Why Is Everyone Hacking the PS5? Jailbreaks, Price Hikes and AI
A jailbroken PS5 can now run original Xbox games. The PS3 history, the 2026 cracks, the price hikes and the AI angle, with every claim labeled.
Every claim in this investigation is labeled
- CONFIRMED an official statement or filing, or several major outlets agree
- REPORTED one credible outlet or anonymous sources, not officially confirmed
- RUMOR unverified posts or insiders
- SPECULATION our own dot-connecting, said out loud as such
By October 2026, the PlayStation 5 had been cracked open, and a jailbroken PS5 could run original Xbox games like Halo 2 CONFIRMED. This is how it got here: what happened with the PS3, then the three threads that explain why PS5 hacking blew up in 2026. This is a news story, not a guide, so it doesn't link to any tools or explain how to use them.
Sony has been here before: the PS3
In April 2010, a PS3 system update removed a feature owners had paid for: the "Other OS" option that let them install Linux CONFIRMED. Owners sued CONFIRMED. That August, a USB device called PS Jailbreak went on sale, and it did what it promised CONFIRMED.
Then the hacker group fail0verflow showed that the PS3's security could be broken, and George Hotz, known as geohot, published the console's root key in January 2011 CONFIRMED. Sony sued him, and the two sides settled that April CONFIRMED. Years later, Sony settled with PS3 owners too. A first deal in 2016 offered $55 to those who had used Linux, but the judge refused to approve it; a revised settlement offering up to $65 was approved in June 2018 CONFIRMED.
“Under the new version of the settlement, qualifying Class Members who submit valid and timely claims can get payments of up to $65”Read it at topclassactions.com →
One way to read that history: take something away from players, and some of them will take it back SPECULATION.
2026: leaked keys and the Relapse jailbreak
On December 31, 2025, keys from deep inside the PS5's chip reportedly leaked online REPORTED. Reports say the keys are burned into the chip, so Sony can't change them on consoles already sold REPORTED. On their own, they don't jailbreak a console, but they could make the work easier REPORTED.
“this is an unpatchable problem for Sony, because these keys cannot be changed and are burned directly in the APU.”Read it at tomshardware.com →
Then, on September 29, 2026, a separate jailbreak called Relapse was published. It works across years of PS5 system software, including on the PS5 Pro CONFIRMED. Push Square described PS5 jailbreaks as escalating at an unprecedented pace REPORTED.
Sony has kept shipping system updates with security fixes, which outlets read as its answer to the jailbreaks REPORTED. New games and game updates can require newer system software than the jailbreak supports; Tom's Hardware cited player reports that an update to the digital version of Marvel's Wolverine does REPORTED. In October, Notebookcheck also reported that Sony had started keeping consoles on the older system software the jailbreak needs off PlayStation Network REPORTED.
“Some games may require an unsupported version of the PS5 firmware, including the new Wolverine title.”Read it at tomshardware.com →
Polygon flagged one of those updates on X:
Sony Rolls Out New Official PS5 Update After Major Hack
The console war twist: a PlayStation playing Xbox
On a jailbroken PS5, people are running original Xbox games, like Halo 2 and the original Forza Motorsport, through emulation CONFIRMED. In the developer's own testing it was still rough, with the original Forza Motorsport running at only 15 to 21 frames per second in races, but it ran REPORTED.
Nintendo Switch emulation is running too, in early form CONFIRMED. According to the project's own testing, Cuphead and Metroid Dread reach at least 40 frames per second, while The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is unplayable REPORTED. One app even streams Xbox Cloud Gaming to a hacked PS5 REPORTED. A PlayStation, playing Xbox.
“Cuphead and Metroid Dread are said to run fine, reaching at least 40 FPS.”Read it at tomshardware.com →
Price hikes, pricier PS Plus and the end of discs
2026 gave PlayStation fans plenty to be angry about. On April 2, Sony raised the US price of the PS5 to $649.99 CONFIRMED. In May, PlayStation Plus prices went up for new subscribers in several countries CONFIRMED. And on July 1, Sony announced it would stop making discs for new PlayStation games starting in 2028 CONFIRMED.
“Sony’s decision to stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in 2028 could save costs and boost digital profits”Read it at cnbc.com →
In October, US Representative Ritchie Torres announced the Power to the Players Act, a bill meant to protect players' ability to own and play the games they buy CONFIRMED. At the time, he said he would introduce it, so it was a proposal, not a law CONFIRMED.
Some fans tie the jailbreak boom to those decisions, especially the end of discs, and see it as pushback REPORTED. But console hacking long predates any of them, so how much the anger is driving it is anyone's guess SPECULATION.
AI on both sides: a $50,000 bug bounty
In September 2026, a security researcher known as Jordy reported a serious PS5 bug to Sony, a bug he says generative AI helped him find REPORTED. Veteran hacker TheFloW (Andy Nguyen), who had found the same bug and led the work on running Linux on the PS5, stepped away from the PS5 scene over the report CONFIRMED. In October, Jordy posted that Sony had paid him $50,000 through its bug bounty program REPORTED.
It isn't just PlayStation. In October 2026, a security researcher demonstrated what outlets reported as the first software-based jailbreak for the Nintendo Switch 2, developed with help from OpenAI's Codex REPORTED.
Our read, and it is only that: AI seems to be speeding up both sides, the hackers and the bug hunters Sony pays to stop them SPECULATION.
Timeline
- April 1, 2010: A PS3 update removes "Other OS" Linux support. CONFIRMED
- August 2010: The PS Jailbreak USB device goes on sale. CONFIRMED
- January 2011: geohot publishes the PS3 root key, and Sony sues. CONFIRMED
- April 2011: Sony and Hotz settle. CONFIRMED
- June 2018: A court approves Sony's revised PS3 Linux settlement, worth up to $65 per claimant. CONFIRMED
- December 31, 2025: PS5 chip keys reportedly leak. REPORTED
- April 2, 2026: The PS5's US price rises to $649.99. CONFIRMED
- May 20, 2026: PlayStation Plus prices rise for new subscribers. CONFIRMED
- July 1, 2026: Sony says discs end for new PlayStation games from 2028. CONFIRMED
- September 2026: Jordy reports a PS5 bug to Sony REPORTED, and TheFloW steps away from the PS5 scene. CONFIRMED
- September 29, 2026: The Relapse jailbreak is published. CONFIRMED
- October 15, 2026: Rep. Ritchie Torres announces the Power to the Players Act. CONFIRMED
- October 2026: The Switch 2 is jailbroken with help from OpenAI's Codex. REPORTED
What we know and what we don't
- Is the PS5 jailbroken? As of late October 2026, yes: on consoles that haven't installed recent system updates, across years of system software and including the PS5 Pro. CONFIRMED
- Did the price hikes and the disc decision cause it? No one can show that. Some fans see it as pushback, but hackers were working on the PS5 long before. SPECULATION
- Did AI crack the PS5? Not on its own, as far as anyone has shown. One researcher says AI helped him find one serious bug, which he reported to Sony. Viral claims that AI broke the latest jailbreak open trace back to a few social posts, and we couldn't verify them. RUMOR
- What we left out: how to do any of this. No tools, no steps, no advice on system software.
What's next
Expect Sony and the hackers to keep trading moves, with each system update closing holes and each new exploit hunting for others SPECULATION. As of early November 2026, Grand Theft Auto VI was set to launch on November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S CONFIRMED. Outlets expected it to need recent system software, as other new games do, but that hadn't been confirmed REPORTED. So, is hacking a console you paid for fair game, or piracy with extra steps? Tell us on X, and follow how PlayStation fans feel on the PlayStation topic page.
Sources
- PS Jailbreak Does What It Promises: Jailbreaks Your PS3 · TechCrunch
- Sony agrees to pay millions for removing Linux support from the PlayStation 3 · PCWorld
- PlayStation 5 ROM keys leaked — jailbreaking could be made easier with BootROM codes · Tom's Hardware
- New PS5 Relapse jailbreak enables homebrew and Switch emulation but is hamstrung by rapidly-changing firmware revisions — jailbreak unlocks firmware 13.60, but newer games already demand firmware 14.00 · Tom's Hardware
- Modded PS5 now runs Halo 2 and other original Xbox games · Notebookcheck
- You can now play Nintendo Switch games on a jailbroken PS5 — early alpha hits 40 FPS in lighter titles but chokes on Zelda · Tom's Hardware
- Sony’s 'ironic' PlayStation disc decision upends gamer conventions and threatens a $7 billion resale market · CNBC
- US lawmaker calls videogame purchases rentals disguised as sales: 'When you pay for a game, you should own it' · PC Gamer
- Hacker awarded $50k bounty for reporting bug to Sony that allowed PS5 Linux exploit — move sparks backlash from jailbreaking community · Tom's Hardware
- Nintendo Switch 2 Jailbroken For The First Time · Outlook Respawn
- New Price Changes for PS5, PS5 Pro, and PlayStation Portal remote player · PlayStation Blog
- PlayStation Plus price hikes spark backlash from gamers as Sony raises subscription · Euronews
- PS5 Jailbreaks Are Escalating at an Unprecedented Pace, and Sony Must Be Sweating · Push Square
- Sony buries hatchet with GeoHot in PS3 modding case · The Register
- Xbox Cloud Gaming now works on jailbroken PS5s · TweakTown
- Sony PlayStation 3 'Other OS' Class Action Settlement · Top Class Actions
- Sony blocks PS5 console jailbreak from PSN, requiring firmware update 14.10 · Notebookcheck
- Grand Theft Auto VI · Rockstar Games
About DECLASSIFIED. Console Wars: DECLASSIFIED connects the dots behind the biggest stories in the console war. Every claim is labeled by how solid it is, our own theories are marked as speculation, and every source is linked so you can check it yourself. Spot a mistake? Message @ConsoleWarsLive on X.