File Types

Archive Files

Archives are used to store the content of one or more files within a single file. Archives are commonly compressed to reduce disk and network usage. The most common archives for ROMs are .zip and .7z, among several others.

Archives may need to be extracted depending on your emulator and the ROM file type inside. Generally, disc-based games and cartidge-based games starting with the 3DS must be extracted.

Program	Supported Systems	Supported Types
PeaZip	Windows MacOS Linux	Most
7-Zip	Windows	Most
Files (iOS)	iOS	.zip .7z (renamed to .zip)
Windows Explorer	Windows	.zip

RVZ Files

RVZ files are compressed ISO files for GameCube and Wii. They will work on the Dolphin emulator but not on real hardware. Since RVZ is compressed, they will download and use less storage, at some cost to loading speed. It is recommended to use RVZ if you are emulating. If you are planning to use real hardware, use Dolphin Emulator to convert the files to ISO.