A firmware exploit does not mean the game can be pirated, though.
Sony’s latest PlayStation 5 firmware (14.10.00) appears to have been cracked, based on a video shared by a developer named “Gezine” on X. The video shows Gezine navigating through the PS5’s hidden Debug Settings, menus that are typically only available if you have kernel-level access to the console’s operating system.
A possible exploit for the PS5’s latest firmware is notable both because Sony released the software update in October, and because the firmware is reportedly necessary to play the year’s biggest release. According to datamining by X account PlayStation Game Size, Grand Theft Auto VI requires the latest firmware to run, theoretically blocking it from being played on jailbroken consoles running older firmware. It was possible to jailbreak the console and play illegally obtained copies of games using the “Relapse” jailbreak on earlier PS5 firmware, but the update to 14.10 closed that loophole — until now.
https://x.com/gezine_dev/status/2112279793911968218
Of course, just because a developer has found a kernel exploit for the console’s firmware doesn’t mean GTA VI itself is any closer to being ripped or ported to another platform. Gezine has not publicly shared their method for hacking the PS5’s firmware. In fact, in a reply to their original post sharing the video of the console’s debug menus, they said they were “gonna ask for disclosure later,” suggesting they may report it to a bug bounty program first. Sony hasn’t acknowledged this hack, but the company does run a bug bounty program that pays security researchers for identifying similar ones.
A kernel exploit is also only one of the ingredients necessary to “unlock” a digital game for use elsewhere. A new hypervisor exploit — a hack of the software security layer running under the kernel — would be necessary to crack games or run other illegal copies. At least so far, that exploit hasn’t materialized. Without it, Grand Theft Auto VI will only be available through a traditional physical or digital purchase. And, unlike with past games, even physically purchasing the new GTA only gets you a download code and a game box. The game’s console exclusivity, at least for now, is one reason players might be interested in playing a cracked version. The more obvious reason is to avoid paying $80.
