.VPK File Extension
Valve Pak
| Developer | Valve |
| Popularity |
4.5 | 199 Votes |
What is a VPK file?
A VPK file is a Valve Pak file used by some games developed with the Source Engine, which include Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, DOTA 2, and Portal 2. It may be a master directory file for a collection of VPK files or may be one of the raw VPK data files. VPK files are used for storing maps, models, materials, choreography scenes, and other original game content, but can can be used for making game mods as well.
More Information
VPK files are saved as part of a VPK package. Each VPK package has a master VPK directory file named archive_dir.vpk (where "archive" is the name of the VPK package) and VPK archive files named archive_0.vpk, archive_1.vpk, etc.
You can create VPK files using the vpk.exe command line tool located in the game directory. To ensure compatibility, you should use the vpk.exe tool located in the directory of the game you are creating the VPK file for. In Windows, the vpk.exe tool will most likely be located in the following directory:
C:\Program Files (x86)\SteamApps\common\[game title]\bin
NOTE: The VPK format is the successor to the .GCF format.
Programs that open VPK files
PlayStation Vita Application Package
| Developer | N/A |
| Popularity |
3.4 | 14 Votes |
More Information
VPK files can be installed only on PlayStation Vita consoles that have been "jailbroken," or "hacked," with Henkaku. This Homebrew enabler allows users to better customize the content that can be used or played on the console. You can install apps packaged in a VPK file using VitaShell, which is a file manager that can be installed on the PlayStation Vita console.
How to open a VPK file
Since VPK files are compressed using Zip-compression, you can extract the contents of the files using a Zip decompression utility, such as WinZip or 7-Zip. You may want to rename the .vpk file extension to .zip first and then open it with the decompression utility.