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DVD Video Game Formats: It's the Console, Not the Disc

A DVD is just a storage medium. The game format is defined by the console's firmware and file system, not the DVD standard itself.

Console-Specific DVD Structures

Console	Disc Type	File System / Structure	Key Features
PlayStation 2	DVD-5 (4.7 GB) / DVD-9 (8.5 GB)	ISO 9660 + Sony extensions (SYSTEM.CNF, IOP modules)	Wobble groove + BCA for auth. ELF executables.
Xbox (Original)	DVD-9	Xbox DVD File System (XDFS) — FATX variant	Security Sector (SS) at sector 0x8000. XBE executable.
GameCube	Mini-DVD (1.4 GB)	Custom (FST - File System Table)	Burst Cutting Area (BCA). GCM/ISO format. DOL executable.
Wii	DVD-5 / DVD-9 (12 cm)	Wii Disc Format (WDF) — encrypted partitions	Multiple partitions (Game, Update, Channel). .wbfs for USB loading.
Xbox 360	DVD-9 (DL)	Xbox 360 File System (XeX)	SS + PFI + DMI + Topology data. XEX2 executable. Layer break @ 1913760.
PS3	BD-25 / BD-50	Blu-ray UDF 2.50 + PS3 specific	Encrypted (EBOOT.BIN, SPRX, SELF). Not DVD.

Why It Matters

Emulation: PCSX2, RPCS3, Xenia, Dolphin parse these structures to load games.
Homebrew / Modding: Rebuilding ISOs requires correct LBA layout, layer break, encryption keys.
Preservation: Redump.org verifies exact sector hashes per format.

The DVD Forum defines the physical spec (pit length, track pitch, reflectivity). The platform holder defines the logical format. They are not the same.

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