.PAK File Extension

A PAK file is an archive used by video games such as Quake, Hexen, Crysis, Far Cry, and Half-Life. It may include graphics, objects, textures, sounds, and other game data "packed" into a single file. PAK files are often just a renamed .ZIP file.

PAK files are primarily used by video games but may also be used by other applications such as the Google Chrome web browser. The format for a PAK file used by one game may differ from the PAK format used for a different game. Therefore, you may have to try multiple programs before opening your PAK file.

Compressed archive format originating from DOS that can contain many files; data in a PAK file may be compressed or uncompressed, but is usually compressed using ZLIB compression.

File used by Simutrans, a free transportation simulation game; contains game object graphics and properties; compiled from a plain text ".dat" data file and a source .PNG image; used for game vehicles, buildings, terrain, and other objects.

To modify Simutrans objects, users typically don't edit the PAK files directly. Instead, they usually download the source DAT and PNG files used to package a PAK file, modify the files, and then re-pack the contents into a new PAK file. PAK files are built using the MakeObj.exe program.

A PAK file is a package used by Microsoft Skype, a popular online video and audio communication program. It contains user interface (UI) settings in a particular language, such as English, Spanish, and French, that are applied to the Skype UI based on the locale of the user. PAK files are only used by the Windows version of Microsoft Skype.

PAK files are referenced by Skype and are not meant to be manually opened. PAK files can be found in the following directory in Windows:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Skype for Desktop\locales

NOTE: Language settings are stored in .LPROJ files in macOS.