BGA File

What are BGA files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BGA file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your BGA files.

What is a BGA file?

BGA files have multiple uses, and Binary GPU Attribute is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

Binary GPU Attribute

These BGA file-formats describe the mesh in a binary form that gets used on GPUs, Graphics Processing Unit. This is used for rendering on the GPU with minimal processing or parsing.

How to open BGA files

Important: Different programs may use files with the BGA file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your BGA file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested three different BGA openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 24, 2026

All known file formats using extension .BGA

While Binary GPU Attribute is a popular type of BGA-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .BGA file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

OS/2 Bitmap Graphics Array

The OS/2 Bitmap Graphics Array format stores one or more bitmap images of the same subject, but rendered at different sizes or color depths, in a single file so that an operating system (OS/2) can select the version most suitable for display. It is used by OS/2's Presentation Manager to hold image arrays - for example, multiple resolution bitmaps for a single icon or graphic - all inside a single container. This allows programs or the OS to display the version that best matches current screen settings or color capabilities.

This format is produced by tools or APIs compatible with OS/2 that use the "bitmap array" variation of the OS/2 BMP specification. The file contains a sequence of headers: one array header per image in the file, each followed by a standard bitmap file header, optionally a color palette, then the bitmap data. When reading such a file, the OS or compatible software examines all embedded images, matches display dimensions (width, height, color depth), and chooses the most appropriate image. If none match well, it usually falls back to the first or a device-independent version.

Files in this format begin with the two ASCII characters "BA" in the first two bytes (hex 0x4142) to identify them as a bitmap array in the OS/2 BMP family. That signature distinguishes them from other OS/2 BMP variants (which may use "BM", "IC", "CI", etc.). In the array header, fields include cbSize (header size), offNext (offset to the next image's headers; zero if last), and screenWidth/screenHeight (intended display dimensions). Each image also has a BITMAPFILEHEADER or BITMAPFILEHEADER2 and accompanying bitmap header that specifies width, height, number of color planes, bits per pixel, etc.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of BGA files. Remember, different programs may use BGA files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

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