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A game of cat-and-mouse between Sony and hackers is very much underway, as the PS5 has been jailbroken to a massive degree in the past week.

Legally we’re walking on thin ice here, but we can report on a new jailbreak which opens up the console, as long as it’s running firmware v7.00 through v13.60.

Firmware v13.60 was released in July, so is relatively recent. It means the jailbreak will run on most consoles not using the latest system software. (Although it should be noted that recent releases like Marvel’s Wolverine require a newer firmware to boot, so they remain off limits.)

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Armed with AI tools, modders have already been able to install a variety of different emulators on Sony’s console, running from Switch through to the original Xbox. While performance is patchy, it’s utterly remarkable how fast this has all escalated in the past week.

It’s also leading to a run on consoles, as hobbyists rush to purchase hardware with the desired firmware installed. That may be part of the reason why GameStop is now charging up to $1,500 for a used PS5 Pro.

What’s particularly fascinating is that, simultaneously, PC emulation of the PS5 is also developing fast. So far modders have found ways to run several exclusives, like Demon’s Souls, on the PC.

Obviously we’re not going to link to any of the repositories here, but I think it’s important to acknowledge this is all happening.

Some people have attached the pace of the development of these jailbreaks to Sony’s decision to stop manufacturing physical discs, but as we’ve seen with other consoles, hackers rarely need an incentive to deploy these kinds of exploits.

I imagine we’re going to see an increase in firmware updates over the coming weeks, as the platform holder tries to tighten up any security holes – but obviously that’s not going to prevent these exploits from working on older firmware.

It’s possible this may hasten the firm’s transition to the PS6, but it just depends how prevalent and problematic these jailbreaks become I suppose. It’s too early to say right now.

At the rate things have developed over the past week, I think Sony may have a pretty big headache on its hands here.

[source arstechnica.com, via tomshardware.com, tomshardware.com, tomshardware.com]