Multi-Disc Games and M3U Playlists

A multi-disc game should normally appear once in LaunchBox even though it uses several disc images. LaunchBox can organize those images as Additional Versions and, when the selected emulator supports it, build a temporary M3U file at launch. The emulator, not LaunchBox, performs the actual disc change while the game is running.

Understand the three parts

• LaunchBox game: the single library entry you select.

• Disc files: CUE/BIN, CHD, CCD/IMG/SUB, ISO, or another format supported by the emulator.

• M3U file: a plain-text list of disc paths that a compatible emulator can open as one multi-disc set.

An M3U does not merge, convert, compress, or contain the discs. It only lists them.

Keep each disc image complete

Some disc formats consist of several files. A CUE file can reference one or more BIN tracks, while a CCD image can depend on IMG and SUB files. Import the descriptor file that the emulator expects—commonly the CUE or CCD, instead of importing every track as a game.

Use names LaunchBox can recognize

LaunchBox detects disc numbers from common filename forms including (Disc 1), (Disk 1), [Disc 1], and - Disc 1. Clear, consistent names help both the importer and automatic M3U generation.

• Games

  • Sony PlayStation

    • Final Fantasy VII: Final Fantasy VII (Disc 1).cue and .bin; Final Fantasy VII (Disc 2).cue and .bin; Final Fantasy VII (Disc 3).cue and .bin.

Keep every descriptor beside the tracks it references unless the emulator's documentation requires a different layout.

Import the discs as one game

1. Start Tools > Import > ROM Files....

2. Add the playable descriptor or image for each disc—for example, each CUE or CHD—not every BIN track.

3. Select the correct platform and emulator.

4. On the import options page, enable Combine ROMs with matching titles into a single game.

5. Review the final game list before completing the import. Remove any unintended track or sidecar entries.

The importer derives a normalized title from each filename. Files with the same resulting title are grouped for that platform. Region priorities, revision information, and recognized disc numbers help LaunchBox choose and order the primary file; Disc 1 is preferred over later recognized discs when the other ranking factors are equal.

What combining changes

A combined game has one root library record. LaunchBox stores every playable file, including the root file, as a version record under Edit Game > Metadata > Additional Versions. The root game's Application Path also points to its selected primary file.

To launch a particular version, right-click the game and use Play Version.... For a multi-disc game, launching Disc 2 as a version starts that file from the beginning; it does not insert Disc 2 into an already running emulator session.

Combining removes the other selected library records after transferring their playable files and attached apps to the chosen root game. It does not move or delete the underlying disc files.

Additional Versions are not Additional Apps

The Edit Game window presents these as separate pages under Metadata, even though LaunchBox stores both kinds of item as records attached to the game:

• Additional Versions are alternate playable releases or discs. They can use an emulator and can carry version, region, disc-number, play-stat, and save-management information.

• Additional Apps are companion programs such as a setup utility, configuration tool, patcher, or script. They may be launched manually or configured to run automatically before or after the main application.

Documents and web links have their own pages in the current Edit Game window. An Additional App or Additional Version does not command an emulator to swap discs while a game is running.

Enable LaunchBox-generated M3U files

1. Open Tools > Manage > Emulators....

2. Edit the emulator used by the game.

3. Open Associated Platforms.

4. Find the row for the game's exact local platform.

5. Enable Use M3U Playlists for Multiple Discs.

6. Confirm that the emulator, or the selected RetroArch core, supports M3U input.

7. Launch a representative multi-disc game and verify that the emulator sees the complete disc set.

The checkbox belongs to one emulator/platform association, so it affects games launched through that association. If an emulator has more than one row for the platform, LaunchBox uses the applicable row for the command line being launched, falling back to the first matching platform row.

Exactly when automatic generation works

When the setting is enabled, LaunchBox attempts to generate an M3U only if the path being launched is not already an M3U. The launched file must correspond to an attached version that:

• has a recognized disc number;

• has a non-empty application path; and

• exists on disk.

LaunchBox then adds other attached versions whose files exist, have a disc number, and are not themselves M3U files. Items without a recognized disc number are omitted. This is why consistent (Disc 1), (Disc 2), and similar names matter.

The launched version is written first; the remaining eligible versions are sorted by their Disc value. Under normal naming and import conditions, the root version is Disc 1 and the list follows disc order. If a different version is launched from Play Version..., that selected file becomes the first line for that launch.

The generated file is temporary

LaunchBox writes full, absolute disc paths to a generated M3U beneath:

LaunchBox → Metadata → Temp → <ROM folder name> → <game ID> → <launched file name>.m3u

Any previous generated file at that location is replaced when LaunchBox builds it again. Do not treat this temporary file as part of your permanent collection or edit it to maintain a custom order; fix the version paths and Disc values in LaunchBox, or use a manual M3U.

What a manual M3U contains

A permanent M3U is a text file with one playable disc descriptor or image per line, in the emulator's required order:

1. Final Fantasy VII (Disc 1).cue

2. Final Fantasy VII (Disc 2).cue

3. Final Fantasy VII (Disc 3).cue

Relative paths are usually portable when the M3U stays with the discs. Absolute paths may work, but they break if the collection moves. Use exact filenames and extensions, and save the file as plain text with an .m3u extension.

When a manual M3U is preferable

Consider making the M3U yourself when:

• the collection should remain independently launchable outside LaunchBox;

• the emulator requires special path syntax;

• the filenames cannot use a disc pattern LaunchBox recognizes;

• you need a fixed custom order; or

• you want the M3U to be the permanent primary game file.

Import the M3U as the game file, or edit the game and set Launching > Application Path to it. LaunchBox will pass an existing M3U through without generating another one. Avoid importing both the M3U and every listed disc as separate visible games unless that duplication is intentional.

Change discs inside the emulator

The exact controls depend on the emulator. A common process is:

1. Reach the game's disc-change prompt.

2. Open the emulator's disc-control menu.

3. Eject or open the virtual tray, if required.

4. Select the next disc from the loaded M3U.

5. Close the virtual tray and resume.

Compatible RetroArch cores commonly expose this through Quick Menu > Disc Control. Standalone emulators use their own menus or hotkeys. An M3U supplies the disc list; it does not make an emulator support swapping if that emulator or core lacks the feature.

Protect saves between discs

Memory-card naming, save folders, and save-state compatibility are controlled by the emulator or core. Some use the launched filename as part of the save identity, while others use a game or serial identifier. Switching between separate disc entries, a generated M3U, and a manual M3U can therefore change which save an emulator finds.

Choose one launch method early and test it before reaching a disc boundary. Keep an in-game save, and back up the emulator's memory-card or save folder before renaming files, changing cores, converting formats, or replacing an existing launch path. Save states are generally less portable than normal in-game saves.

Fix discs that imported separately

1. Select the separate disc entries together.

2. Right-click the selection, open Edit, and choose Combine Selected Games.... The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+Shift+C.

3. Choose the game that should become the root.

4. Edit the result and inspect Metadata > Additional Versions.

5. Confirm each disc has the correct path and Disc value before enabling generated M3U support.

This changes LaunchBox's library records only. It does not rename, move, merge, or delete the disc files.

Undo an incorrect combination

Select the combined game, right-click it, open Edit, and choose Expand Selected Games..., or press Ctrl+Shift+E. After confirmation, LaunchBox recreates eligible playable versions as separate game records while keeping the root version with the original game.

Auto-run helper apps and non-emulated companion apps are not expanded as games. Expansion changes library records; it does not create extra disc files or restore a file that was deleted outside LaunchBox.

CHD and other conversions

Some emulators support CHD, which can store a disc image in one compressed file. Conversion is an external preservation task, not a LaunchBox feature. Before converting:

• keep a recoverable source until the result is verified;

• confirm that the emulator or core supports CHD for that platform;

• update a manual M3U to reference the new CHD filenames; and

• update LaunchBox paths or re-import deliberately.

Common problems

• Every BIN track appeared as a game: remove the unintended library entries and import each CUE or other required descriptor instead. Do not delete the BIN tracks.

• No M3U was generated: confirm the correct emulator/platform row is enabled, the launched version exists, and its filename produced a Disc value in Additional Versions.

• A disc is missing from the generated M3U: check that its Additional Version has a recognized Disc value and that the application file exists.

• The order is wrong: correct the Disc values and ensure the normal root is Disc 1, or use a manual M3U with an explicit order.

• Only Disc 1 appears in the emulator: test the M3U directly in that emulator and confirm the emulator or core supports multi-disc M3U input.

• The next disc cannot see the save: return to the same emulator/core and launch method used for the earlier disc, then inspect that emulator's save naming and directory settings.

• The game appears twice: check whether both a permanent M3U and its individual discs were imported as visible games.

Clean up safely

Removing an unintended LaunchBox entry or Additional Version is different from deleting its file from disk. Before any cleanup, inspect the Application Path and the descriptor's contents, then back up the complete game folder. A CUE, CCD, or M3U can be tiny while the files it references contain all of the game data.

Beginner recommendation

Keep every disc and its sidecar files together, use recognizable (Disc N) names, import only each disc's playable descriptor, combine the discs into one game, and enable automatic M3U generation only for an emulator or core that supports it. Test loading Disc 1, opening the emulator's disc controls, and selecting Disc 2 before committing many games to the same setup.