Custom firmware and homebrew apps might arrive soon

Dec 13, 2015 22:33 GMT  ·  By

A hacker who calls himself CTurt is claiming that he has managed to create a fully jailbroken version of the PlayStation 4 by using a kernel exploit that he previously created, which means that applications that are not approved by Sony can be loaded and run on the home console.

It seems that the current solution can be used to dump the RAM from other processes and to create and install custom firmware that can then be used to run homebrew applications.

The Twitter account of the hacker seems to indicate that at the moment the exploit only works for the 1.76 version of the PlayStation 4, but apparently it can be tweaked to work for more recent firmware.

It will likely take time for CTurt and other hackers to create a custom firmware and to then develop a simple way for it to be loaded on the Sony home console, but the exploit that allows homebrew applications to run can also be used for run pirated software.

Sony will certainly be unhappy with the news that the PlayStation 4 is now jailbroken and will move to make sure that it eliminates any vulnerabilities for the most recent version of firmware.

The company might also seek to launch legal action against those who create homebrew applications and then try to run them on its hardware, claiming that they violate the terms of use and that they are creating potential security issues for the rest of the user community.

The PlayStation 45 dominates worldwide console sales

A recent report from the NPD Group shows the Sony home console moving more units than the rival Xbox One on the United States market during the month of November when overall sales were boosted by Black Friday and the price cuts associated with it.

The PlayStation 4 has gone over the 30.2 million units mark in a little more than two years since it was first launched.

Sony says that it aims to improve firmware and add more functionality to make sure that sales remain high all through 2016.

A solid custom firmware implementation accompanied by good homebrew apps might lead to better performance for the platform on markets where the price of video games is still high.

Sony has also recently unlocked access to the seventh computing core of the PlayStation 4 to make sure that developers can create complex game in the coming years.

Microsoft is not content with second place in the sales charts and has been aggressively using price cuts and bundles to make its own Xbox One more interesting.

The company has also introduced a new user experience that's based on Windows 10 and aims to make the home console an important part of an ecosystem that includes both classic PC and tablets.

Both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One have been selling better than their older cousins during the same moment of their lives, and Sony and Microsoft will be keen to sustain the same pace in 2016 by introducing new tech like the VR solution and the HoloLens.