“So we basically make all of that invisible to the user. That’s because those save files are protected by “encryption, compression, checksums, second level encryption, and so on,” he explained. 'If you take a hex editor like Winhex on your PC and you open a PS3 save, the only thing you're ever going to do is break it,” Beckett said. Breaking the encryption While the interface the Game Genie uses for its save file hacking looks like a simple hexadecimal file editor, the software actually conceals a lot of behind-the-scenes work needed to make those files editable in the first place.
The Game Genie documentation doesn’t offer much guidance on how to use this advanced editing option, so I reached out to Hyperkin Project Manager Wayne Beckett (a veteran developer of previous cheat devices like the Action Replay and Game Shark) to explain the basics of how the PS3 save file hacking works. While most users will probably be satisfied clicking checkboxes to activate pre-built cheats like maximum health and full game unlocks (just like most users of the original Game Genie were satisfied copying down codes from the included booklet or game magazines), the Game Genie software also offers an Advanced mode that allows for more direct save file manipulation.
