Hackers have made significant progress in bypassing the PlayStation 5’s security. The hacker group Fail0verflow reported today that it had located and accessed PS5 “root keys” that are used to decrypt the PS5’s firmware, getting them one step closer to being able to install software not authorized by Sony.
"We got all (symmetric) ps5 root keys,” Fail0verflow overflow said in a tweet earlier today. “They can all be obtained from software - including per-console root key, if you look hard enough!"
The PS5’s security is still largely unknown even a year after the console’s release. The console will automatically register with Sony’s servers and requires login account info from the user, but Sony hasn’t disclosed its anti-tamper precautions for obvious reasons.
That said, as with all new devices, it’s only a matter of time before someone figures out exactly how they work. Once hackers have identified encryption and other anti-tamper features, bypassing them becomes a forgone conclusion. Eurogamer reported that the same hacker group eventually cracked the PS3 and PS4, allowing users to run whatever software they wanted on both consoles including entirely different operating systems than what each PlayStation was designed for.
Besides being able to run pirated games, the PS5’s hardware might make it an ideal candidate for a budget gaming PC, although at that point, you might as well just get an Xbox Series X.
In somewhat more hopeful news for Sony, several planeloads of PS5s have been spotted arriving in the UK with trays full of brand new consoles just in time for the holidays, so you might even be able to find one this time around. No promises though.
And that internal clock battery that was threatening to brick your brand new next-gen console? Sony's reportedly figured out a fix for that, so don't worry about it.