Extract text from CSO files
To convert your CSO file to another format, you need PPSSPP or other Disk Image software.
To convert other file formats to the "PSP Game ROM" file type, you need software like PPSSPP or a similar tool.
The .cso file extension primarily represents a Compressed ISO disk image, a format originally developed to save storage space on Sony PlayStation Portable (PSP) memory sticks. While effective at reducing file sizes through Deflate compression, these files often introduce performance penalties - such as lag or long loading times - because the emulator or hardware must decompress data on the fly. Users frequently need to convert .cso back to standard uncompressed ISO files to ensure smooth playback on emulators like PPSSPP or to mount the image on virtual drives. Conversely, users with limited storage may wish to convert ISO to .CSO (levels 1-9) or DAX to maximize space.
A secondary but significant use case is the Compiled Shader Object, generated by Microsoft DirectX. These binary files contain compiled High-Level Shader Language (HLSL) code used for rendering graphics. They are not human-readable and are typically converted back to source code (HLSL, FX) or assembly (ASM) by developers for debugging using tools like the DirectX Shader Compiler.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CSO file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ISO, 7Z, CISO, CHD, RAR, ZIP, PBP, SCO, BIN, CRDOWNLOAD, APK, PCK and CUE files.
If you want to convert CSO file to ISO, CHD, OBJ, FBX, DAE, 3DS, MAX, BLEND, MA, MB, C4D or STL, you can use PPSSPP or similar software from the "Compressed Game Disk Image" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DWG, DAE, X3D, IGES, WRL, JT, SKP, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, STEP or FBX files to CSO, try PPSSPP or another comparable tool in the "Compressed Game Disk Image" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CSO converter.