be handled. Most of the tools and information covered here are already present there. This guide aims to elaborate on what is present in the Quickstart guide and help users avoid common pitfalls. If you have queries after reading this guide, don't hesitate to come over to our <span class="plainlinks">[https://discord.me/RPCS3 Discord server]</span> and interact with the community members to resolve the same.
Before we begin, please read the <span class="plainlinks">[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart Quickstart guide]</span> to familiarise yourself with how PS3 games are to be handled. Most of the tools and information covered here are already present there. This guide aims to elaborate on what is present in the Quickstart guide and help users avoid common mistakes. If you have questions after reading this guide, do not hesitate to join our <span class="plainlinks">[https://discord.me/RPCS3 Discord server]</span> and interact with the community members.


Broadly, there are two methods of dumping game files for each format. To dump disc games, you can use either a Custom Firmware (CFW) PS3 or a compatible Blu-ray drive with PC. For PSN games, you need a CFW PS3 or Original Firmware (OFW) PS3 to extract the license files. In both cases, using a CFW PS3 is the superior method. Users who wish to use a CFW PS3 should go through [https://old.reddit.com/r/ps3homebrew/wiki/index r/ps3homebrew's wiki] for many CFW related tutorials that are generally updated with accurate information.
'''<u>There are two ways to dump your games for RPCS3</u>:'''
* Disc games with either a jailbroken PS3 or a compatible Blu-Ray Disc drive.
* PSN (digital) games and DLCs with a jailbroken PS3.
''<u>Note</u>: In case the above information wasn't clear enough, for Disc games a jailbroken PS3 is optional as you can opt for a Blu-Ray Drive instead, but for Digital games and DLCs your only option is a jailbroken PS3.''


<h2 style="color: red;">Software Distribution laws in your country</h2>
<h2 style="color: red;">Software Distribution laws in your country</h2>
<span style="color: red;">When dumping video game software, users are subject to country-specific software distribution laws. RPCS3 is not designed to enable illegal activity. We do not promote piracy nor do we allow it under any circumstances. Please take the time to review copyright and video game software dumping laws and/or policies for your country before proceeding.</span>
<span style="color: red;">When dumping video game software, users are subject to country-specific software distribution laws. RPCS3 is not designed to enable illegal activity. We do not promote piracy nor do we allow it under any circumstances. Please take the time to review copyright and video game software dumping laws and/or policies for your country before proceeding.</span>


<span style="color: red;">By following these instructions, you will do so at your own discretion. Should you follow these instructions against your local law, we shall not be held responsible for your actions.</span>
== How to install Homebrews on a jailbroken PS3 ==
Before you can get to dumping the games for RPCS3, you first have to install a couple of Homebrews on your jailbroken PS3. In this guide we are mainly focusing on dumping Disc and Digital games (as well as DLCs), and for that purpose the following Homebrews will be needed/used:
* [https://github.com/Zarh/ManaGunZ/releases/tag/nightly Managunz File Manager] (a file manager that lets you access the file system on your PS3, you only need the [https://imgur.com/a/bQ8Njsx FileManager_vx.xx_nightly_xxxxxxx.pkg] PKG file)
* [https://github.com/bucanero/apollo-ps3/releases Apollo Save Tool] (needed for backing up the License or <code>.RAP</code> files for Digital games and DLCs)
* (Optional) [https://github.com/aldostools/webMAN-MOD/releases webMAN MOD] (needed for hosting an FTP server if you wish to do your file transfers over your local network instead of via a USB drive, you only need the [https://imgur.com/a/OLVenWQ  webMAN_MOD_X.XX.XX_Installer.pkg] PKG file)


== Dumping Blu-ray disc games ==
Once you have downloaded the Homebrews above on your PC, place them on the root directory of your USB drive as shown [https://imgur.com/a/7AEpl9Y in this screenshot] (make sure the USB drive is formatted as FAT32 beforehand). Then insert the USB into your PS3, click <code>Enable HEN</code> on the XMB if you haven't already, then finally follow the steps in [https://imgur.com/a/Wsmdplo this imgur album] and finish installing the Homebrews.
As mentioned above, you can dump your disc games using either a CFW PS3 or with a compatible blu-ray drive with a PC. Let's look at each option one by one.


=== Using CFW PS3 to dump disc games ===
==== An important note about game dumping via USB ====
This method is the more reliable method of dumping disc games as it is guaranteed to work with every PS3 game disc in existence, something which the second method cannot do. However, during the dumping process, you will be limited to the PS3 Blu-ray reader's transfer speeds so the process may take longer than doing the same through a PC. If you have doubts on installing or using any of the tools mentioned below, please read r/ps3homebrew's wiki.
The PS3 natively only supports FAT32 format for USB drives and this format comes with limitations, the main one being it only supports transferring files in 4GB chunks. This is not ideal when you're dumping games that can sometimes be as large as 40GB. Best way to get around this limitation is to format your USB drive to <code>NTFS with MBR partition scheme</code>. This will increase the limit of external drives on the PS3 to 2TBs, which is plenty of space for us to work with. Note that only file managers like Managunz support this format, so if you are attempting to install homebrews and such on your PS3 later on, you have to format the drive to FAT32 again before doing so. '''That is to say, for game dumping use NTFS MBR, and for homebrew installation or anything else, use FAT32'''.  


# Install [https://store.brewology.com/ahomebrew.php?brewid=24 multiMAN] file manager.
To format your USB drive to <code>NTFS with MBR partition scheme</code>, download [https://rufus.ie/en/ Rufus] and format your USB drive the way it's shown in [https://imgur.com/a/U2HrDFE this screenshot]. Once formatted, your USB drive is now ready to be used to transfer games from your PS3.
# Insert your disc into the PS3.
# Highlight the game disc in multiMAN and press '''Triangle''' and select '''Copy'''. <br>You can create an ISO or folder layout format of your game files. It is recommended to create a folder layout version of your game instead of an ISO for a smaller file size, due to ISOs copying the entire disc which is either 4.7 GB, 8.5 GB, 25GB, or 50GB.
# Choose the location to save your dump. It can be your PS3's internal HDD, an external HDD or even set up an FTP connection between your PlayStation 3 and PC. <br>Overall, the FTP method will be the fastest option.
:: ''<u>Note</u>:'' The PlayStation 3 has a maximum file size of 4GB. When dumping games which contain files bigger than 4GB, multiMAN will automatically split those files. When you copy your dump over to your PC, remember to rejoin the split files back together with tools such as [http://karmian.org/projects/ps3merge ps3merge], otherwise the dump won't work.


=== Using a compatible Blu-ray drive with PC to dump disc games ===
==== (Optional) Using FTP instead of a USB drive ====
This is the second method to dump disc games and will prove useful for people who do not have a CFW PS3 available. However, please note that this method has the following requirements to work:
If you are interested in using FTP for transferring your files instead of a USB drive, you can certainly do that. This is the fastest way of transferring files from your PS3 (especially if you replace the stock HDD on your PS3 with a cheap SATA SSD), but if you do this '''be sure to use an Ethernet connection'''. You can connect your Ethernet cable directly to your PC from your PS3, it doesn't have to connect to your router (one end on your PS3's Ethernet port, other end on your PC's Ethernet port). The dumping guides below are written with the USB method in mind, but feel free to swap out the steps that mention USB drive with FTP if that's what you'd prefer using. Here's how to setup an FTP connection to your PS3:
# A ''compatible'' Blu-ray drive is mandatory. This means not every Blu-ray drive can be used but only those that are specifically capable of reading PS3 discs. A list of <span class="plainlinks">[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#compatible_drives compatible drives]</span> are available on our Quickstart guide. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list but rather a list of drives that are known to work. Drives not present in this list might work if they have a Mediatek chipset and a +6 read offset.
# ''Locate and note down your PS3's local/private IP address in network settings on your PS3 [https://imgur.com/a/CDIQkik (screenshot)].''
# This method requires an external key for the decryption of the disc. This is only possible if your game has:
# ''Install [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Dumping_PlayStation_3_games#How_to_install_Homebrews_on_a_jailbroken_PS3 webMAN MOD] on your PS3, this homebrew will autostart an FTP server every time you boot up your PS3 and enable HEN.''
#* an '''.ird''' file available at the [http://jonnysp.bplaced.net/ Jonny's IRD library] that matches your game's title ID.
# ''Open Windows File Explorer on your PC and type [https://imgur.com/a/HUDOhFZ ftp://Your-PS3-IP-Address-here] into the address bar of File Explorer and hit <code>Enter</code>. Alternatively, you could use [https://filezilla-project.org/download.php Filezilla Client]. If using Filezilla, simply enter your PS3's IP in the <code>host</code> box and click <code>Quickconnect</code> [https://imgur.com/a/aF4OsAt (screenshot)].'
#* a decryption key obtained from [http://redump.org/ Redump]. These keys are currently not public but can still be used with out One-click dumper as mentioned below.
# ''You now have access to your PS3's filesystem over FTP!''
<u>''Note''</u>: ''If you opt to use Filezilla Client, be sure to set the transfer type to [https://imgur.com/a/RiAYioD Binary], otherwise your dumps may get corrupted.''


If you confirm that you indeed have a compatible Blu-ray drive, you have 3 tools available to dump your disc:
== How to dump Digital games & DLCs on a jailbroken PS3 ==
# The first and recommended method is to use 13xforever's One-click PS3 Disc Dumper. As the name suggests it's the easiest tool to use and is currently the only tool that can take advantage of the decryption keys from Redump. <span class="plainlinks">[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#dumping_procedure Click here]</span> for instructions on it's use.
Assuming you have a jailbroken PS3, '''<u>there's 2 ways of dumping Digital games and DLCs from a PS3 console</u>:'''
# The second tool is a command-line tool for Linux users called LibRay. It cannot take advantage of Redump's decryption keys, but for any disc that has an .ird file available, it should work without any issues. <span class="plainlinks">[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#dumping_linux Click here]</span> for instructions on it's use.
# <u>'''PKG Format'''</u>: ''Start the download of the Digital game/DLC from the PS store and select <code>[https://manuals.playstation.net/document/en/ps3/current/imgs/background001.jpg Download in Background]</code>, let it finish downloading. When it is done, you will see its installer is listed in your games list on the XMB (PS3's home screen). <u>DO NOT INSTALL IT YET!</u> Open [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Dumping_PlayStation_3_games#How_to_install_Homebrews_on_a_jailbroken_PS3 Managunz] and navigate straight to <code>/dev_hdd0/vsh/task/XXXXXXXX</code> and the PKG files will be waiting for you there.''
# The final tool is a legacy method that was used before the above tools existed and should never be used. But if you're not the type that takes orders from a wiki, <span class="plainlinks">[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#dumping_procedure_manual click here]</span> for instructions on it's use.
# <u>'''Folder Format'''</u>: ''If you already have the digital game(s) or DLC(s) installed on your console then navigate to <code>/dev_hdd0/game/</code>  and look for the folder(s) named after the game's serial (such as NPUBXXXXX or NPEBXXXXX etc). You will simply need to copy these folder(s).''
<u>''Note''</u>: ''In regards to folder formatted DLC(s), if your base game for the DLC is a disc copy then the DLC's folder may be named after your game disc's serial instead, like BLUSXXXXX/BLESXXXXX etc.''


== Dumping PSN games ==
* <u>'''Transferring them to your USB drive'''</u>: Insert your [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Dumping_PlayStation_3_games#An_important_note_about_game_dumping_via_USB NTFS MBR formatted] USB drive into your PS3, it'll now show up in Managunz as an <code>ntfs:0</code> entry on the list ([https://imgur.com/a/UwQumNS screenshot]). Copy your Digital game or DLC in whichever format you're interested in from their directories shown above, and paste them into this USB drive. Wait for them to finish copying [https://imgur.com/a/Zdorxf4 (screenshot)], and once that's done you can move the files to your PC.
Dumping digital PSN games is a little bit different. There are two files needed to play a PSN game. The first is the actual game file that comes in a '''.pkg''' format and the second is the license file that is used to activate the game which needs to be in a '''.rap''' format. As mentioned in the overview, you need a CFW PS3 or OFW PS3 to extract the license file of your game. The actual game file can be downloaded directly from your PC. It's also important to note that some games do not have or need a license file (mostly free games and DLCs).


There are 2 tools that can be used to download the game files. Both work equally well and boil down to a matter of preference. The first method gives the final output as a text file in the JSON format whereas the second method gives the final output as a table in the CSV format.
* <u>'''Installing them on RPCS3'''</u>: After moving them to your PC, if you dumped your game in PKG format, simply drag and drop the <code>.PKG</code> file into RPCS3's window to install them. If you dumped your game in Folder Format, simply drop the folders you copied in <code>/dev_hdd0/game/</code> directory in your RPCS3 folder.


=== Obtaining game data information in JSON format ===
==== How to backup the license (.RAP) files for Digital games & DLCs from a jailbroken PS3 ====
The first tool uses a straightforward approach:
We have covered how to copy the Digital games and DLCs from your PS3, but for them to work on RPCS3, we must also make a backup of their respective license files. These license files are known as <code>.RAP</code> files. The manual way of backing up <code>.RAP</code> files is quite a lengthy process. Instead, here is a fast and easy way to backup your .RAP files for all your Digital games and DLCs using <code>Apollo Save Tool</code> on your PS3:
# Go to [https://store.playstation.com/ PlayStation Store] and log in to your account.
# ''Open [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Dumping_PlayStation_3_games#How_to_install_Homebrews_on_a_jailbroken_PS3 Apollo] on your PS3 -> Select <code>User Backup</code> -> <code>Export Licenses</code> -> <code>Export all licenses as .RAPs</code> [https://imgur.com/a/rxrnyOG (screenshot)].''
# Open your [https://store.playstation.com/kamaji/api/chihiro/00_09_000/gateway/store/v1/users/me/internal_entitlements?start=0&size=800&fields=game_meta%2Cdrm_def entitlements information] and save it to your PC.
# ''Apollo will save your <code>.RAP</code> files in <code>\dev_hdd0\home\0000000x\exdata</code> (folder 0000000x can be 00000001 or 00000002 etc if you have multiple user profiles on your PS3).''
# Use any text editor to search for the game or DLC you want to download.
# ''Copy these <code>.RAP</code> files to your USB drive using [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Dumping_PlayStation_3_games#How_to_install_Homebrews_on_a_jailbroken_PS3 Managunz] and transfer them to your PC.''
# Look for the download link ('''contentUrl''') inside the particular game or DLC's content node and download as required.


=== Obtaining game data information in CSV format ===
* <u>'''Installing these .RAP files on RPCS3'''</u>: To install your backed up <code>.RAP</code> files on RPCS3, simply drag and drop them into RPCS3's window, or manually place them in <code>/dev_hdd0/home/0000001/exdata</code> in your RPCS3 folder.
For users who wish to avoid using text editors and prefer a GUI interface, there's also an open-source browser extension called [https://repod.github.io/psdle/ PSDLE] that can be used:
# Install PSDLE to your browser.
# Go to [https://store.playstation.com/ PlayStation Store] and log in to your account.
# Activate the extension and press '''Start'''.
# Once you see a table of all your games, click '''Export View'''.
# Press '''Import''' on the popup window and enter the following: <br><code>[{"property":"platform","title":"Platform"},{"property":"name","title":"Name"},{"property":"pkg","title":"PKG Direct Link"},{"property":"id","title":"Content ID"},{"property":"prettySize","title":"File Size"}]</code>
# Press '''Ok''' and then click the '''CSV''' button to export the file to your PC.
# Now open the file with any spreadsheet application (e.g. MS Excel, LibreOffice Calc, Google Sheets).
# Download the game or DLC as required.


=== Obtaining license files ===
<u>''Note''</u>: ''If you notice that your <code>.RAP</code> file is missing/not being backed up for a certain Game or DLC there's an easy fix for this. Start a download for the game on your PS3. You can now pause and cancel the download immediately after the download begins to prevent all the game files from being re-downloaded to your PS3 again unnecessarily. The point of doing this is because the license files are always the first to be downloaded and will remain in the PS3's file system even after the download is cancelled. Now repeat the steps above on Apollo again and the <code>.RAP</code> file should successfully be backed up this time.''
That takes care of the game files but we also require the license file to run the game. Unfortunately, this step mandatorily requires a PS3. This process also involves using file managers to copy files from your PS3. This can be done with CFW PS3s or PS3s with HEN enabled. The steps involved to install CFW or HEN to your PS3 are well outside the scope of this guide and will not be covered here. Users are requested to refer to [https://old.reddit.com/r/ps3homebrew/wiki/index r/ps3homebrew's wiki] or Google for more information.


To obtain the license files for your games:
== How to dump Disc games on a jailbroken PS3 ==
# On your PC, go to [https://store.playstation.com/ PlayStation Store] and log in to your account.
Assuming you have a jailbroken PS3, here is how you dump Disc games from a PS3 console:
# Navigate to the [https://store.playstation.com/en-in/download/list Download list] page and queue downloads of the required files to your PS3.
# ''Insert your Disc into your PS3 and open [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Dumping_PlayStation_3_games#How_to_install_Homebrews_on_a_jailbroken_PS3 Managunz File Manager].''
# Boot your PS3 and let the queued downloads begin. You can pause and cancel the downloads immediately after it begins to prevent the game files from being downloaded to your PS3 unnecessarily. The license files are downloaded prior to the game files and will remain even if the download is cancelled.
# ''Insert your [https://wiki.rpcs3.net/index.php?title=Help:Dumping_PlayStation_3_games#An_important_note_about_game_dumping_via_USB NTFS MBR formatted] USB drive into your PS3, it'll now show up in Managunz as an <code>ntfs:0</code> entry on the list ([https://imgur.com/a/UwQumNS screenshot]).''
# Next we need to retrieve 3 types of files:
# ''Go inside the USB drive and make a folder named after the game you're about to copy from its disc. The reason to do this is so that it is easier to keep track of what's being transferred, especially if you are about to transfer multiple games from several discs.''
#* First up is the '''.rif''' files which are the encrypted license files. Every game and DLC should have it's own unique rif file. These files are located in <code>\dev_hdd0\home\000000XX\exdata\</code> where <code>XX</code> is the user ID number. Using the file manager of your choice, copy all the files to an external USB drive, external HDD or use FTP to directly send these files to your PC.
# ''Now go back and go to <code>dev_bdvd</code> on the list (this is your disc's directory). Copy everything in this folder, go back and paste them in the game folder you created in your NTFS MBR formatted USB drive earlier.''
#* Next, copy over the '''act.dat''' file which is present in the same location as the rif files. Each user account will have a unique act.dat and you are required to copy the act.dat of the user account used to connect to PSN.
# ''Now you can see the game files being copied to your USB drive ([https://imgur.com/a/5Ol2xWO screenshot]).''
#* Finally, we need to find the '''IDPS'''. This is not a file but rather a 32 character hex string. There are multiple ways to view a console's IDPS and file managers such as multiMAN and webMAN will also display this under ''System Information''. Once you find this number, note it down so that it can be used at a later point.
# ''Let it finish transferring and you're ready to finish the rest of the steps on your PC!''
# On your PC, download [https://mega.nz/#!NP5WTayL!Grzqe_BQlrmK4_ofCGGVNZX4WkBSN54BDel399aWsMI RifConv] and [https://mh-nexus.de/en/hxd/ HxD Hex Editor] (or any other hex editor).
 
# Create a new file and name it '''idps.hex'''. Open idps.hex with the hex editor and type in the IDPS number you noted down from your PS3. Hit save and close the file.
* <u>'''Installing these copied Disc dumps on RPCS3'''</u>: Simply place your copied game folders in <code>/games</code> inside RPCS3's folder. Alternatively, you could place the game folder anywhere you want on your PC and drag and drop it into RPCS3's window (doing so will add the game folder's path to RPCS3's games configuration file automatically). Now restart RPCS3 and the game(s) should show up on the Games List in RPCS3's GUI.
# Launch RifConv and ensure you're on the Rif2Rap tab. Add the idps.hex, act.dat and folder containing all .rif files in their respective fields.
 
# Hit '''Create''' and a new folder called '''created_raps''' should appear. This folder will contain the decrypted license files in the '''.rap''' format that can be used in RPCS3.
<u>''Note''</u>: ''These disc dumps will be copied in JB Folder (basically Folder format) format. '''RPCS3 does not support ISOs''', so make sure you're not selecting any option that says "copy as ISO" in step 4 above. Follow the steps above as they're written and you will be fine.''
 
== An important note about dumping Disc games on PC with Blu-ray Disc Drives ==
Dumping Disc games via a Blu-ray Drive on PC will prove useful for those who do not have a jailbroken PS3 available. However, please note that this method has the following requirements to work:
# ''A '''compatible''' Blu-ray drive is mandatory. This means that not every Blu-ray drive can be used but only those that are specifically found capable of reading PS3 discs. A list of <span class="plainlinks">[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#compatible_drives compatible drives]</span> are available on our Quickstart guide. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list but rather a list of  discovered drives that are known to work. Drives not present in this list might work if they have a Mediatek chipset and a +6 read offset.''
# ''This method requires an external key for the decryption of the disc. This is only possible if your game has:''
#* An '''.ird''' file available in this [https://flexby420.github.io/playstation_3_ird_database/ IRD Database] that matches your game's title ID.
#* A decryption key obtained from [http://redump.org/ Redump]. These keys are currently not public but can still be used with our One-click disc dumper method as mentioned below.
 
If you know and have confirmed that you do have a compatible Blu-ray drive, then you have 2 recommended tools available to dump your disc:
# ''The first and recommended method is to use 13xforever's One-click '''PS3 Disc Dumper'''. As the name suggests, it's the easiest tool to use and is currently the only tool that can take advantage of the decryption keys from Redump.''
# ''The second tool is a command-line tool for Linux users called '''LibRay'''. It cannot take advantage of Redump's decryption keys, but for any disc that has an .ird file available, it should work without any issues. Refer to its user guide [https://notabug.org/necklace/libray here] for instructions on how to use it.
 
== How to dump Disc games with a compatible Blu-ray drive on PC using PS3 Disc Dumper ==
Here is how to dump your Disc games using '''PS3 Disc Dumper''' tool by 13xforever:
# ''Download the latest version of PS3 Disc Dumper's .Zip archive from [https://github.com/13xforever/ps3-disc-dumper/releases here] for your appropriate OS, this guide will cover the Windows version, but the steps are similar if you're on MacOS or Linux.''
# ''Extract it into a folder and run the executable (<code>ps3-disc-dumper.exe</code>) for the program.''
# ''Insert your game Disc into your [https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#compatible_drives compatible Blu-ray Disc drive] (be sure to mount it afterwards if you're on Linux), then wait for PS3 Disc Dumper to finish scanning it. Once it's finished scanning you will get a message saying the disc is [https://imgur.com/a/GfKIXOE ready to be dumped].''
# ''Click <code>Start</code> and wait for the program to finish dumping all the files from the disc. Once it is finished the game will be saved next to the <code>ps3-disc-dumper.exe</code> file in a folder named after the game. Place this folder wherever you want on your PC, and to add it to RPCS3's games list simply drag drop it into RPCS3's window. Alternatively, you can drop the game folder in the <code>/games</code> folder in your RPCS3 folder. ''
 
''<u>Note</u>: PS3 Disc Dumper is generally pretty good at automatically grabbing the IRD file for the Disc you're dumping, but sometimes you will need to provide the tool with your own sourced or created IRD file. If you are in that situation, make a folder called <code>IRD</code> in the folder where you extracted PS3 Disc Dumper, and place your IRD files in that folder. Then restart the tool and it will automatically use the IRD files from that folder. You can source IRD files from [https://flexby420.github.io/playstation_3_ird_database/ here]. If an IRD isn't available for your game, then refer to the guide below to learn how to create your own IRD files.'' 
 
==== Creating .ird files  ====
If you lack an '''.ird''' file or a decryption key for a game and you have a CFW PS3 you can create your own '''.ird''' file using the instructions below:
# ''Install the full version of [https://github.com/Zarh/ManaGunZ/releases/tag/nightly Managunz] on your PS3.''
# ''Launch it and insert your game disc into the PS3.''
# ''Highlight the game disc and press '''Triangle''' then select '''Dump decrypted Blu-Ray disc'''.''
# ''After it is finished the '''.ird''' file can be found [http://ps3ird.free.fr/ here].''
 
''<u>Note</u>: You can set your uploader username in '''ManaGunZ''' settings under '''Blu-Ray dumper''' section.''


== What's next? ==
== What's next? ==
If you've done everything correctly, you will have a successful dump of your game. Congrats!
If you've done everything correctly, you will have a successful dump of your game or content.


To check if your Blu-ray disc or PSN package was dumped correctly, click here (''link under construction'').
To check if your Blu-ray disc or PSN package was dumped correctly, [[Help:Validating PlayStation 3 game dumps|click here]].


For instructions on how to use the dump in RPCS3, refer to the <span class="plainlinks">[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#install_games installation instructions]</span> in the Quickstart guide.
If you are stuck somewhere, or if something in this guide is confusing for you and you have questions, or if you need help regarding anything in this article, please join our <span class="plainlinks">[https://discord.me/RPCS3 Discord server]</span> and ask for support from our community members.

Latest revision as of 23:47, 8 March 2024

This guide explains how to obtain your PlayStation 3 (PS3) games and then use your backups with RPCS3. This process is often referred to as dumping and includes different processes depending on the format of your game. PS3 games are available in two formats: physical Blu-ray discs and digital PSN packages. For Blu-ray discs, dumping refers to decrypting the Blu-ray image and extracting all the files on the respective Discs. Whereas for Digital games and DLCs, it involves downloading the original game (.PKG) file and creating the necessary license (.RAP) file for it.

Overview

Before we begin, please read the Quickstart guide to familiarise yourself with how PS3 games are to be handled. Most of the tools and information covered here are already present there. This guide aims to elaborate on what is present in the Quickstart guide and help users avoid common mistakes. If you have questions after reading this guide, do not hesitate to join our Discord server and interact with the community members.

There are two ways to dump your games for RPCS3:

  • Disc games with either a jailbroken PS3 or a compatible Blu-Ray Disc drive.
  • PSN (digital) games and DLCs with a jailbroken PS3.

Note: In case the above information wasn't clear enough, for Disc games a jailbroken PS3 is optional as you can opt for a Blu-Ray Drive instead, but for Digital games and DLCs your only option is a jailbroken PS3.

Software Distribution laws in your country

When dumping video game software, users are subject to country-specific software distribution laws. RPCS3 is not designed to enable illegal activity. We do not promote piracy nor do we allow it under any circumstances. Please take the time to review copyright and video game software dumping laws and/or policies for your country before proceeding.

How to install Homebrews on a jailbroken PS3

Before you can get to dumping the games for RPCS3, you first have to install a couple of Homebrews on your jailbroken PS3. In this guide we are mainly focusing on dumping Disc and Digital games (as well as DLCs), and for that purpose the following Homebrews will be needed/used:

Once you have downloaded the Homebrews above on your PC, place them on the root directory of your USB drive as shown in this screenshot (make sure the USB drive is formatted as FAT32 beforehand). Then insert the USB into your PS3, click Enable HEN on the XMB if you haven't already, then finally follow the steps in this imgur album and finish installing the Homebrews.

An important note about game dumping via USB

The PS3 natively only supports FAT32 format for USB drives and this format comes with limitations, the main one being it only supports transferring files in 4GB chunks. This is not ideal when you're dumping games that can sometimes be as large as 40GB. Best way to get around this limitation is to format your USB drive to NTFS with MBR partition scheme. This will increase the limit of external drives on the PS3 to 2TBs, which is plenty of space for us to work with. Note that only file managers like Managunz support this format, so if you are attempting to install homebrews and such on your PS3 later on, you have to format the drive to FAT32 again before doing so. That is to say, for game dumping use NTFS MBR, and for homebrew installation or anything else, use FAT32.

To format your USB drive to NTFS with MBR partition scheme, download Rufus and format your USB drive the way it's shown in this screenshot. Once formatted, your USB drive is now ready to be used to transfer games from your PS3.

(Optional) Using FTP instead of a USB drive

If you are interested in using FTP for transferring your files instead of a USB drive, you can certainly do that. This is the fastest way of transferring files from your PS3 (especially if you replace the stock HDD on your PS3 with a cheap SATA SSD), but if you do this be sure to use an Ethernet connection. You can connect your Ethernet cable directly to your PC from your PS3, it doesn't have to connect to your router (one end on your PS3's Ethernet port, other end on your PC's Ethernet port). The dumping guides below are written with the USB method in mind, but feel free to swap out the steps that mention USB drive with FTP if that's what you'd prefer using. Here's how to setup an FTP connection to your PS3:

  1. Locate and note down your PS3's local/private IP address in network settings on your PS3 (screenshot).
  2. Install webMAN MOD on your PS3, this homebrew will autostart an FTP server every time you boot up your PS3 and enable HEN.
  3. Open Windows File Explorer on your PC and type ftp://Your-PS3-IP-Address-here into the address bar of File Explorer and hit Enter. Alternatively, you could use Filezilla Client. If using Filezilla, simply enter your PS3's IP in the host box and click Quickconnect (screenshot).
  4. You now have access to your PS3's filesystem over FTP!

Note: If you opt to use Filezilla Client, be sure to set the transfer type to Binary, otherwise your dumps may get corrupted.

How to dump Digital games & DLCs on a jailbroken PS3

Assuming you have a jailbroken PS3, there's 2 ways of dumping Digital games and DLCs from a PS3 console:

  1. PKG Format: Start the download of the Digital game/DLC from the PS store and select Download in Background, let it finish downloading. When it is done, you will see its installer is listed in your games list on the XMB (PS3's home screen). DO NOT INSTALL IT YET! Open Managunz and navigate straight to /dev_hdd0/vsh/task/XXXXXXXX and the PKG files will be waiting for you there.
  2. Folder Format: If you already have the digital game(s) or DLC(s) installed on your console then navigate to /dev_hdd0/game/ and look for the folder(s) named after the game's serial (such as NPUBXXXXX or NPEBXXXXX etc). You will simply need to copy these folder(s).

Note: In regards to folder formatted DLC(s), if your base game for the DLC is a disc copy then the DLC's folder may be named after your game disc's serial instead, like BLUSXXXXX/BLESXXXXX etc.

  • Transferring them to your USB drive: Insert your NTFS MBR formatted USB drive into your PS3, it'll now show up in Managunz as an ntfs:0 entry on the list (screenshot). Copy your Digital game or DLC in whichever format you're interested in from their directories shown above, and paste them into this USB drive. Wait for them to finish copying (screenshot), and once that's done you can move the files to your PC.
  • Installing them on RPCS3: After moving them to your PC, if you dumped your game in PKG format, simply drag and drop the .PKG file into RPCS3's window to install them. If you dumped your game in Folder Format, simply drop the folders you copied in /dev_hdd0/game/ directory in your RPCS3 folder.

How to backup the license (.RAP) files for Digital games & DLCs from a jailbroken PS3

We have covered how to copy the Digital games and DLCs from your PS3, but for them to work on RPCS3, we must also make a backup of their respective license files. These license files are known as .RAP files. The manual way of backing up .RAP files is quite a lengthy process. Instead, here is a fast and easy way to backup your .RAP files for all your Digital games and DLCs using Apollo Save Tool on your PS3:

  1. Open Apollo on your PS3 -> Select User Backup -> Export Licenses -> Export all licenses as .RAPs (screenshot).
  2. Apollo will save your .RAP files in \dev_hdd0\home\0000000x\exdata (folder 0000000x can be 00000001 or 00000002 etc if you have multiple user profiles on your PS3).
  3. Copy these .RAP files to your USB drive using Managunz and transfer them to your PC.
  • Installing these .RAP files on RPCS3: To install your backed up .RAP files on RPCS3, simply drag and drop them into RPCS3's window, or manually place them in /dev_hdd0/home/0000001/exdata in your RPCS3 folder.

Note: If you notice that your .RAP file is missing/not being backed up for a certain Game or DLC there's an easy fix for this. Start a download for the game on your PS3. You can now pause and cancel the download immediately after the download begins to prevent all the game files from being re-downloaded to your PS3 again unnecessarily. The point of doing this is because the license files are always the first to be downloaded and will remain in the PS3's file system even after the download is cancelled. Now repeat the steps above on Apollo again and the .RAP file should successfully be backed up this time.

How to dump Disc games on a jailbroken PS3

Assuming you have a jailbroken PS3, here is how you dump Disc games from a PS3 console:

  1. Insert your Disc into your PS3 and open Managunz File Manager.
  2. Insert your NTFS MBR formatted USB drive into your PS3, it'll now show up in Managunz as an ntfs:0 entry on the list (screenshot).
  3. Go inside the USB drive and make a folder named after the game you're about to copy from its disc. The reason to do this is so that it is easier to keep track of what's being transferred, especially if you are about to transfer multiple games from several discs.
  4. Now go back and go to dev_bdvd on the list (this is your disc's directory). Copy everything in this folder, go back and paste them in the game folder you created in your NTFS MBR formatted USB drive earlier.
  5. Now you can see the game files being copied to your USB drive (screenshot).
  6. Let it finish transferring and you're ready to finish the rest of the steps on your PC!
  • Installing these copied Disc dumps on RPCS3: Simply place your copied game folders in /games inside RPCS3's folder. Alternatively, you could place the game folder anywhere you want on your PC and drag and drop it into RPCS3's window (doing so will add the game folder's path to RPCS3's games configuration file automatically). Now restart RPCS3 and the game(s) should show up on the Games List in RPCS3's GUI.

Note: These disc dumps will be copied in JB Folder (basically Folder format) format. RPCS3 does not support ISOs, so make sure you're not selecting any option that says "copy as ISO" in step 4 above. Follow the steps above as they're written and you will be fine.

An important note about dumping Disc games on PC with Blu-ray Disc Drives

Dumping Disc games via a Blu-ray Drive on PC will prove useful for those who do not have a jailbroken PS3 available. However, please note that this method has the following requirements to work:

  1. A compatible Blu-ray drive is mandatory. This means that not every Blu-ray drive can be used but only those that are specifically found capable of reading PS3 discs. A list of compatible drives are available on our Quickstart guide. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list but rather a list of discovered drives that are known to work. Drives not present in this list might work if they have a Mediatek chipset and a +6 read offset.
  2. This method requires an external key for the decryption of the disc. This is only possible if your game has:
    • An .ird file available in this IRD Database that matches your game's title ID.
    • A decryption key obtained from Redump. These keys are currently not public but can still be used with our One-click disc dumper method as mentioned below.

If you know and have confirmed that you do have a compatible Blu-ray drive, then you have 2 recommended tools available to dump your disc:

  1. The first and recommended method is to use 13xforever's One-click PS3 Disc Dumper. As the name suggests, it's the easiest tool to use and is currently the only tool that can take advantage of the decryption keys from Redump.
  2. The second tool is a command-line tool for Linux users called LibRay. It cannot take advantage of Redump's decryption keys, but for any disc that has an .ird file available, it should work without any issues. Refer to its user guide here for instructions on how to use it.

How to dump Disc games with a compatible Blu-ray drive on PC using PS3 Disc Dumper

Here is how to dump your Disc games using PS3 Disc Dumper tool by 13xforever:

  1. Download the latest version of PS3 Disc Dumper's .Zip archive from here for your appropriate OS, this guide will cover the Windows version, but the steps are similar if you're on MacOS or Linux.
  2. Extract it into a folder and run the executable (ps3-disc-dumper.exe) for the program.
  3. Insert your game Disc into your compatible Blu-ray Disc drive (be sure to mount it afterwards if you're on Linux), then wait for PS3 Disc Dumper to finish scanning it. Once it's finished scanning you will get a message saying the disc is ready to be dumped.
  4. Click Start and wait for the program to finish dumping all the files from the disc. Once it is finished the game will be saved next to the ps3-disc-dumper.exe file in a folder named after the game. Place this folder wherever you want on your PC, and to add it to RPCS3's games list simply drag drop it into RPCS3's window. Alternatively, you can drop the game folder in the /games folder in your RPCS3 folder.

Note: PS3 Disc Dumper is generally pretty good at automatically grabbing the IRD file for the Disc you're dumping, but sometimes you will need to provide the tool with your own sourced or created IRD file. If you are in that situation, make a folder called IRD in the folder where you extracted PS3 Disc Dumper, and place your IRD files in that folder. Then restart the tool and it will automatically use the IRD files from that folder. You can source IRD files from here. If an IRD isn't available for your game, then refer to the guide below to learn how to create your own IRD files.

Creating .ird files

If you lack an .ird file or a decryption key for a game and you have a CFW PS3 you can create your own .ird file using the instructions below:

  1. Install the full version of Managunz on your PS3.
  2. Launch it and insert your game disc into the PS3.
  3. Highlight the game disc and press Triangle then select Dump decrypted Blu-Ray disc.
  4. After it is finished the .ird file can be found here.

Note: You can set your uploader username in ManaGunZ settings under Blu-Ray dumper section.

What's next?

If you've done everything correctly, you will have a successful dump of your game or content.

To check if your Blu-ray disc or PSN package was dumped correctly, click here.

If you are stuck somewhere, or if something in this guide is confusing for you and you have questions, or if you need help regarding anything in this article, please join our Discord server and ask for support from our community members.