DexDrive
Encyclopedia
DexDrive was a brand of game console memory card
readers that allowed data to be accessed by a PC
. The DexDrive products were made by now-defunct InterAct for use with PlayStation
and Nintendo 64
memory cards. It was shipped to retail stores in January 1997.
. Cost and capacity were much more favorable on a PC due to the efficiency of hard disk drives. For the cost of two memory cards, DexDrive owners had the opportunity to store effectively limitless amounts of game data by transferring files as needed between the memory cards and the PC. Additionally, as PC files, game data could be shared over the internet or be used with console emulator
s.
The product shipped with a Windows
driver application, called DexPlorer, on two 3.5" floppy disks. Updated software, which addressed many of the problematic issues in the pack-in software, was available for several years on the InterAct corporate website. Unofficial software has also been written by various authors. In some cases, competitors supported the DexDrive in order to claim de facto
compatibility. In other cases, DexDrive users wrote their own software to address the shortcomings of DexPlorer or to make images of their Playstation 2 Memorycards.
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
readers that allowed data to be accessed by a PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. The DexDrive products were made by now-defunct InterAct for use with PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and Nintendo 64
Nintendo 64
The , often referred to as N64, was Nintendo′s third home video game console for the international market. Named for its 64-bit CPU, it was released in June 1996 in Japan, September 1996 in North America, March 1997 in Europe and Australia, September 1997 in France and December 1997 in Brazil...
memory cards. It was shipped to retail stores in January 1997.
Design
Mainly, the purpose of the device was to provide a more economical solution for game data storage. The DexDrive was sold at retail for roughly the same price as two Sony- or Nintendo-branded memory cards—$50 MSRP in the U.S. The official cards had a capacity of only 128 KB, far less than even a floppy diskFloppy disk
A floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
. Cost and capacity were much more favorable on a PC due to the efficiency of hard disk drives. For the cost of two memory cards, DexDrive owners had the opportunity to store effectively limitless amounts of game data by transferring files as needed between the memory cards and the PC. Additionally, as PC files, game data could be shared over the internet or be used with console emulator
Emulator
In computing, an emulator is hardware or software or both that duplicates the functions of a first computer system in a different second computer system, so that the behavior of the second system closely resembles the behavior of the first system...
s.
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
driver application, called DexPlorer, on two 3.5" floppy disks. Updated software, which addressed many of the problematic issues in the pack-in software, was available for several years on the InterAct corporate website. Unofficial software has also been written by various authors. In some cases, competitors supported the DexDrive in order to claim de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
compatibility. In other cases, DexDrive users wrote their own software to address the shortcomings of DexPlorer or to make images of their Playstation 2 Memorycards.