A new PS4 hack enables PS2 backwards compatibility, Linux installations and piracy

Back when the PS4 and Xbox One were announced as x86 consoles, the internet became rife with speculation over potential hacks and swifter emulation. So far, not much has surfaced on that front, but this week console modders did manage to put a dent in the PS4's armor, paving the way for homebrew software, PS2 backwards compatibility and even Linux installations.

It seems that if you have a PS4 that is still running the 4.05 firmware, then you'll be able to bypass Sony's security. As Eurogamer explains, the developers behind the console hack managed to reverse-engineer Sony's existing PS2 re-releases for the PS4, resulting in an installable wrapper that can allow users to play almost any PS2 game. Being able to run homebrew software also opens the door to run cracked games on the console, something that Sony will likely clamp down on.

The catch of course, is that these hacks only work on version 4.05 of the PS4 firmware, which began rolling out in 2016. These security holes were patched in firmware version 4.06, which came out in November 2016. With that in mind, finding a console to execute this on is going to be very difficult, unless developers figure out a way to roll back firmware on the PS4.

KitGuru Says: It was only a matter of time before someone managed to break the PS4's protection to play around with stuff like this. Still, it's not like this is something that just any PS4 owner can pull off, since you need a very specific (and old) version of the firmware first. Do any of you happen to have an old PS4 just laying around running the old firmware? I imagine these consoles are going to end up being worth a lot of money on eBay after this.

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