Optimal File Extension for each system

AlbertoNavarro

Hello everyone!

I was investigating the possibles files extensions on each system and I wonder if there is any possibility of indicating which of the extensions is optimal in terms of performance / weight.

The actual list by system in Batocera 5.23 (RPi3) is this one:

amiga .zip .adf .uae .ipf .dms .adz .lha
amigacd32 .iso .cue .zip .lha
amstradcpc .cdt .cpc .dsk .zip
apple2 .nib .do .po .dsk
atari2600 .7z .a26 .bin .gz .rom .zip
atari5200 .xfd .atr .atx .cdm .cas .bin .a52 .xex .zip
atari7800 .a78 .bin .zip
atari800 .rom .xfd .atr .atx .cdm .cas .bin .a52 .xex .zip .7z
atarist .zip .st .stx .img .rom .raw .ipf .ctr
c64 .crt .d64 .d71 .d80 .d81 .d82 .g41 .g64 .t64 .x64 .tap .prg .p00 .crt .zip
cavestory .exe
colecovision .bin .col .rom .zip
dos .pc .dos
dreamcast .cdi .gdi .chd
fba .zip .7z
fds .7z .nes .fds .zip
gameandwatch .mgw .zip
gamegear .7z .bin .gg .zip
gb .7z .gb .gbc .zip
gb2players .gb .zip .7z
gba .7z .gba .gb .gbc .zip
gbc .7z .gb .gbc .zip
gbc2players .gbc .zip .7z
gx4000 .dsk .m3u .cpr .zip
intellivision .int .itv .bin .rom
lightgun .zip .7z
lutro .lua .lutro .zip
lynx .7z .lnx .zip
mame .zip .7z
mastersystem .7z .bin .sms .zip
megadrive .7z .smd .bin .gen .md .sg .smd .zip
moonlight .moonlight
msx .dsk .cas .mx1 .mx2 .m3u .rom .zip
n64 .z64 .n64 .v64
neogeo .7z .fba .zip
neogeocd .cue .iso .chd
nes .nes .unif .unf .zip .7z
ngp .7z .ngp .zip
ngpc .ngc .zip
o2em .bin .zip
pcengine .7z .ccd .chd .cue .pce .sgx .zip
pcenginecd .pce .cue .ccd .iso .img .bin .chd .zip .7z
pokemini .min
prboom .wad .iwad
psp .iso .cso .pbp
psx .bin .cue .img .mdf .pbp .toc .cbn .m3u .ccd .chd
satellaview .bs .smc .sfc .zip .7z
scummvm .7z .svm .scummvm .residualvm .zip
sega32x .7z .32x .smd .bin .md .zip
segacd .chd .cue .iso
sg1000 .7z .bin .sg .zip
snes .smc .fig .sfc .gd3 .gd7 .dx2 .bsx .swc .zip .7z
sufami .st .fig .bs .smc .sfc .zip .7z
supergrafx .7z .ccd .chd .cue .pce .sgx .zip
vectrex .7z .bin .gam .vec .zip
virtualboy .7z .vb .zip
wswan .7z .ws .zip
wswanc .7z .wsc .zip
x68000 .dim .zip .img .d88 .88d .hdm .dup .2hd .xdf .hdf .cmd .m3u
zx81 .tzx .p .zip
zxspectrum .7z .sna .szx .z80 .tap .tzx .gz .udi .mgt .img .trd .scl .dsk .zip .rzx

BZZ

I dont think it would make much difference if any.... I go for ZIP when available simply do to compression -> smaller size..

AlbertoNavarro

Well, trust me that it makes the difference in PSX or Dreamcast in CHD for example. In this exact case it could be CHD v4 or v5, even this is not clear and has to be investigated for each user in each case.

No everybody has to know this details and can be helpful, even when is a simple change in a txt that is already done.

Regards.

BZZ

AlbertoNavarro Well obviously there are 'better' and 'worse' type of formats in general. For example:
ISO < BIN/CUE or RAR > ZIP > 7Z. These are either better in compression or load times or simply single file vs multiple(for example CUE). But these can also vary not only system to system but also game to game. Some games might have better rip in one format rather than another that is theoretically better. You would have to explain a whole line of reasoning of choosing one format over another and quote sources of games and games themselves. This can also be based on emulator used and system configuration. One emulator can read particular file format better than another. Same with as x64 will be faster than Raspberry to open some formats. Odroid will be slower to open ISO than actual PC is.

If we talk generally it would not be accurate enough so each person will have their own reasoning. Overall the differences in most will be very marginal.