Internal memory cards

Internal memory cards on the PS3 are used to store Playstation and Playstation 2 data (e.g. PS2 game saves). A PS2 card stores up to 8MB, and a PS1 card up to 120KB.

Because these cards emulate the older Playstation hardware, they have been given a concept of slots. It works in the same way you would plug a physical memory card into a slot on a PS2; now you assign the Internal Memory Card to a virtual slot. A card must be assigned to a slot to be available for use when playing PS/PS2 games.

Create an internal memory card

Go to the “Game” menu and choose Memory Card Utility
Choose New internal memory card
Choose which card type of want—Playstation (PS) or Playstation 2 (PS2)
Enter a new name for the card if you wish (you can always change it later)
You will be informed that the card must be assigned to a slot to be used
The new card will now be showing in the menu

Assign a card to a slot

Find the card you want to assign and go to its options (Triangle controller button)
Choose the Assign Slots option
Assign it to Slot 1 or Slot 2. If it’s already assigned you may choose to Remove it here
The memory card will now be shown in the menu with a number next to it (a circled “1″ or “2″). This allows you to browse the cards you have and see which are currently assigned

Browse card contents

Select the memory card you want to browse
If the card is empty you will get a “There is no saved data” message
Otherwise you should see the content items, like game save files. Each file should have a title and show its filesize and modification date. PS2 game saves typically have small 3D models that correspond to the game, like a prince from “We Love Katamari”
Go to the options (Triangle controller button) of an item to Copy or Delete it. You can copy to a new memory card, an existing memory card, or a USB drive

Transfer PS2 memory card data to PS3

Screenshots

Fruition

Does anyone know… Is it possible to get the virtual memory card file off of the PS3? Say, for example, I wanted to share my internal memory card with another PS3. Could this be done?

Furthermore, does anyone know the file extension of the virtual memory card file for the PS1?
http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

Hi Fruition. That’s a good suggestion for a PS3Explained article!

You can copy the individual files off an internal memory card to a USB drive–go to the options of each file and choose Copy, selecting the USB device as destination.

Then you can find the USB device listed under Memory Cards. Browse it and you can copy the files back to an internal memory card.
http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

Also, when I copied a PS1 save (Crash Team Racing) to USB it had a .psv file extension, same as a PS2 file.
MainManMoon

For those that dont know, to get the save from a USB, you must frist make 3 folders. Frist being a PS3, next called EXPORT inside that folder and the next called PSV inside that folder on the USB or Flash Disk drive. Simply place the .psv files in the PSV folder and then you will be able to access them on the PS3
Ben

Does anyone know where to download .psv files?
dan

if i deleted my card can i get it back
http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

dan, no there is no undo…
Brendon

I recently bought a Playstation 1 game called Final Fantasy Chronicles which is FF 4 and Chrono Trigger. I have also created an internal memory card through Memory Card Utility for PS. I have it assigned to slot one and it is empty. I play the game and I do not see any save feature in the game itself so I figure it must auto-save. But when i go to check my internal memory card for Final Fantasy Chronicles data there is no save data. Can anyone help me successfully save my Playstation 1 game?

Thanks
MoreGrease

Old games rarely (or perhaps never) autosave, as the save space was limited and thus would require you to choose what blocks to save in, usually. Check the manual, if you have it, for how to save those games.
http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

Brendon: The Final Fantasy games I’ve played don’t have auto-save but “save points” at various spots in the game. Often the first save point is quite a way into the game! e.g. 30-60 mins. You’ll know it when you get the option though.
Azn

Okay, here’s a question. How can you take save files used off an emulator (like .gme or .mcr format) and convert them to .psv format which is the only type of format ps3s recognize. I’ve recently come across a few game saves online that I’d like to try out but it seems that the save files aren’t recognizable by the ps3. Can anyone help me?
neji50

i was just wondering if there is a way to take a saved data from an internal memory card created for ps1 games to an internal memory card created for ps2 games like if i wanted to take suikoden 2 saved data and upload it to suikoden 3 it needs to be on my ps2 memory card cause i cant figure out how to get both cards in the slots at one time?
http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

neji50: Well PS1 saves/cards would not be compatible with PS2 games. Even if you could move the file to the memory card, the game would not read it.
John

Hi, I wonder if you can help me. I’ve searched everywhere and can’t seem to find any mention of this problem: I’m trying to create an internal memory card on my PS3. I follow the steps but each time I reach the stage of naming the card nothing else happens after, it just returns me to the naming screen (this happens when I try NOT renaming the internal memory card too…). I never get the option of assigning a slot – I’ve never seen that screen before seeing the picture above.

So, any ideas please? Any help would be greatly appreciated, my gf wants to save her Crash Bandicoot game and I’m getting it in the neck because she can’t…

Thanks,

John
Gi

Is it possible to use a ps1-emulator-save game on a ps3? I want to play FFIX again, but my ps3 fails to read a few parts on cd 1 which my dvd-burner reads without any problems.. I really don’t want to buy FFIX a third time just because one cd is damaged..
Elle

I’m having the same problem as John…any help would be most appreciated
John

I’ve solved it Ellie. Embarrassingly enough, I simply had to enter the name, press start, and then in the screen where it shows the new name you’ve given the internal memory card press down – so that the “Ok” becomes highlighted – then press X.

Previously I’d been pressing X when the memory card’s name was highlighted – which then obviously just takes you back into re-entering the name. Whoops… Hope that helps anyway.
Joe

I’m having the same problem as Gi, but with Final Fantasy 8. I actually managed to convert my saved game from psv to mcs. Using a very cool program called psv exporter. I then managed to convert the file to the PC version of the saved game file using PSXMemTools. I got past the part my game was freezing at. Now I just need something to go back to psv or some other format the PS3 will recognize. Anyone got any suggestions. Thanks in advance.
Jess

I’m having a problem with saving God of War 2. I’ve created an internal memory card, assigned it to a slot, and it’s totally empty. However when I get to the first save point, it says ‘No Memory Card Found in Slot 1 or 2.’ At the same time, under the PS menu and under ‘Assign Slots’ it says ‘There are no internal memory cards.’ Any ideas? I’m getting really sick of playing the first stage over and over again! Thanks!
charles

I have recently bought a ps3 and have been playing my old ps1 games and was wondering where i could get a ps3 virtual memory save for FF:Anthology and FF:Chronicles(mainly Chrono TRigger)?
Ryan

hi im having a problem witn my virtual memory card. I downloaded final fantasy 7 in psv format. It shows on the memory card bit but when i start the game up the data isnt there. Can anyone help me?
http://donthave Anto

I’m Wondering Where do you Download psv Format. Because i want a Crash Bandicoot One and More.Can Any One Help Me????
Cortez560

Yeah can anyone tell me a site where i can download psv files ?
I’d like to play with Nitrous Oxide in ctr, cause i’ve never tried it…
cemozge

I have the original 60gb PS3 that was released & have recently been playing PS2 game Devil May Cry 3 on it. I created the internal memory card & was saving the data without any problems for about 6 missions. For some reason, the last couple of times i’ve gone to play it, it wont auto load the data & says ‘no memory card inserted’. I get the same message if i try to manually load. But if i look at the saved data in the PS3 menu, i can see it there. My friend is having the same problem with a different PS2 game.
Does anyone know what this could be?
Jonno

hey i have just downloaded a psv file for final fantasy x done all the folder things and have copied to the ps3, but when i actually go into the game the save file does not appear in any of the slots….please help as i thought this was meant to be an easy process
Ben

hello.
My brother has a problem with his PS3; it seems that his games won’t load their memory files anymore.. I think my brother or someone had created a ps1/2 internal memory card slot.. and then deleted it.. The PS3 no longer loads files. I’d save Call of Duty 4 file… then the next day when I attempt to load it; it won’t load.. it’d take me back to the start. Help would be much appreciated.

Cheers, Ben.
Hayley

I’m having a problem with my internal memory card. At first I tried to use saved PS2 data but it said there was no memory card in slot a. So I followed the instructions to make a new one, and it just keeps loading. After I name it I press ok and then screen is blank except for the graphic that is always in the background. Its been that way for about an hour.
Jester

Does anyone know where to get new internal memory?
Etco

new Ps3, followed the instruction concerning internal memory, when I want to save the game on the ps3 it tells me that there are no card slots. I made two on the ps3 and I see them before I load the game. What am I not doing right?
http://peoplepc.com hunter byrum

ok so i got my 80 gb ps3 system and ncaa 09 it worked fine until i got ratchet and clank future tools of destruction i know i have enough memory but every time i try to play it says i do not have enough what should i do?

http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

It sounds like the game wants to put install files on your PS3. Not all games do this. It’s usually 2-6GB so you need to check how much free space you have on the hard-drive.

Kime

Hey, i’ve been wondering about this and if anyone knows, that would be great. With the internal memory cards for the ps2/ps1 in the ps3, is it possible to take the data on them and transfer them to an external memory card? Like, if i started playing a ps2 game on the ps3 and want to move it’s save data onto a normal ps2 memory card, so i’d be able to use it on the ps2.

http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

Kime: Check out our memory card transfer article. There’s a small section on transferring from PS3 back to PS2.

evan1337

so im trying to play Kingdom Hearts on my ps3 and it works fine but i try to save and it says no internal memory card is detected. I’ve made one and assigned it to slot 1 and it still says its not there
http://shahryar.net Shahryar

Yeah, this is what I want to do. I’m about to start playing Final Fantasy VIII on my PS3 (I never finished it when I owned it on PS1) and have two PS3s in the house and I’d like the freedom to play the game on both systems depending on where I’ll be. Ideally, I would be able to share files on a network, but I don’t know if something like that exists.

then00b

i have a problem i have downloaded the need for speed carbon save data using the psv programeach time i star the game it tells me i hav no aliases can someone help me plz T_T
LeoMcKylle

I’ve bought the 80GB PS3 and i can create internal memory cards for the PS2 and copy over save game data from it as well but i can’t play any PS2 games. Yet it does recodnise that the disks are PS2 games. So if i can’t play the games at all or i’m just not meant to be able to play them then whats the point in letting me access the PS2 memory card utilities? Why put it in there in the first place? Or were people just to lazy to remove it from the coding and just put a block on the ability to play them. I even bet that the software that lets you play them is still in my PS3 as well and its simply blocked.
Heavenly_Malice

I have a 60gig ps3 and i made backups of my OLD ps1 saves of FF IX one is in a .GME and the other is a .MCR but my PS3 wont recognize them. IS there a way to convert these files to the .PSV format so my PS3 will read and copy them to my Virtual Memory Cards?
Aaron

I have the 60 gig PS3 and i just sold all my two games for one so i deleted the memory of the games. But the new game says i need at least 480 mb but one of the games i deleted MGS4 had liek 4006 mb and i deleted it. Why won’t the new game play it keeps saying the same thing over and over.

http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

Aaron: have a look over our clean up old files guide. Check the “system information” on your PS3 to see how much free space there really is.

Joshua

wow thanks alot, i was quite disapointed when i couldn’t save on wild arms :\. though i discovered i have an internal ps2 mem card and my ps3 doesn’t even play ps2 games?? lol
jeff

Hey just i would like to know if i can take saved game files from my internal ps2 memory card and move or copy them to an actual ps2 memory card?

http://ps3explained.com/ Flame

jeff: Check our guide memory card transfer. Towards the bottom we talk about copying from PS3 to PS2 memory card.
http://shahryar.net Shahryar

I’ll check this guide out to. I want to take my saved Final Fantasy 7 game on my 60gb orig PS3 to my other semi-backwards compatible MGS4-bundle PS3. I’m hoping I can do it with a USB drive

Surge

Hey do you think you can actually Answer the Question that was asked so many times but ignored?

First of all, I have a Nov06 60gig Launch PS3.
For about a Year up until somewhere in early 2008 My PS3 was a Blast with Internal Memory Cards and shit. But not no more! >:C

Why Is my PS3 Saying “There are no Internal Memory Cards” when I try to Save or load in a PS2 Game? I check the memory Card Utility and I have like 10 Cards now, I have even tried loading off of my Live PS2 Memory card thru the adapter (Which it also used to do fine) It just says the Same thing “AINT NO PS2 MEMORY CARD FOO”

Please help…
Surge

Please Help! This is a Serious Problem. I only got a PS3 so I could replace my Broken PS2 and keep playing my 50+ PS2 Library.
Nomi

Hey there I’m having a problem with my virtual memory card.I created 2 of them one for slot 1 and 2. I then downloaded final fantasy 7 in psv format. It shows on the memory card bit but when I play the game and make it to the save point the data isn’t there… it tells me there are no memory cards in the slot… I’m confused as to what I’m doing wrong, someone please help, damsel in distress!

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