Patching PlayStation disc images

Short answer

To patch a PlayStation game, apply the patch to the .bin file, not the .cue. The .cue is a small text index and contains no game data. PPF patches overwrite bytes at fixed offsets and never change the image size, so your .cue stays valid afterwards.

Patch the BIN, not the CUE

A PlayStation rip is normally a pair: a large .bin holding the disc data and a small .cue text file describing the track layout. Patches modify game data, so they target the .bin. Leave the .cue exactly as it is.

A typical .cue file

FILE "Game (USA).bin" BINARY
  TRACK 01 MODE2/2352
    INDEX 01 00:00:00

If the .cue names the .bin by filename, keep the patched file under the same name, or edit the .cue to match. Otherwise your emulator will not find the image.

Games with multiple tracks

Some games rip to several .bin files, with track 1 holding the data and later tracks holding CD audio. Patches almost always target track 1. If the readme does not say, that is the safe assumption.

PPF or xdelta?

PPF was built for this job and is the traditional choice. It cannot change the image size, which is fine because disc images stay the same size. xdelta shows up on larger projects that need to restructure the image.

Verifying a disc image first

Redump is the reference database for disc-based games and publishes SHA-1 hashes. Since PPF 1.0 performs no verification of its own, checking your image against redump before patching is worth the minute it takes. Use the checksum tool.

Frequently asked questions

Do I patch the BIN or the CUE file?

The BIN. The CUE is a plain-text index of disc tracks and holds no game data, so there is nothing in it for a patch to modify.

Will patching change my image size and break the CUE?

Not with PPF, which only overwrites existing bytes and always produces an image of identical size. Your CUE stays valid as long as the filename still matches.

My PS1 game has several BIN files. Which one gets patched?

Track 1, which holds the game data. Later tracks are usually CD audio. If the readme specifies otherwise, follow it.

Can I patch a PS1 game on my phone?

Usually not comfortably. Disc images run to hundreds of megabytes and the browser needs the original and the patched copy in memory simultaneously. A desktop browser is the reliable option.

Keep reading

PPF formatHow it works xdelta formatFor larger projects Verify your imageCheck against redump