What is the PRSX file format?
A .prsx file is a slide show made with Presentations, the slide app in SoftMaker Office and in the free FreeOffice suite from SoftMaker Software GmbH. It can hold text, images, audio, video, animations, transitions, tables and shapes across one or more slides.
Under the hood a .prsx is the same kind of file as a Presentations document, .prdx: a ZIP archive of XML parts and embedded media. The one difference is a flag that marks the file as a show. Double-click a .prsx in your file manager and Presentations plays it full screen, then closes it when the show ends. It is SoftMaker's answer to PowerPoint's .ppsx show format, meant for handing a finished deck to another Presentations user.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWPRSX is a document format, not an executable, so it does not run code by itself. The one thing to keep in mind is that double-clicking a .prsx starts the slide show automatically, and presentations can contain macros or embedded media; only open show files from senders you trust, as with any office document.
Format details
in a nutshellFULL NAMEPresentations Slide Showaka SoftMaker Presentations Slide Show, Presentations Show file
DEVELOPERSoftMaker Software GmbHsince 2016
CATEGORYPage Layout Files
MIME TYPEapplication/octet-stream
TYPEZipped XML-based presentation container
MAGIC BYTES · FILE SIGNATURE
OFFSET
00010203
HEX
504B0304
ASCII
PK··
PRSX is a ZIP container, so it begins with the standard ZIP local file header (PK\x03\x04). This is not unique to PRSX; the format is identified by the internal XML parts and the .prsx name, not by a dedicated signature.
Programs that open PRSX files
Windows2 apps
SoftMaker Office (Presentations)
Paid Install SoftMaker Office, then double-click the .prsx to play it full screen or use File > Open in Presentations to edit it.
FreeOffice Presentations
Free Install the free FreeOffice suite and open the .prsx in its Presentations module to view or edit the slides. 
macOS2 apps
SoftMaker Office (Presentations)
Paid Install SoftMaker Office for Mac and open the .prsx in Presentations to play or edit the slide show.
FreeOffice Presentations
Free Install the free FreeOffice for macOS and open the .prsx in Presentations. 
Linux2 apps
SoftMaker Office (Presentations)
Paid Install the SoftMaker Office .deb, .rpm or Flatpak package and open the .prsx in Presentations.
FreeOffice Presentations
Free Install the free FreeOffice for Linux and open the .prsx in its Presentations module. 
Android1 app
SoftMaker Office (Presentations)
Freemium Install the SoftMaker Office app from Google Play and open the .prsx in Presentations to view or edit it.
iOS1 app
SoftMaker Office (Presentations)
Freemium Install SoftMaker Office from the App Store and open the .prsx in Presentations on iPhone or iPad. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | UTF-8 XML inside a ZIP archive |
| Byte order | N/A (text XML) |
| Container | ZIP (PK archive) holding XML documents plus embedded media |
| Compression | Deflate (standard ZIP compression) |
| Encryption | Optional password-based encryption when the presentation is saved with a password |
| Typical size | Tens of kilobytes to many megabytes, depending on embedded images, audio and video |
| Structure | A .prsx file is structurally identical to a .prdx Presentations document: a ZIP package containing XML parts that define slides, layouts, styles, animations and transitions, together with any embedded media such as images, audio and video. The only difference from .prdx is a flag that tells Presentations to run the slide show automatically instead of opening the file for editing. |
| Integrity | ZIP per-entry CRC-32 checksums |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS |
| Notes | Double-clicking a .prsx in a file manager launches the slide show full screen and closes the document when it ends. Opening the same file through File > Open in Presentations edits it like an ordinary document. The format replaced the older binary PRD-era show files, mirroring how PPTX replaced PPT. |
| Released | 2016 |
| Latest version | SoftMaker Office / Presentations 2024 |
| Specification | help.softmaker.com |
PRSX conversions
Community Q&A
asked by usersNo questions yet - be the first to ask about PRSX files.
Frequently asked questions
What program opens a PRSX file?
SoftMaker Presentations, part of SoftMaker Office and the free FreeOffice suite. It is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS.
Why does my PRSX file start playing as soon as I open it?
That is by design. A .prsx is flagged as a slide show, so double-clicking it in a file manager launches the presentation full screen and closes it when finished. To edit instead, open Presentations first and use File > Open.
What is the difference between PRSX and PRDX?
They are structurally identical ZIP-plus-XML files. A .prdx opens for editing, while a .prsx is set to run the slide show automatically. You can convert one to the other with Save As.
Can I open a PRSX file in Microsoft PowerPoint?
Not directly, because PRSX is SoftMaker's own format. Open it in SoftMaker Presentations and save it as PowerPoint (.pptx) or PowerPoint Show (.ppsx), then PowerPoint can read it.
Is PRSX the same as PowerPoint's PPSX?
They serve the same purpose. Both are self-running slide show files, but PRSX is created by SoftMaker Presentations and PPSX by Microsoft PowerPoint, so they use different internal formats.
How do I edit a PRSX file instead of just watching it play?
Launch SoftMaker Presentations, choose File > Open and select the .prsx. Opened this way it behaves like a normal editable document rather than starting the show.
References
1SoftMaker Presentations 2024 Help - Working with other file formatshelp.softmaker.com
2SoftMaker Presentations product pagewww.softmaker.com
