A PS5 exploit might help the homebrew scene crack the console open, along with the PS4 and PS3, thanks to a recent Blu-ray disc meddling.
The exploit comes courtesy of Andrew Nguyen, a security engineer known online as 'theflow'. Photos taken at a recent conference hosted by Nguyen were uploaded to Twitter, showcasing exactly how hackers might be able to infiltrate the PS5 architecture by using Blu-ray discs to trick the console into loading exploitative software. Given that the exploit is running via Blu-ray, there's a chance it might even work on older hardware too.
PlayStation used to be a pirate's haven
The news, via GameRant, follows on from a story we covered back in November in which a team of hackers claimed to have jailbroken the PS5. This recent development will surely bring substantial hope to game preservationists looking to keep games accessible from eras of old. This would obviously only be doable on a PS5 with a disk drive, rather than the PS5 digital which has no slot. Sony's consoles have been notoriously difficult to hack ever since the 'chipping' heyday of the PS1 brought rampant piracy to Sony's first console.
Since those days, Sony has doubled down on its internal security and even gone so far as to bring jailbreakers such as George Hotz to court. There have been a few infamous hacks of Sony's PS3, such as an exploit which used Resistance Fall of Man discovered by Team ICE, but by and large, the modern consoles never came quite easy to the homebrew scene due to constant firmware updates from Sony.
However, as older consoles like the PS3 and Vita begin to see less frequent firmware updates, and as Sony hardware grows older and more familiar to hackers, we're starting to see homebrewing take off in earnest across the entire PlayStation console lineup. This newly discovered exploit from Nguyen is just the latest step forward for hackers, though it is also the step that shows the most promise for long-term stability, if Sony's software can be legitimately cracked as the presentation suggests.
What happens next, and how Sony responds, remains to be seen. The hacking scene continues to be a fascinating ride, however! What do you think about this latest exploit? What are your thoughts on the homebrewing scene in general? Let us know in the comments below!
Thanks to TT's own Shadow_Kisuragi for the tip!