PS5
How the PS5 Was Hacked: The Story of the PS5 Jailbreak
It took two years for the first PS5 jailbreak to appear. How it works, how Sony responded, and what it means if you own one.
It took two years for the first PS5 jailbreak to appear. How it works, how Sony responded, and what it means if you own one.
The PS5 came out in November 2020 and took about two years to crack. Since then it has been back and forth: someone finds a hole, Sony closes it with an update, and someone finds another.
Heads up: This is based on news reports up to October 19, 2026. It changes fast, and Sony hasn't confirmed some of the recent claims.
Out of the box, a PS5 will only run software that Sony has approved and signed. A jailbreak is a flaw that lets someone get around that and run code Sony didn't approve.
Once that works, people can run homebrew apps and change settings Sony keeps locked. It also lets people run pirated games, which is the main reason Sony fights it.
Sony locked the PS5 down in several ways. It only runs signed software, it protects the core of the system from being read or changed, and it runs a hypervisor, which is a layer underneath the main operating system that keeps watch over it.
So one bug wasn't enough. A hacker needed several, chained together, and each one had to work on the exact firmware version on the console.
Every exploit is different, but most follow the same three steps:
Why firmware matters: Each bug lives in a specific piece of software. When Sony fixes it in an update, the exploit stops working. That's why jailbreaks are usually described as working "up to" a certain firmware version.
In early October 2022, about two years after launch, the first public PS5 jailbreak was reported. It worked only on firmware 4.03 or older. That version came out in October 2021 and was replaced by 4.50 that December, so only consoles that hadn't updated could use it.
It was built on a WebKit bug. The underlying flaw was reportedly first found on the PS4 by security researcher Andy Nguyen, known as TheFloW, and a similar weakness turned out to exist on the PS5.
It wasn't a finished jailbreak:
After that, progress was slow. Researchers moved on to the hypervisor, and a few public projects appeared, but each only worked on specific older firmware. Sony kept shipping updates that closed the holes it knew about.
Sony doesn't offer a way to go back to older firmware once you've updated. In practice, that meant jailbreaking was only possible for people who had left their console on an old version and kept it off the internet, while everyone else kept getting patched.
On September 29, 2026, a new exploit called Relapse went public. Reports say it combines a WebKit memory bug with a timing flaw (a "race condition") in the kernel, and that it covers firmware from about 7.00 up to 13.60, on both the standard PS5 and the PS5 Pro.
Gaming sites reported that it can also run pirated copies of very recent games.
Researchers are still digging at the hypervisor too. One group's work covering firmware 13.60 is reported to be developer research, and not yet a jailbreak that ordinary users can use.
The risks are real. Running a jailbreak can cost you more than you gain.
For most people, a PS5 jailbreak isn't worth it. You'd have to give up online play and new updates, risk a ban, and keep re-applying it, all to run software that may not be legal to use.
If you're just curious how it works, reading about it is the safe way to do it. If your PS5 has a hardware problem, like no picture, overheating or HDMI trouble, bring it in. Our guides to PS5 black screens and PS5 airflow and cleaning are a good place to start.
No picture, overheating or a noisy fan? Bring your console to 876 Danforth Ave and we'll tell you what's wrong. You can also call ahead to talk about your console.
The PS5 held out for two years, and getting in took several bugs chained together. Each time, Sony answers with an update, so a jailbreak usually only works for a while and only on certain firmware.
It's an interesting story, but for most owners the trade-offs aren't worth it. If you need help with your console, come see us at 876 Danforth Ave, Toronto. We're open Monday to Friday 12–7pm and Saturday 12–5pm.
Sources: Video Games Chronicle (2022 jailbreak) · Stevivor (PS4 origin of the bug) · Fossbytes (2022 limits) · Kotaku (Relapse, September 2026) · Tech Insider (firmware 14.10). Header photo: FOX / Pexels. PlayStation and PS5 are trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment. We're not affiliated with Sony.