Opening BASIS Files

The BASIS file type is primarily associated with Basis Universal GPU Texture Compressor.

BASIS	File extension: BASIS
	File type:	compressed texture

What is a BASIS file?

BASIS files mostly belong to Basis Universal GPU Texture Compressor. A BASIS file is a GPU texture file that uses Basis Universal’s texture compression technology.
This file stores image data in a supercompressed format that helps graphics engines load textures quickly and reduce memory usage.
Key details provided by FilExt.com include:

High compression: The format minimizes file size without losing essential data.

Rapid transcoding: It can be quickly converted into various GPU-native formats during runtime.

Cross-platform support: Works across multiple hardware configurations, making asset delivery smoother.

FilExt.com tip: You can read more about it at the Basis Universal repository.

How to open a BASIS file

You need a suitable software like Basis Universal GPU Texture Compressor to open a BASIS file. Without proper software you will receive a Windows message "How do you want to open this file?" or "Windows cannot open this file" or a similar Mac/iPhone/Android alert. If you cannot open your BASIS file correctly, try to right-click or long-press the file. Then click "Open with" and choose an application. You can also display a BASIS file directly in the browser:. Just drag the file onto this browser window and drop it.

Online BASIS Text Viewer

Choose your .basis file to analyze

or drag and drop it here

Online File Viewer

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Programs that open and convert BASIS files:

Basis Universal GPU Texture Compressor
See the previous paragraphs to learn more about the main application. BASIS files are often referred to as Basis Universal GPU Texture Compressor compresseds because this type of file is primarily created or used by this software.
Basis Universal GPU Texture Compressor
A *.BASIS file is a texture file utilizing the BASIS Universal supercompressed GPU texture codec. This format excels in delivering high-quality textures with significantly reduced file sizes, making it ideal for optimizing real-time applications and web-based graphical content. It leverages advanced compression techniques to achieve impressive compression ratios while maintaining visual fidelity. The format supports various compression schemes, including ETC1S, UASTC, and more, catering to different hardware and performance requirements. Its adaptability across platforms and GPUs makes it a versatile choice for developers seeking efficient texture management. This file format is classified as Compressed texture file.

BASIS file format:

The file format, which is the arrangement and type of data in a file, determines which program can open the file. The initial characters of a file are called signature, sometimes also referred to as "magic bytes". The signature can be used to infer the file format. If the file extension does not match the file format, double-clicking on the file will cause an error upon opening. When there is a problem with a file, the first step to solving it is to determine the file format. Our evaluation of the BASIS files is as follows:

BASIS is rarely used as a file extension and is mainly used by one program with a specific format. The two most common formats are as follows:

90% of all BASIS files are associated with Basis Universal Supercompressed GPU Texture. These files contain neither text nor words, but only data. Most of these files are 9 KB to 1 MB in size. This file type is new and state-of-the-art. Files like these are about texture, king, chara, normal, atlas and still.
7% of all BASIS files store the data in the PNG file format. PNG is short for Portable Network Graphics. It is a high-quality raster image file that supports lossless data compression. These are binary files, so they do not contain words or text. The average file size is 11 KB with most files being between 3 KB and 23 KB in size. Several words can almost always be found in the files, e.g. IHDR.

All other BASIS files (3%) have no consistent format. If you want to find out which format your BASIS file belongs to, just click on the button "Choose your .basis file to analyze".

Technical Data for BASIS File Extension

File classification:

Compressed

Related files:

ktx, dds, pvr, astc, tga, exr, hdr, base, tim, png, jpg, bmp

a basis compressed texture is a special file format and should only be edited and saved with the appropriate software.

How to solve problems with BASIS files

Associate the BASIS file extension with the correct application.
Update your software that should actually open compressed textures. Because only the current version supports the latest BASIS file format. Search, therefore, e.g. on the manufacturer website after an available Basis Universal GPU Texture Compressor update.
To make sure that your BASIS file is not corrupted or virus-infected, get the file again and scan it with Google's virustotal.com.
Click here to open your .BASIS file online - secure, fast, and no downloads needed.