GameCube Save Converter
Open a Dolphin memory card (.raw) to take saves off it as .gci, GameShark .gcs or MaxDrive .sav files, or open single saves to put them on a card. A card you open keeps its own header; single saves on their own go onto a new card formatted the way Dolphin formats one.
Or drop them here. They are read on this device and never uploaded.
Which GameCube save formats does it convert?
A GameCube save is a 64-byte directory entry plus 8 KB blocks. The single-save formats wrap that in different headers, and a card image holds up to 127 of them with a block table.
| Format | Files | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Memory card image | .raw | Dolphin, Swiss and GCMM card dumps, MemCard PRO GC |
| GCI save | .gci | Dolphin GCI folders, Swiss, Nintendont |
| GameShark save | .gcs | GameShark GameSaves |
| MaxDrive save | .sav | Datel MaxDrive |
How to convert a GameCube save
Open your save
Drop a .raw card, one or more .gci, .gcs or .sav saves, or a card together with saves. For a new card, pick its size first.
Check what was found
The converter names the format it found and lists the saves inside, with any problem it spotted in the file.
Pick the format you need
Press the button for the emulator or device you are moving the save to. The new file downloads straight away.
Copy it into place
Put the downloaded file where your emulator or device keeps its saves, using the name the game expects.
How to add a .gci to a Dolphin memory card
Open the card and the .gci together and press Dolphin memory card. The save goes into the first free directory slot and free blocks, the update counters go up by one and the checksums are rewritten, the same steps Dolphin's own import takes.
F-Zero GX and Phantasy Star Online tie their system file to the card's serial number. Dolphin rewrites those files when it imports them, and so does the converter.
Other save converters
- PS1 Save Converter: Memory cards (.mcr, .mcd, .srm), PSP and Vita .VMP, DexDrive .gme, PS3 .PSV and single saves.
- PS2 Save Converter: PCSX2 .ps2 cards, EMS .psu, Action Replay .max, CodeBreaker .cbs and PS3 .PSV.
- N64 Save Converter: EEPROM, SRAM, FlashRAM and Controller Pak saves, RetroArch .srm, EverDrive 64 and DexDrive .n64.
- GBA Save Converter: Raw .sav, RetroArch .srm, GameShark .sps and .gsv, Action Replay .xps, with resizing.
- DS Save Converter: Raw .sav, DeSmuME .dsv and Action Replay .duc / .dss, with trimming and padding.
- Game Boy Save Converter: GB and GBC .sav and .srm, with the MBC3 real-time clock carried across.
- SNES Save Converter: .srm and .sav for emulators and flash carts, Retron 5 saves, resizing.
- Genesis Save Converter: Gens and Kega Fusion, RetroArch Genesis Plus GX, Retrode, MiSTer and MegaSD saves.
- Saturn Save Converter: Mednafen .bkr and .bcr, Beetle Saturn, Yabause and plain memory images, plus single .BUP saves.
- Dreamcast Save Converter: VMU images, Nexus .DCI saves and .VMS with .VMI pairs.
Frequently asked questions
Does it check the card for damage?
Yes. The header, both directory copies and both block tables are checked. A card with one bad copy opens from the good one, and the list notes it.
What size card does it make?
A 251-block card unless you pick another. Sizes from 59 to 2043 blocks are offered, the same sizes Dolphin supports.
Does the card work on a real GameCube as it is?
No. A card image needs a tool like GCMM or Swiss to write it to a real card, and real cards tie some data to their own serial number.