What is the PVR file format?
.pvr files are used by mobile devices based on PowerVR chips.
.pvr files are used for storing textures optimized for PowerVR graphics chips used by such devices as the Sega Dreamcast console and various mobile devices. .pvr files compress texture data for better performance on weaker hardware, storing it in formats a GPU can sample directly - bypassing CPU decompression at runtime. Two distinct lineages share the .pvr extension: the classic Dreamcast PVRT format (sometimes preceded by a GBIX global-index block), and the modern PVR3 container specified by Imagination Technologies, which supports PVRTC (2 bpp/4 bpp), ETC1/ETC2, ASTC, and uncompressed RGBA pixel formats.
.pvr files can be converted to other formats using dedicated conversion tools such as PVRTexTool (Imagination's official SDK). Many such tools are available as plugins for various image editing applications. For cross-vendor texture workflows, the KTX container and DDS format are common alternatives.
Aside from the Sega Dreamcast game console, PowerVR chips are installed on many Apple devices, including the iPhone series. PowerVR is a very efficient technology that offers great performance at a low cost. MediaTek also uses PowerVR graphics in their SoC products.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA genuine .pvr texture is image data, not executable code, so it is safe to open in a texture tool. The practical cautions are: a file named "texture.pvr.exe" from an untrusted source could be disguised malware (check the real extension); and avoid random "PVR viewer/converter" downloads that bundle adware - Imagination's official PVRTexTool and the open-source PuyoTools are the trustworthy choices.
Format details
in a nutshell- TiVo / DVR recording (.pvr) - Some PVR/DVR set-top boxes save recorded TV as .pvr video files - an unrelated proprietary recording, not a texture (decode with the box's own software or VLC if the codec is standard).
Programs that open PVR files
Windows3 apps
PVRTexTool (Imagination)
Free Open the .pvr in the PVRTexTool GUI to preview the texture and its mipmaps; File > Save As to export to PNG or another format.
Adobe Photoshop (with NVIDIA/texture plugin)
Paid Photoshop does not open PVR natively; use a texture import plugin or convert with PVRTexTool first, then edit the PNG. Demote - not a native PVR opener.
PuyoTools (Dreamcast PVRT)
Open-source Open/extract classic SEGA PVR (PVRT/GBIX) textures from Dreamcast games and export them to PNG; built for the Dreamcast variant. 
macOS1 app
PVRTexTool (Imagination)
Free Open the .pvr to preview and re-export it; the macOS build supports the same PVR/PVRTC formats as Windows. 
Linux2 apps
PVRTexTool (Imagination)
Free Run the GUI or PVRTexToolCLI to view and convert PVR textures on Linux.
ImageMagick (some PVR variants)
Open-source May read/convert certain uncompressed PVR variants; for PVRTC/compressed data use PVRTexTool instead. Technical details
deep spec| Container type | Binary GPU texture container: fixed header + optional metadata blocks + raw or block-compressed texture data |
| Encoding | Binary |
| Byte order | Little-endian by default; the PVR3 header version field is endianness-aware, allowing readers to detect file byte order |
| Magic bytes / identification | PVR3: 0x03525650 at offset 0 (reads as "PVR\x03" LE); Dreamcast PVRT: ASCII "PVRT" (50 56 52 54), optionally preceded by a "GBIX" block (47 42 49 58) |
| Format versions | PVR v1/v2 (legacy, "PVR\x02" magic), PVR v3 (current Imagination specification), and the separate Dreamcast PVRT chunk format |
| Supported pixel / compression formats | PVRTC 2 bpp and 4 bpp, PVRTC2, ETC1, ETC2, ASTC (variable bpp), VQ compression (Dreamcast), plus uncompressed RGB/RGBA variants |
| Color depth | 2-128 bpp: PVRTC at 2-4 bpp; ETC1/ETC2 at ~4-8 bpp; ASTC variable; uncompressed up to 32-bit RGBA8888 or 128-bit float RGBA32 |
| Mipmap support | Yes - full mipmap chains can be embedded within a single .pvr file |
| Texture types supported | 2D textures, cube maps, texture arrays, and volume (3D) textures (PVR3 container); 2D and VQ cube map textures (Dreamcast PVRT) |
| Dimension constraints | PVRTC requires square, power-of-two dimensions (e.g., 64×64 up to 4096×4096 or 8192×8192 depending on target GPU); PVR3 with other formats allows non-square sizes |
| Typical file size | 4 KB - 16 MB for a single texture; larger with embedded mipmap chains or texture arrays |
| MIME type | image/x-pvr (also served as application/octet-stream) |
| Target platforms | iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, Linux (modern PVR3); Sega Dreamcast (legacy PVRT, native hardware format) |
| Developer / specification owner | Imagination Technologies (PVR3/modern SDK specification); NEC/VideoLogic and SEGA (original Dreamcast PVRT format) |
| GPU compression method | PVRTC uses a lossy two-bit-rate block scheme unique to PowerVR hardware; PVR3 also wraps Khronos formats (ETC, ASTC) enabling cross-vendor use |
| Released | Late 1990s (PowerVR/Dreamcast PVRT); modern PVR3 container specified by Imagination Technologies (PVR File Format v3.0.0) |
| Latest version | PVR File Format v3.0.0 (PVR3 header; current Imagination specification) |
| Open standard | Yes · royalty-free |
| Specification | docs.imgtec.com |
PVR conversions
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