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ArcStation

Virtual Memory Card

Virtual Memory Card (VMC) lets you use a file on the SD card as a PlayStation memory card.

ArcStation creates one VMC file per game at /memcards/<game>.mcd. That means you can have as many memory cards as games in your library, and each game gets the full capacity of its own card without interfering with other saves.

ArcStation uses the standard raw memory card format. You can copy VMC files from the SD card to your computer and import them into emulators (for example, DuckStation), and you can also copy memory card files from an emulator back onto the SD card.

A game’s VMC file is created only after the game writes at least one block to the memory card.

VMC is disabled by default. To enable it, press → Settings → Virtual Memcard, then select Slot 1 or Slot 2 to “insert” VMC into that slot.

Copy saves between VMC and a real memory card

Section titled “Copy saves between VMC and a real memory card”

ArcStation does not currently include a built-in memory card manager. To copy saves between VMC and a real memory card, use the PlayStation BIOS memory card manager.

  1. Boot the game whose VMC you want to copy from/to.
  2. Wait until the game finishes loading.
  3. Open the lid.
  4. Press the console Reset button. The console should boot into the BIOS menu.
  5. Select Memory Card, then copy/move saves between VMC and the real memory card.
  6. When you’re done:
    • Press Reset again to boot back into the selected game, or
    • Power-cycle the console to return to the ArcStation menu.