A modder has finally jailbroken the PS5, but there’s a big catch

By Cristina Alexander October 3, 2022

A modder has finally jailbroken the PlayStation 5 in order to download an old game that’s unavailable on the system. But trying to play that game is an entirely different story.

PlayStation modder SpecterDev shared an experimental IPV6 kernel exploit for the PS5 on Twitter last night. In case you’re not sure what jailbreaking is, it’s a hacking technique that’s often done on smartphones and other electronic devices to unlock debug menus and allow the use of software not supported by current firmware.

This particular jailbreak code is experimental because it requires a WebKit vulnerability as an entry point, and it only works on PS5 consoles running version 4.03 or older — at least 30% of the time. The code only gives read/write access, and not the ability to execute any old game you attempt to install.

Lance McDonald, another modder, tweeted a video showing exactly how the PS5 jailbreak works. As you can see in the video below, he used the code to install the lost Silent Hills demo P.T. It was a success, but he wasn’t able to play it. In a response to another Twitter user asking if people will be able to bring their saved P.T. demos to the PS5, McDonald said, “I need to work out how to destroy the blacklist/whitelist for PS4 games.”

It's… beautiful.

The PlayStation 5 has been jailbroken. pic.twitter.com/54fvBGoQGw

— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) October 3, 2022

P.T. was a free demo that Konami shadow-dropped on the PlayStation Store in 2014, giving fans a teaser into Silent Hills, which was being developed by Hideo Kojima in collaboration with Guillermo del Toro. Finding out what the game was about required players to solve various cryptic puzzles, which was a quirky way to market the game, but still managed to garner a dedicated fan base. In 2015, Silent Hills was suddenly canceled, prompting Konami to delist P.T. from the PS Store. Fans have been struggling to bring the demo back ever since.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Cristina Alexander

Gaming/Mobile Writer

Cristina Alexander has been writing since 2014, from opining about pop culture on her personal blog in college to reporting…

Gaming

New PS5 update makes the DualSense’s mic and speaker even better

A DualSense and DualSense Edge sit on a table together.

Sony rolled out another beefy PlayStation 5 update today with the main goals of improving the speakers and mic on the DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers and deepening the number of Share Screen viewer interactions.

According to a PlayStation Blog post from when this update first entered beta testing in February, the speaker on the DualSense controller will now be able to output sounds more clearly at a higher volume. If you've been playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, this update is useful because it will make Chadley sound better when they are speaking through your DualSense. Sony also says it's using machine learning to improve noise cancellation on the DualSense's built-in microphone.

Gaming

PS4 vs. PS5: which console should you buy in 2024?

PlayStation 5 controller and PS5.

PlayStation 5 has been available for several years now, and it's easier than ever to find it in stock at retailers. The new-gen hardware makes big upgrades over its predecessor, letting gamers enjoy better graphics, shorter loading times, and support for the fancy DualSense controller. It's also much more expensive than PS4, so while PS5 is better than PS4 in most regards, it might not be ideal for frugal shoppers.

But is PS4 or PS5 the better choice in 2024? Does the aging PS4 really make sense to purchase right now, or should you opt for the PS5? From pricing and available games to storage and resolution, here's a closer look at these two popular consoles.
PS5 vs. PS4 vs. PS4 Pro specs
Even a cursory glance at the specs of the PS5 shows that it’s in a different league than the PS4 (and even the PS4 Pro). Sony has improved the capabilities of its platform in every way, adding more efficient storage, faster compute parts, support for larger capacity disks, and support for higher resolutions. We know there are two versions of the PS5 -- the Standard Edition and Digital Edition -- both of which will offer the same specs (with the exception of the omission of a disc drive with the Digital Edition).

Gaming

Sea of Thieves confirmed for PS5 as Xbox details multiplatform rollout

Enemies in Sea of Thieves

Microsoft has finally laid out when people can expect Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and Grounded to go fully multiplatform.

On Wednesday morning, Pentiment and Grounded were confirmed for Nintendo Switch during the February Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase, and Hi-Fi Rush's PS5 release date leaked shortly thereafter. After all that, Microsoft put out an Xbox Wire post detailing which four of its Xbox console-exclusive games will go multiplatform and when they will do so. Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer previously refused to do so during a podcast confirming Xbox's multiplatform plans on February 15.