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Delta Patcher and XDelta Guides

Practical guides for everything from your first patch to understanding how XDelta works under the hood. New to patching? Start with the beginner path.

  • Updated
  • Checked against Delta Patcher 3.1.6
  • 6 min read
  • Verified against primary sources · how we check

In short

  • New to patching? Follow the beginner path below: four guides take you from download to a verified, patched file.
  • Patching on a phone, Mac or in a browser? Jump to the platform guides.
  • Something failed? The troubleshooting section covers checksum errors and how to verify your source file.
  • Curious how it all works? The XDelta explainers cover formats, tools and terminology.

Beginner path: your first patch

Follow these four guides in order and you’ll go from nothing installed to a verified, patched file. Each one assumes you finished the previous step, so you won’t hit unexplained jargon halfway through.

  1. Download Delta Patcher

    Pick the official build for Windows, macOS or Linux, and optionally check its SHA-256 checksum.

  2. Install and open it

    Extract the .zip and get past the first-launch security prompts on Windows and macOS.

  3. Verify your source file

    Confirm you have the exact file the patch expects. This single step prevents most errors.

  4. Apply the patch

    Select the original and the patch, choose whether to keep the original, and click Apply patch.

If you’d rather understand the ideas first, read how XDelta patches work and the patching glossary before touching any files. Nothing here requires programming knowledge.

Patch by device

Delta Patcher runs on Windows, macOS and Linux desktops. For everything else, there’s a guide:

Using Delta Patcher

The core workflow, end to end — applying patches, creating them, and where your files end up:

Patch by game or console

Game-specific guides with the file types, base files and quirks of each scene:

Patch by format

Got a patch that isn’t XDelta? Each format has its own guide and tooling:

Troubleshooting

When a patch refuses to apply, start here. Nine times out of ten the answer is the source file:

Understanding XDelta and patch formats

What the files are, how the formats differ, and which tool opens what:

Download, safety and alternatives

Which format is your patch?

Not sure what you’re holding? Match the extension, then follow the guide:

Patch file extensions and where to start
Your patch fileFormatStart here
.xdeltaXDeltaApply it with Delta Patcher
.ipsIPSIPS patcher guide, then pick a tool
.upsUPSUPS patcher guide, then pick a tool
.bpsBPSBPS patcher guide — Floating IPS handles these
.ppfPPFPPF patcher guide — usually PlayStation images

No extension or an unfamiliar one? Open the first bytes in a hex editor and compare with the file signature table.

Guides FAQ

I’ve never patched anything. Where do I actually start?

Follow the beginner path above in order: download, install, verify your source file, apply the patch. That sequence is designed so each guide only assumes what the previous one taught.

My patch isn’t an XDelta file. Which guide do I need?

Check the extension first: .ips, .ups and .bps need a different tool than Delta Patcher. The patch format comparison tells you which tool opens which format, and the alternatives page lists honest options for each.

Can I patch on my phone?

Yes. Delta Patcher itself has no mobile build, but browser-based patchers run on phones and tablets, and Android has dedicated patching apps. See patching on Android and iOS and online patching.

A patch failed with a checksum error. Which guide fixes it?

Start with the checksum mismatch guide — it explains why a file that looks right can still fail — then work through verifying your source file to find the exact version the patch expects.