To create PSX .bin and .cue files, put the original disc in an optical drive, use an imaging program’s disc-read mode, choose BIN/CUE output, and let the program read the complete disc. Keep the generated CUE beside every BIN file it references. The BIN contains the disc data; the CUE is the text map that tells software how files and tracks are arranged. For an ordinary personal-use image, this workflow is usually enough. A preservation-grade dump is a different job that requires a compatible drive, specialist software and checks for data that a generic BIN/CUE image may not capture.
What a PSX BIN/CUE image actually contains
A BIN/CUE image is a pair of files representing one optical disc. The .bin file stores the sectors read from the disc. The .cue file is a small text description of the disc layout: which image files belong to the disc, where tracks and indexes begin, whether a track is data or audio, and whether gaps or other flags are present.
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The CUE is therefore not a second copy of the game. Deleting it does not remove the sectors from the BIN, but many emulators and image tools will no longer know how to interpret a multi-track BIN correctly. A CUE is also not interchangeable with a generic text file: its FILE, TRACK, INDEX and, where applicable, PREGAP entries must describe the actual table of contents (TOC) of the disc.
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A cue sheet in plain language
A typical cue contains a file declaration followed by track declarations. A simplified example looks like this:
FILE "game.bin" BINARY
TRACK 01 MODE2/2352
INDEX 01 00:00:00
TRACK 02 AUDIO
INDEX 01 12:34:56The exact track mode, time codes and file names vary by disc. The example is illustrative, not a template to paste over a real dump. If the software produced several BIN files, the CUE may contain several FILE lines or assign different tracks to different files.
Why PSX discs often need track metadata
Many PlayStation discs are not one uninterrupted data track. A game can have a data track plus CD-DA music tracks, making it a mixed-mode, multi-track disc. The game code may load from the data track while the soundtrack is played from separate audio tracks. The cue sheet preserves the order and boundaries that let an emulator or writer find both kinds of content.
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- the sequence of tracks and the file that contains each one;
- track and index start positions;
- pregaps and omitted gaps;
- data or audio flags and the relevant sector mode; and
- the exact file names and relative locations expected by the cue.
Some simple discs have one data track and no pregap. For those, a BIN can sometimes be opened without a CUE. Keeping the CUE anyway is the safer general-purpose practice because you may not know the layout until after the disc has been read, and future software may use the metadata to reproduce the original track structure.
Decide what kind of copy you need
“Make a copy” can mean a convenient image that boots in an emulator, or a documented archival dump intended for comparison with a preservation database. Those goals overlap, but they are not equivalent.
| Goal | Typical method | Track handling | Completeness claim | Hardware and operating-system considerations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal-use emulator image | Graphical disc-read mode, such as ImgBurn’s Read mode | Usually one BIN for a simple disc; a mixed-mode disc may produce several BIN files plus one CUE | Useful and bootable when read correctly, but not automatically a preservation-grade dump | Requires an optical drive and software that supports the chosen output; check current documentation for your system |
| Preservation-oriented dump | A current Redump workflow using a compatible drive and supported dumping software such as DiscImageCreator or Redumper | Per-track or multiple-BIN output is normal for discs with CD audio | Uses defined checks and drive requirements, yet subchannel and protection data can still be difficult to retrieve accurately | Drive model compatibility is a requirement for submissions; follow the current guide rather than substituting a generic reader |
If your goal is simply to play a disc you own on an emulator, use the first workflow. If you intend to submit a dump, compare it against a preservation set, or make the most complete record possible, start with the preservation workflow instead of treating a booting image as proof of archival accuracy.
What you need before reading the disc
- The original PSX disc. Read from the physical disc rather than from an already-compressed or converted image when accuracy matters.
- An optical drive. A USB external CD/DVD drive is a practical option for a computer with no internal reader. For preservation work, choose a model from the current compatible-drive list, not merely one that can play audio CDs.
- Free storage. Keep enough space for the BIN data, the CUE and any additional BIN files. Do not delete apparently duplicate-looking files until you have checked the cue references.
- Imaging software. A graphical reader is convenient for an ordinary image. Preservation workflows use specialist tools and a defined command-line process.
- A stable destination folder. Use a local drive with a short, unambiguous path while reading. You can archive or rename the folder later, provided the CUE references are updated correctly.
Only make copies you are legally entitled to make. Copyright and circumvention rules differ by country, and a personal backup does not automatically authorize distribution.
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Step-by-step: create an ordinary PSX BIN/CUE image
1. Insert the original disc
Close any media player or file browser that automatically opens the disc. The disc should be visible to the operating system as an optical volume or device, but you do not need to browse its files before imaging it.
2. Open a disc-imaging program’s read mode
In ImgBurn, choose Read. The program’s official description calls this mode “Read” and says it reads a disc to an image file. Do not choose a file-copy operation: copying the visible files from the disc does not preserve the complete track layout.
ImgBurn’s official site reports version 2.5.8.0, released on 16 June 2013. That date is important context: it is not a recently released build, so check that the software runs reliably on your operating system and do not interpret the old release date as a current update claim.
3. Select the destination and image layout
Choose a destination folder on a drive with sufficient free space. Select the BIN/CUE image layout offered by the program rather than a format that intentionally omits the cue sheet. The exact controls can vary with the installed build, but the essential sequence is to select Read mode, choose the destination file and format, and then start the read.
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4. Start the read and let it finish
Do not eject the disc, suspend the computer or launch another heavy optical-drive task while the image is being created. Optical reads can take longer when the drive retries marginal sectors. When the operation completes, note every output file, not just the largest BIN.
5. Keep the CUE and every referenced BIN together
For a simple disc you may see a pair such as Game.bin and Game.cue. For a mixed-mode disc you may instead see a CUE plus several BIN files, with CD-audio tracks separated into their own files. Redump’s guide specifically notes that CD-audio tracks can result in multiple BIN files. Those files are not safe to discard merely because the data BIN already boots.
6. Optionally use Verify
ImgBurn also provides a Verify mode. Its stated function is to check readability and, optionally, compare the disc or image against an image file. Verification can catch a damaged or incomplete read, but a successful verify does not turn an ordinary image into a preservation dump and does not establish that every subchannel or protection-related signal was captured.
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How to organize and move the files safely
Match the CUE’s FILE entries exactly
Open the CUE in a plain-text editor and inspect each FILE line. The quoted name must match the actual BIN name, including capitalization, spaces and extension. The path is normally relative to the CUE’s own folder, so a line that says FILE "Game (Disc 1).bin" BINARY expects that exact file beside the CUE unless a different path is written.
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Rename as a set
If you rename a BIN, update the corresponding FILE reference. If you rename the CUE only, the BIN references do not change; if you move the files into different subfolders, preserve their relative arrangement or edit the paths. A common failure is to copy only the CUE to an emulator and leave the BIN in the original folder.
Preserve all tracks in a multi-file image
A multi-file image is still one disc image. Keep the CUE and all of its BIN files in the same archived folder. Do not combine files with a generic file-joining utility, convert them to a single BIN without recording the track layout, or replace the generated cue with one written from a different release.
Preservation-oriented dumping: what changes
A preservation dump is defined by the method and evidence behind it, not by the fact that a game starts in an emulator. Redump requires a drive from its compatible list for submissions and directs users to supported dumping software. Its current command-line guide documents DiscImageCreator output and checks including EDC checking, a PlayStation executable-date check and an additional LibCrypt check for PAL PS1 discs. The guide also notes that discs with CD audio can produce multiple BIN files.
Redump’s FAQ states: “The primary dumping tools we support on desktop systems are Redumper and DiscImageCreator.” Use the current guide for command syntax, drive-specific settings and submission rules; those details can change and should not be inferred from a generic GUI workflow.
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Computer optical drives do not all expose the same low-level information. ConsoleMods notes that not all drives can read subchannels under computer control. Redump likewise describes subchannel data and some copy-protection mechanisms as difficult to retrieve accurately. A drive that plays the disc and produces a bootable BIN may still omit information needed to characterize a protected or unusual release.
Subchannel-aware alternatives
Some mainstream image formats can carry separate subchannel data. ConsoleMods identifies CloneCD’s IMG+CCD+SUB arrangement as one external-subchannel-support route. That is a format capability, not a guarantee that your particular drive and disc were read completely. If preservation is the objective, follow the target database’s accepted workflow and validation rules instead of converting formats until a result merely looks complete.
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What “complete” should mean here
Do not describe every generic BIN/CUE as a perfect archival representation. The format can preserve the main sector data and track map while still failing to capture all subchannel information or certain protection signals. Report the method, drive and checks used whenever the provenance of a dump matters.
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The emulator says it cannot find the BIN
- Open the CUE and read each
FILEline. - Confirm that the BIN filename, capitalization and extension match the line exactly.
- Put the CUE and BIN in the same folder, or correct the relative path in the CUE.
- Check that the file is not still inside an archive that the emulator cannot read as a cue-linked image.
The game boots, but its music is missing
That symptom is consistent with losing audio tracks or their metadata. Recheck whether the source disc was mixed-mode. Look for additional BIN files, open the CUE and confirm that audio tracks are listed after the data track. Restore every referenced file from the original read rather than downloading a replacement cue with unknown provenance.
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One BIN is not automatically wrong. Some applications store the entire disc in one file, while others split tracks into separate files. Inspect the CUE: its track list, modes and file references are more informative than the number of BIN files alone. A single-file image can still represent a multi-track disc if the cue accurately describes it.
The image boots but is not accepted as a preservation dump
Bootability answers whether an emulator can execute enough of the data to start the game. It does not prove that the dump matches a known disc, includes subchannel data or satisfies a preservation project’s drive and checksum requirements. Re-read the disc with a compatible drive and the specified toolchain, then run the documented EDC, executable-date and, where applicable, PAL LibCrypt checks.
Verification reports errors
Clean the disc and inspect it for scratches, ensure the optical drive is connected directly rather than through an unreliable hub, and repeat the read to a different local destination. If errors recur at the same location, try a compatible drive. Do not silently patch a failed read by replacing sectors from another image if you need an auditable dump.
The computer has no optical reader
Use a USB external CD/DVD drive for a normal personal image. If the goal is preservation, select the drive from the current compatibility list first; a random external model may read the game but lack the low-level capabilities required by the preservation workflow.
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Choosing between the two workflows
| Question | Graphical BIN/CUE read | Preservation workflow |
|---|---|---|
| How easy is it? | Point-and-click: choose Read, destination and format, then start. | More involved: install the supported tool, use the correct command and interpret validation output. |
| How are tracks stored? | Depends on the application; one BIN or several BINs are both possible. | Per-track or multiple-BIN output is retained when required by the disc and tool. |
| What hardware is needed? | An optical drive that can read the disc. | A drive on the project’s compatible list, with capabilities relevant to subchannels and protections. |
| What does success establish? | A usable image if the cue and all data files work. | A dump produced and checked according to the project’s documented criteria; even then, difficult subchannel or protection cases need qualification. |
| Which reader should choose it? | Someone who wants to use a legally owned disc in an emulator or keep a convenient backup. | Someone documenting a release, comparing hashes or submitting to a preservation database. |
Validation and storage checklist
Before you put the disc away, check the image as a set:
- The CUE opens as text and contains the expected track count.
- Every
FILEentry points to a file that exists in the stated relative location. - All BIN files generated for the read are present, including audio-track files.
- The image loads in an emulator and, for a mixed-mode game, reaches an area where music can be heard.
- A separate copy of the original output is retained before any renaming or conversion.
- The folder name records the game, region and disc number without changing the internal file references.
For a preservation project, add the drive model, software version, command used and validation results to your notes. Keep the original files untouched and make conversions from a working copy. That separation lets you experiment with emulator-friendly formats without confusing a convenience copy with the source dump.
The practical answer
For most PSX owners, the correct procedure is straightforward: read the physical disc in an imaging program’s Read mode, select BIN/CUE output, retain the generated CUE and every BIN it names, and verify that the set opens and plays correctly. Use a compatible drive and the current Redump-supported workflow when the objective is preservation or submission. A BIN/CUE pair is a useful representation of the disc’s sectors and track layout, but it should not be called a complete archival capture unless the drive, software and low-level data requirements have actually been met.
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