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BARS File - What is a .bars file and how do I open it?

Learn about .BARS files and view a list of programs that open them.

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Overview

What is a BARS file? A BARS file contains audio used by a Nintendo Wii U or Switch video game. It may be saved as a .SARC archive, or it may be saved as a chunked file. Games created before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild use BARS files saved as archives; BOTW and later games use chunked BARS files.

More Information BARS files store audio saved in the .BFSTM , .BFWAV , or .BWAV formats. These audio files are used to play in-game music, sound effects, and dialogue. While BARS files are not meant to be opened by players, players have created utilities that allow them to extract the audio BARS files contain. Examples of games that use BARS files include: Splatoon Super Mario Maker The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Animal Crossing: New Horizons

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DeveloperNintendo
Popularity2.7 | 7 Votes

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In-Depth

.BARS File Extension

Binary Audio Resource Archive

DeveloperNintendo
Popularity
2.7  |  7 Votes
 

What is a BARS file?

A BARS file contains audio used by a Nintendo Wii U or Switch video game. It may be saved as a .SARC archive, or it may be saved as a chunked file. Games created before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild use BARS files saved as archives; BOTW and later games use chunked BARS files.

More Information

BARS files store audio saved in the .BFSTM , .BFWAV , or .BWAV formats. These audio files are used to play in-game music, sound effects, and dialogue. While BARS files are not meant to be opened by players, players have created utilities that allow them to extract the audio BARS files contain.

Examples of games that use BARS files include:

How to open a BARS file

You can use BARS to BWAV (multiplatform) to extract BWAV files from Nintendo Switch BARS files. For example, you can use BARS to BWAV to extract BWAV files from Animal Crossing: New Horizons' BARS files. You can also use VGMToolbox (Windows) to extract audio from newer BARS files and SARCTools (Windows) to extract audio from older BARS files.

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Programs that open BARS files

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Windows

BARS to BWAV

Free

VGMToolbox

Free

SARCTools

Free

Mac

BARS to BWAV

Free

Linux

BARS to BWAV

Free

Category: Game Files

Updated: August 17, 2022

FAQ

What is a BARS file?↓
A BARS file contains audio used by a Nintendo Wii U or Switch video game. It may be saved as a .SARC archive, or it may be saved as a chunked file. Games created before The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild use BARS files saved as archives; BOTW and later games use chunked BARS files.
How do I open a .bars file?↓
You can use BARS to BWAV (multiplatform) to extract BWAV files from Nintendo Switch BARS files. For example, you can use BARS to BWAV to extract BWAV files from Animal Crossing: New Horizons' BARS files. You can also use VGMToolbox (Windows) to extract audio from newer BARS files and SARCTools (Windows) to extract audio from older BARS files.

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