Epsxe000.mcr ((top))

The Legacy Artifact: A Technical and Cultural Analysis of epsxe000.mcr

Author: Digital Archiving Working Group
Date: October 2023
Subject: Preservation of early emulation save states

Default Slot: By default, epsxe000.mcr is assigned to Memory Card Slot 1, while epsxe001.mcr typically occupies Slot 2. epsxe000.mcr

• A PS1 memory card.
• A USB memory card reader (e.g., MemCard Pro or old DexDrive).
• MemCardRex to write the .mcr image to the physical card.

The .mcr format is a standard used across many PS1 emulators because it mimics the exact physical layout of the original hardware. File Size: Exactly 131,072 bytes (128 KB). Structure: Divided into 16 blocks of 8 KB each. Block 0: Reserved for the directory (file system). Blocks 1–15: Available for game save data. The Legacy Artifact: A Technical and Cultural Analysis

format is its flexibility. If you decide to switch to a different emulator like or pSX, you don’t have to start your games over: For RetroArch: You can often simply rename epsxe000.mcr A PS1 memory card

1. Close ePSXe.
2. Copy epsxe000.mcr to a safe location (cloud, external drive, separate folder).
3. Rename it to include the date, e.g., epsxe000_backup_2025-03-15.mcr.