Hackers broke the PlayStation 5’s protection, allowing free games to be downloaded

The PlayStation 5 is easier to get than before, as it used to be very hard to find one, but it has had enough time to develop some hacks. Using an IPV6 kernel exploit that exploits the Webkit vulnerability, hackers have demonstrated how to access the debug settings menu in the PS5 Dashboard and jailbreak it. Using this menu, the user can access settings usually reserved for developers, such as the package installer for PS4 and PS5 games, which allows downloading the game file from any free pirate site and transferring it to the PlayStation 5.

This may sound like hacker invasion of Treasure Island or a breeding ground for pirates, but the use cases are still fairly limited. Aside from the usual risks of getting your PSN account banned, losing your PS5 warranty, and risking your console, jailbreaking the PS5 will only work on systems running version 4.03 firmware, which is at least a year old. Despite being able to install the games, they are not currently playable. While the hacker community is likely to continue its march towards bigger and more powerful hacks, it comes eerily close to capturing Sony’s attention.

Even if that mod or hack isn’t finished yet, it’s always great to see cool people breaking the rules. According to modder Lance MacDonald, the PS4 horror game PT’s DEMO is a rare digital asset after it was removed from PlayStation Network in 2015. Despite the lack of playing capability, this is still a huge step forward. There’s no doubt that we’ll see more cool stuff like this in the world of PS5 mods in the near future.