Extract text from RWS files
To convert your RWS file to another format, you need RenderWare or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Game Asset Archive" file type, you need software like RenderWare or a similar tool.
The .RWS extension is a multi-purpose container format, most frequently associated with the RenderWare engine developed by Criterion Software (now owned by Electronic Arts). In this context, RWS files act as binary streams containing game assets like textures, 3D models (DFF), and scripts used in classic titles such as Grand Theft Auto III and Burnout. The main difficulty with RenderWare RWS files is their proprietary binary structure; they function as sealed archives that standard image viewers or media players cannot open, making it difficult for modders to extract assets or listen to embedded audio.
Beyond the RenderWare engine, .RWS files serve distinct roles in other software ecosystems. In the popular survival game RimWorld, RWS files are actually XML text files used to store game save data. Users often need to convert these to standard XML or TXT formats to edit save states or troubleshoot mods manually. Additionally, Autodesk Revit uses RWS files as worksharing logs, which track user activity in collaborative projects. These logs are plain text but obscurely named, often requiring conversion to CSV or TXT for easier parsing in spreadsheet software.
Best Conversion Targets:
Convert.Guru analyzes your RWS file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted RW2, RVT, PDF, ESF, OSI and THEWITCHERSAVE files.
If you want to convert RWS file to SYS, DLL, EXE, DRV, VXD, 386, COM, BAT, CMD, SCR, PIF or LNK, you can use RenderWare or similar software from the "Game Asset Container" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MSI, EXE, REG, MST, LNK, CAB, CAT, DRV, INF, SYS, MSU or DLL files to RWS, try RenderWare or another comparable tool in the "Game Asset Container" 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 RWS converter.