PS3 [TUTORIAL] How to split a large PKG file for OFW

[sandungas]

There is an additional thing you can do to split games with files bigger than 4gb (a.k.a. "bigfiles"), but only works if the bigfile is a PSARC of an special type

There are only a few games that allows for what im going to explain, but are important, like all games made by naughty dog (all uncharteds, the last of us, etc...) and some more because sony recommends game developers companies to use PSARC (and game companies usually refuses the offer, but some acepts it, specially if are "sony friendly" or property of sony)

But i guess first is needed an introduction... a PSARC file is a container file format, is just like a .zip in windows
When a game company creates a .psarc they are free to choose some "features" to be enabled, this info is stored in the header of the .psarc file ... so by reading the header you can see how it was made

Well... what you need to find is the value stored at header offset 0x1C with a lenght of 4 bytes named archive_flags in this table (where t tells "PSARC header example"):
http://www.psdevwiki.com/ps3/PlayStation_archive_(PSARC)#Header

If the value are 4 zeroes (00 00 00 00) you are lucky, the game can be splitted by folowing this steps:

1) Use a psarc extractor (command line tool, or any other psarc tool) to extract the contents of the original PSARC to the same folder where it was located originally
2) profit


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What happens is that PSARC files using archive_flags = 00 00 00 00 are loaded by the game "transparently" (like if the PSARC file did not existed)
So... we are replacing the PSARC by his contents... and the game structure is the same

 

[salehOP]

if you split a core file with one of the programs out there that let you split files, will the game work after installing it to the ps3?

 

[pinky]

if you split a core file with one of the programs out there that let you split files, will the game work after installing it to the ps3?

hmm...that's an interesting question. my guess is yes, otherwise splitting a pkg for fat32 would be meaningless. also, you can combine pkg files with cmd prompt on the computer, possible split them too.

 

[DeViL303]

if you split a core file with one of the programs out there that let you split files, will the game work after installing it to the ps3?

No it wont work if you are using HAN which I assume you are due to the thread title. CFW has the ability to merge chunks, but not OFW/HAN.

 

[salehOP]

No it wont work if you are using HAN which I assume you are due to the thread title. CFW has the ability to merge chunks, but not OFW/HAN.

so for the time being there is no way to split a game if it got a core file larger than 4gb? and can it happen in the future?

 

[DeViL303]

so for the time being there is no way to split a game if it got a core file larger than 4gb? and can it happen in the future?

I really doubt it. The only way to install games like that is via PKG Linker.

 

[sandungas]

so for the time being there is no way to split a game if it got a core file larger than 4gb? and can it happen in the future?

No, the only exception is if the bigfile is a .psarc of an special type as i explained above

One of the reasons why is not going to work for other bigfiles (not psarc) is because the internal structure of that bigfiles is usually an invention of the game developers (or a format used by the game engine they was using to make that game). The game expects to find the file in that same format, in that same path

If you split the bigfile (converting it in several files instead of only 1) you are changing the path... and the game cant find it


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PSARC is the exception because one of the features of it is by using it you can "fake" directory paths
And other feature of it is it can create a "virtual directory" by merging several psarc files (some kind of "on the fly" directory building)

Actually... now im thinking in it... maybe is posible to do it by putting the bigfiles inside .psarc's and using the flags i mentioned before

The biggest doubt i have to achieve this is, if a game that was compiled without any psarc is going to acept a psarc added to his directory structure

 

[Louay]

@DeViL303 can we make pkg install list i mean install severl packages in one click like the game updates does taking for example gta v it download from the first update pkg to the 1.27 pkg can we edit an xml or file to make package install one after other ?? or from the first pkg to specific pkg !?

 

[bguerville]

The biggest doubt i have to achieve this is, if a game that was compiled without any psarc is going to acept a psarc added to his directory structure

I doubt a game can work with its own files in a psarc archive unless it was designed to.
However, in theory, it should be possible to create a userland custom ROP chain to make a psarc file extractor tool. It would even be possible to make a simple file binary file splitter/merger tool.

 

[DeViL303]

@DeViL303 can we make pkg install list i mean install severl packages in one click like the game updates does taking for example gta v it download from the first update pkg to the 1.27 pkg can we edit an xml or file to make package install one after other ?? or from the first pkg to specific pkg !?

No, I don't think there is any way to do that. I suppose you could extract all the updates on PC, and then merge them into one, making sure to paste each ones files into the main one in the correct order, overwriting any previous files with the same name, but that's not really what you are looking for.

 

[sandungas]

I doubt a game can work with its own files in a psarc archive unless it was designed to.

What makes me doubt is psarc format is "made by sony", so maybe there are some firmware functions that makes the psarc work (and the game just uses them, but is not the game who does the psarc management)
I guess this kind of features needs to be enabled when the game is compiled... but maybe is not needed

For the paths there is no problem if the psarc has the flags i mentioned (no flags)
As example, this path (to a "file.bin" inside a "resources.psarc"):
USRDIR/files/resources.psarc/file.bin
Is the same as:
USRDIR/files/resources/file.bin

In this example im replacing the file "resources.psarc" by a folder named "resources"
The game doesnt notices the change

 

[blakluv69]

I can not understand whats happening Or why I am using a 32 GB Zip and the pkg is Only 4.65GB so how in the H... Is there NOT enough space Or rOOm fOr me tO dwnld[emoji102]

Sent from my LGMS210 using Tapatalk

 

[bguerville]

I can not understand whats happening Or why I am using a 32 GB Zip and the pkg is Only 4.65GB so how in the H... Is there NOT enough space Or rOOm fOr me tO dwnld[emoji102]

Sent from my LGMS210 using Tapatalk

Fat32 specifications on standard hdds imply a 4Gb maximum size limit per file & 2Tb size limit per partition.

 

[XsystemUpdateX]

Will this work on PERSONA 5? 16.5gb pkg size

 

[Louay]

No it will not split game which contains a file higher than 4gb so don't waste your time transfer the game with pkg linker

 

[benfrost94]

Will this work on PERSONA 5? 16.5gb pkg size

It won't

Sent from my MotoG3 using Tapatalk

 

[rasenshuriken]

This thing didn't work for me. It extracted the pkg's fine but when I clicked split, the program would create folders like BLXXXXXXX_1,2,3,...200 until my drive was full. thankfully there is pkglinker lol.

 

[montcer]

This thing didn't work for me. It extracted the pkg's fine but when I clicked split, the program would create folders like BLXXXXXXX_1,2,3,...200 until my drive was full. thankfully there is pkglinker lol.

LOL. It keeps my attention that people is splitting PKG which content is "BLXXXX" ... aren't those PKGs just a disc based game, repacked?

I will add a warning in the first post; it makes no sense to make a PKG if you HAVE THE GAME DISC! Well, at least not for me.
If people is going to use their backups, why they do not use the official backups, aka, NP versions of the game? I know, for a fact, that not all the games have a digital version, but for those I first convert the disc based game.

Either way, will try to fix that bug in an upcoming assistant.

 

[bguerville]

LOL. It keeps my attention that people is splitting PKG which content is "BLXXXX" ... aren't those PKGs just a disc based game, repacked?

I will add a warning in the first post; it makes no sense to make a PKG if you HAVE THE GAME DISC! Well, at least not for me.
If people is going to use their backups, why they do not use the official backups, aka, NP versions of the game? I know, for a fact, that not all the games have a digital version, but for those I first convert the disc based game.

Either way, will try to fix that bug in an upcoming assistant.

It's not that simple, there are licensing issues at hand here.
Because your own a BD disc does not qualify you to get a license to run a PSN version. Versions are not interchangeable like you suggest, at least not legally...

Moreover, disc conversions using a lic.dat file do not require HAN to run, whereas PSN versions always need to be resigned & HAN to be enabled to run.
As a result, there is a distinct advantage in using a BD conversion in some cases.

 

[rasenshuriken]

I used psn pkg's too and same result, program kept going and creating folders until my drive was full...I deleted it.

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