Saving Your PS1 Classic and PS2 Games on Your PS3

How to transfer save data between the consoles

The PS3 with a controller and some games.
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The original PlayStation console was home to some great video games, like Final Fantasy VII and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. These titles require a memory card to save data, but the PlayStation 3 doesn't support them. It uses a hard drive instead. Here's how to use your old save game files.

Create an Internal (Virtual) PS1 or PS2 Memory Card

This method utilizes XrossMediaBar (XMB), a graphical user interface designed by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Sony phased out XMB starting with the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4.

  1. Exit any game or video you are playing and navigate to the Game menu on your XMB. It should be indicated by a silhouette of a PlayStation DualShock 3 controller.

  2. Select Memory Card Utility (PS/PS2).

  3. Select the Create New Internal Memory Card option.

  4. Choose the appropriate memory card for the game you want to play, either Internal Memory Card (PS2) for a PlayStation 2 game or Internal Memory Card (PS) for a PS1 Classic game.

    Like the original physical memory cards, you can use one Internal (virtual) Memory Card for multiple game saves. Start by only creating one card for each system, even if you intend to play more than one game.

  5. Enter a name for your new Internal Memory Card using the directional pad of your Dualshock controller. For example, use an obvious name, such as PS1 Memory or PS2 Game Saves. Select OK when finished.

  6. Assign the memory card to a slot by selecting the one you created and pressing the Triangle button. Then, select Assign Slots and choose either Slot 1 or Slot 2.

    It's best to assign a card to Slot 1. The two virtual slots represent the physical slots on the original PS1 and PS2 systems, where you would insert a memory card.

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