Sony's PlayStation 5 console has been jailbroken, which could pave the way for piracy and homebrew content. While it sometimes takes years for it to happen, most video game consoles and other electronics are eventually "jailbroken," which essentially means they've been modified to perform functions or install content that would normally be restricted by the device's manufacturer. There's been a long history of video game console jailbreaks, and now it's happened to one of the industry's newest systems.
The PS5 is the latest gaming console from Sony, having originally launched in November 2020. The PlayStation 5 has been notoriously difficult for consumers to get their hands on thanks to supply chain issues and scalpers buying up all the stock. PS5 supply issues have in turn caused software sale problems in some cases, though Sony is looking to increase PS5 production this holiday season and in 2023.
Sony will likely be unhappy with the news that a PS5 jailbreak is available now that it is getting the console in the hands of more gamers. Video evidence of the PS5 jailbreak was posted to Twitter by modder Lance McDonald, who showed it in action. The video has amassed over 1 million views at the time of this writing and counting. In the video, viewers can see McDonald use the PS5 jailbreak to install horror game demo P.T. to his console, which normally isn't possible because Konami infamously removed the game from the PlayStation Store. McDonald has made content about P.T. in the past, creating a video that shows what the ghost is doing off-screen.
As reported by VGC, there are some notable limitations to the PS5 jailbreak. First off, the current PS5 jailbreak is only compatible with PS5 4.03 versions, which has long been replaced by update 4.5. This fact alone is obviously a huge roadblock for those looking to jailbreak their PS5 console. Secondly, the PS5 jailbreak apparently doesn't allow users to "execute" any actions, so McDonald can't actually play P.T. on his PS5 yet, only install it.
While the PS5 jailbreak in its current state is not as comprehensive as it could be, this is still significant. Previous console jailbreaks have not only resulted in increased piracy, but they have also allowed for hobbyists to create homebrew programs for consoles and make it so they can run software that they would otherwise be unable to run. It may be some time before we see this happen with PS5, but the PS5 jailbreak is still a major development.
Source: VGC