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The <identifiers> element defines metadata strings that appear in the ISO 9660 volume descriptor. These identifiers are crucial for PlayStation bootability and disc identification.

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Basic Usage

<identifiers
  system="PLAYSTATION"
  application="PLAYSTATION"
  volume="MYDISC"
  volume_set="MYDISC"
  publisher="ME"
  data_preparer="MKPSXISO"
  copyright="COPYLEFT"
/>

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Required Identifiers (for bootable discs)

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system
string
default:"PLAYSTATION"
The system identifier. Must be PLAYSTATION for the ISO to boot on PlayStation hardware. If not specified, defaults to PLAYSTATION
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application
string
default:"PLAYSTATION"
The application identifier. Must be PLAYSTATION for the ISO to boot on PlayStation hardware. If not specified, defaults to PLAYSTATION
For a bootable PlayStation ISO, both system and application must be set to PLAYSTATION. To intentionally keep them blank, specify empty strings.

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Optional Identifiers

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volume
string
The volume identifier. This is the disc name that appears when browsing the disc. Maximum 32 characters
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volume_set
string
The volume set identifier. Used for multi-disc sets to identify the collection. Maximum 128 characters
​
publisher
string
The publisher identifier. Maximum 128 characters
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data_preparer
string
The data preparer identifier. Typically set to the tool name (e.g., MKPSXISO). Maximum 128 characters
​
copyright
string
The copyright descriptor. Maximum 37 characters

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Date Attributes

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creation_date
string
ISO 9660 creation date in the format YYYYMMDDHHMMSSmmG where:
  • YYYY = 4-digit year
  • MM = 2-digit month (01-12)
  • DD = 2-digit day (01-31)
  • HH = 2-digit hour (00-23)
  • MM = 2-digit minute (00-59)
  • SS = 2-digit second (00-59)
  • mm = 2-digit centisecond (00-99)
  • G = GMT offset in 15-minute intervals (signed)
If not specified, uses the current system time
​
modification_date
string
ISO 9660 modification date in the same format as creation_date
Example with date:
<identifiers
  system="PLAYSTATION"
  application="PLAYSTATION"
  volume="MYGAME"
  creation_date="1999120115300000+0"
/>

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External Identifier File

You can reference an external XML file containing identifier definitions:
​
id_file
string
Path to an external XML file containing identifier definitions. Values in the external file will override inline attributes
Example:
<!-- In your main project XML -->
<identifiers id_file="identifiers.xml" volume="OVERRIDE"/>

<!-- identifiers.xml -->
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<identifiers
  system="PLAYSTATION"
  application="PLAYSTATION"
  volume="FROMFILE"
  publisher="PUBLISHER_NAME"
  data_preparer="MKPSXISO"
/>
In this example, the final volume ID will be FROMFILE (from the external file), and OVERRIDE will be ignored.

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Character Restrictions

ISO 9660 identifiers are automatically converted to uppercase and have character restrictions:
  • Most identifiers accept A-Z, 0-9, and underscore
  • Special characters are not permitted
  • Maximum lengths vary by field (see parameter descriptions)

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Examples

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Minimal Configuration

<!-- Defaults are applied automatically -->
<identifiers volume="MYGAME"/>
This results in:
  • system: PLAYSTATION (default)
  • application: PLAYSTATION (default)
  • volume: MYGAME

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Full Configuration

<identifiers
  system="PLAYSTATION"
  application="PLAYSTATION"
  volume="AWESOME_GAME"
  volume_set="AWESOME_GAME_TRILOGY"
  publisher="AWESOME_PUBLISHER"
  data_preparer="MKPSXISO"
  copyright="COPYRIGHT_2026"
/>

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Multi-Disc Game

For a multi-disc game, use consistent identifiers across discs: 
<iso_project image_name="game_disc1.bin" cue_sheet="game_disc1.cue">
  <track type="data">
    <identifiers
      system="PLAYSTATION"
      application="PLAYSTATION"
      volume="GAME_DISC1"
      volume_set="GAME_SERIES"
      publisher="MYPUBLISHER"
    />
    <!-- ... -->
  </track>
</iso_project>

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Blank Identifiers

To intentionally use blank system or application identifiers (creating a non-bootable disc): 
<identifiers
  system=""
  application=""
  volume="DATA_DISC"
/>
Blank system and application identifiers will prevent the disc from booting on PlayStation hardware.

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Next Steps

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Define the file system structure

File Elements

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