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XA File - What is a .xa file and how do I open it?
Learn about .XA files and view a list of programs that open them.
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What is a XA file? Audio file used by The Sims, a game where players build and simulate cities; contains music or other sounds for the game; commonly stored within The Sims archive files ( .FAR files).
More Information XA files can be used to modify The Sims audio with custom sounds. However, these modifications are not supported by Electronic Arts.
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Brotkrümel
DeveloperPhilips, Sony, and Microsoft
Popularity3.2 | 5 Votes
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.XA File Extension
3 file types use the .xa file extension.
The Sims Audio File
| Developer | Electronic Arts |
| Popularity |
3.6 | 18 Votes |
What is a XA file?
Audio file used by The Sims, a game where players build and simulate cities; contains music or other sounds for the game; commonly stored within The Sims archive files ( .FAR files).
More Information
XA files can be used to modify The Sims audio with custom sounds. However, these modifications are not supported by Electronic Arts.
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Programs that open or reference XA files
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Platform
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Windows
Electronic Arts The Sims
Paid
VideoLAN VLC media player
Free
Mac
Electronic Arts The Sims
Paid
VideoLAN VLC media player
Free
Macgo Mac Media Player
Free
Linux
VideoLAN VLC media player
Free
Category: Audio Files
Updated: October 30, 2014
PlayStation Extended Architecture Audio File
| Developer | Sony |
| Popularity |
3.4 | 17 Votes |
NEW: Open your .XA file online with File Helper . View Online
An XA file is an audio file used by a PlayStation (PS1) video game. It contains dialogue, sound effects, or music played in the game. Many games include XA files.
More Information
Most gamers will never encounter XA files. However, some dedicated gamers have created utilities that allow them to extract XA files from PS1 games. This allows the gamers to play the files and convert them to more common audio formats, using PlayStation game data utilities.
Some games that use XA files include:
NOTE: .STR files use audio saved in the XA format.
How to open a XA file
You can open an XA file and play the audio it contains with vgmstream (multiplatform), PSMPlay (Windows), PsxMC (Windows), or XA Audio Converter (Windows).
How to convert a XA file
PSMPlay, PsxMC, and XA Audio Converter can all convert XA files to the .WAV audio format.
Programs that open XA files
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File Viewer Plus
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PSMPlay
Free
PsxMC
Free
XA Audio Converter
Free
vgmstream
Free
Mac
vgmstream
Free
Linux
vgmstream
Free
Web
FileHelper.com
Free
vgmstream-web
Free
Category: Audio Files
Updated: July 20, 2022
CD-ROM eXtended Architecture Disc Image
| Developer | Philips, Sony, and Microsoft |
| Popularity |
3.2 | 5 Votes |
An XA file is a disc image saved in the eXtended Architecture (XA) format. It contains a copy of a CD-ROM saved in the Mode 2 layout, which includes a 16-byte header and compressed video and audio data organized into tracks that support 2336 bytes of data per sector.
More Information
Philips, Sony, and Microsoft introduced the XA format in 1988 to improve the CD-ROM standard. The CD-i storage format later replaced XA in the early-1990s.
One of the main aspects of XA is that it stores data sectors in a different layout than the Yellow Book CD-ROM standard. An aspect of the different structure is that it makes error correction code storage optional, resulting in the storage of more video data.
How to open a XA file
You can open an XA file with GEAR Software GEAR PRO (Windows) and EZB Systems UltraISO (Windows). To open an XA file with GEAR PRO to burn to a CD, follow these steps:
Programs that open XA files
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GEAR Software GEAR PRO
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EZB Systems UltraISO
Free Trial
Category: Disk Image Files
Updated: August 18, 2022