It is widely supported by Open PS2 Loader (OPL) versions 1.2.0 and later, as well as some modern PSP custom firmwares and emulators. Top ISO to ZSO Converters (2026 Update)

ZSO (Compressed ISO) is a disk image format designed for retro console emulation and homebrew loaders. Unlike the older format, which uses DEFLATE compression, ZSO uses LZ4.

On devices with slow storage interfaces, such as PS2 USB 1.1, ZSO can actually improve performance because the console reads less data from the drive, reducing stuttering in FMVs (Full Motion Videos).

LZ4 decompression is extremely fast, often described as equivalent to three memcpy operations.

The following tools are the most reputable for converting standard ISO files into compressed ZSO images: Best For: Power users and batch processing.

Users seeking a fast C++ alternative to older Python scripts.

A high-performance command-line tool that supports CSO, ZSO, and other formats. It is highly regarded for its precision and speed.

Found in the pc folder of the Official OPL GitHub Repository , this script requires Python 3 and the lz4 library.

This manager integrates MaxCSO to handle mass conversions, making it easier for users who don't want to use command-line interfaces manually. Comparison: ISO vs. CSO vs. ZSO