C64 File

What are C64 files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a C64 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 C64 files.

What is a C64 file?

C64 files have multiple uses, and CCS64 emulator dump is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

CCS64 emulator dump

These C64 files are Commodore 64 programs, a home computer that was popular from the 1980s to 1990s. You use these files to replace the old floppy disks and cassette recorders. The programs can be run on your PC using the CCS64 program, which emulates the c64 hardware in an app.

How to open C64 files

Important: Different programs may use files with the C64 file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your C64 file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the app ourselves yet, our users have suggested a single C64 opener which you will find listed below.

Last updated: August 25, 2026

All known file formats using extension .C64

While CCS64 emulator dump is a popular type of C64-file, we know of 3 different uses of the .C64 file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

Lvl C64 Emulator Snapshot

Lvl C64 Emulator Snapshot files store a complete saved state of the Lvl Web-based Commodore 64 emulator as built by the "lvl" emulator (hosted at lvllvl.com). These files capture everything needed to resume a C64 emulation session in the web browser exactly as it was at the moment the snapshot was made.

Files are written by the Lvl browser-emulator when the snapshot action is taken, and read back in by the same emulator to restore CPU registers, memory, screen state, and any ongoing processes. They are intended for pausing a session and resuming later without restarting from scratch.

Files begin with a signature in ASCII: the bytes "lvl" followed by a zero byte at the very start of the file (offset 0).

PC64/DOS Saved Session Image/dump

PC64/DOS Saved Session Image/dump is a format produced by the PC64 emulator (also called Personal C64) by Wolfgang Lorenz for DOS. It stores a complete snapshot of the emulator's state - memory, CPU registers, all peripheral chip states - so that the emulated Commodore 64 can be "frozen" at a moment and later restored and resumed exactly where it left off.

The snapshot is saved when the emulator's user triggers a save-session, producing a dump file that includes all volatile and non-volatile state needed for resumption. It is not a disk image: it captures runtime status, not just files or disks. The emulator itself both writes and reads the session image/dump.

Files of this format begin with the ASCII signature C64Image at offset zero. That sequence occupies the first 8 bytes, followed immediately by a zero byte.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of C64 files. Remember, different programs may use C64 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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