What is a PSV file?
A .PSV file can belong to several completely different software applications. The most common format is a Pipe-Separated Values file. This is a standard plain text data format similar to a CSV, but it uses a pipe character (`|`) to separate data fields instead of a comma. This format is often used for database exports, such as those from Salesforce Commerce Cloud or Geoscape Australia.
However, a .PSV file can also be a PlayStation 2 or PlayStation Vita game save file used by Sony consoles or emulators like ePSXe. Additionally, it might be an encrypted offline video file downloaded from the Pluralsight learning platform, a medical patient time-series data file from the PhysioNet MIMIC-II Database, or a Pipe System Viewer File created by Engineered Software.
How to open PSV files?
If your file is a Pipe-Separated Values file, you can open it with any text editor or import it into spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel. During the import process, you must specify the pipe (`|`) as the delimiter.
If it is a PlayStation save file, you need specific console management software or an emulator. Pluralsight offline videos can only be opened by the official Pluralsight desktop or mobile application. If it is an engineering file, you will need the specific viewing tool from Engineered Software.
Best practices and troubleshooting
Because a .PSV file can be text data, binary game data, or encrypted video, guessing the correct software can be frustrating. Do not blindly rename the file extension. If you attempt to open a binary game save in a text editor, it will display scrambled text.
Summary
viewer.online/psv can analyze .PSV files to identify the exact format and creator software, inspect the file structure, extract readable text, and check whether an online preview is available. Because the .PSV extension has multiple possible meanings, we recommend using viewer.online/psv to identify the actual format of your file. This is useful for identifying, inspecting, and understanding .PSV files without installing software or dealing with compatibility problems.