Extract text from ZSNES saved states (ZS4)
To convert ZS4 saved states to another format, you need ZSNES or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Emulator Save State" file type, you need software like ZSNES or a similar tool.
A .ZS4 file is a save state created by the ZSNES emulator. It stores a direct memory snapshot of a Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game, allowing users to resume gameplay at the exact moment the state was saved in slot number 4.
The main disadvantage of the .ZS4 format is its rigid, proprietary nature. It is a raw memory dump that only ZSNES understands. It cannot be opened by web browsers, text editors, or modern SNES emulators like Snes9x or RetroArch. Furthermore, ZSNES has not been updated since 2007 and contains known security exploits, forcing users to seek ways to migrate their data to safer platforms.
Converting a .ZS4 file directly into another emulator's save state format (such as 004) is extremely difficult because every emulator maps system memory differently. The most practical workaround is to load the .ZS4 file in ZSNES, perform a standard in-game battery save, and extract the resulting SRM file, which is a universal format accepted by almost all emulators.
Because this file is a closed memory dump, standard online converters fail to process it. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your ZS4 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted ZST, SMC and CHT files.
If you want to convert ZS4 file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use ZSNES or similar software from the "Emulator Save State" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to ZS4, try ZSNES or another comparable tool in the "Emulator Save State" 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 ZS4 converter.