How to get your hands on a hackable PS5 model

Hackable PS5 units aren’t exactly super exciting for end users yet, but expectation is progressively building up in the scene. I’m seeing a growing trend of people trying to get their hands on a hackable PS5 model, and, having bought one myself recently, I feel an updated buying guide is long overdue.

Disclaimer: some links on this blog are affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, you do not pay anything extra but I might get a commission. Thanks for your support.

TLDR

If you already know the whole shenanigans, here’s the TLDR summary:

You’re looking for a PS5 with Firmware 4.51 or lower, ideally 2.xx if possible. Major retailers don’t sell those anymore, so you want to buy second-hand (eBay or equivalent).

• Hunt for either a “new in box” Launch Edition PS5  or “new in box” CFI-10xx (CFI-10xx are what you’re looking for, CFI-11xx are risky, CFI-12xx are no go),
  or
• Look for a used PS5 console where the seller can explicitly confirm the firmware. Sometimes searching for the exact firmware, e.g. PS5 4.03 can yield results. Always double check!!!

What can you do with a hacked PS5?

Hacking a PS5 is, at the time of writing, not particularly difficult if you have the right firmware, and it doesn’t involve any kind of specialized hardware, however the result might not be worth the effort for you, depending on your expectations.

Things have evolved since we last talked about what is doable with a hacked PS5: We have of course still access to basic “payloads” (minimalist binaries with little to no user interaction) that enable Debug features on the console (such as the Debug menu, package installer, etc…), FTP Servers for direct access to the console’s hard drive, and the like. With maybe the exception of the FTP Server, a lot of the existing payloads are mostly interesting for hackers and developers at the moment.

But things are evolving quickly. It is now possible to install PS4 FPKGs, and PS5 PKGs from within the Debug menu, for example. Running PS4 FPKGs is one of the next steps for the PS5 hacking scene and is being discussed here.

In parallel, progress has been made on patching PS4 and PS5 games at runtime thanks to work by Illusion and Astrelsky. This allows in particular for impressive 60FPS patches to run on the PS5, such as Bloodborne 60 FPS on PS5, and for some of us this alone might make it worth to have a hacked PS5.

Last but not least, Mast1c0re, a hack that lets you run PS2 Homebrew and ISOs on the PS5, is working on all PS5 Firmwares to date (so that one currently doesn’t require to hunt for specific PS5 models).

Although what can be done with a hacked PS5 today might feel underwhelming, progress is being made by hackers on a daily basis, and my personal experience hunting down hackable consoles is that by the time something really interesting comes out, it will be to late to buy those models for a reasonable price. Just my two cents, of course.

Which PS5 Firmwares are hackable?

Long story short, at the moment, you’re looking for a PS5 on Firmware 4.51 or lower. But to be perfectly clear, even if you find such a PS5, the lower the firmware, the better. This is because although all consoles up to firmware 4.51 included are vulnerable to the currently known PS5 Kernel exploit, it is also believed that lower firmwares (2.50 and below in particular) have even juicier vulnerabilities that might not have been disclosed yet (hacker flatz has confirmed his PS5 Hypervisor exploit is running on 2.50, although it hasn’t been confirmed if this was patched after that specific firmware).

To sum things up: 4.51 or lower: good. 2.50 or lower: even better!

To complicate things a little bit, the current Kernel exploit only works between firmwares 3.00 and 4.51 included. Which means that if you’ve scored a PS5 running on 2.50 or lower, you might be tempted to upgrade it. Don’t. At the moment it is believed that 2.50 and lower are much more valuable than any other firmware. Things might change quickly on that front, but that’s the status as of now. What you can do with a 3.00-4.51 PS5 isn’t worth the irreversible upgrade you’d do on a lower firmware console.

How much does a lower firmware PS5 cost, and do you *really* need it?

If you’ve read the above, you now understand that a low firmware PS5 is pretty much dead weight at the moment, and you are buying into the hope that some cool stuff might come eventually for those low firmware PS5s (which is absolutely not guaranteed!). If you’re ok with that, you’re ready to look for a low firmware PS5.

In my experience, those can still occasionally be found for a low price, but I’ve also seen people asking for up to $1000 for consoles running on Firmware 1.xx. whether you think that’s worth it is up to you. Personally, I paid retail price for a console running on 2.00 and I couldn’t be happier. So, at the time of writing, my estimate is that you can find a hackable PS5 for anywhere between $500 and $1000.

How to get your hands on a PS5 with a Low Firmware (4.51 or below)

PS5 Firmware 4.51 (21.02-04.51) was released in Mach 2022. Generally speaking, in order to be sure to get a lower firmware, you want to buy a console that was manufactured before that date, and certainly not updated with 5.00 or above.

The two easiest ways to ensure this, is to either work with a seller who knows the firmware the console sits on, or to buy an unopened console that was manufactured before March 2022.

Buying a Hackable PS5 new: Unopened Launch PS5s (CFI-10xx) are the holy grail

If you’re looking to buy new, forget about Amazon and major retailers in general, in particular online: you will not be able to check the box prior to purchase, and at this point there’s practically zero chance these major retailers are selling older models. You want to go to P2P marketplaces such as eBay. Your local pawn shop might work (question mark).

TL,DR:

• Hunt down for a launch Edition PS5 (always triple check that it’s sealed, and that it’s really a launch edition, before buying)

Note: PS5 Model numbers (two digits for version, followed by two digits for country) are printed on the PS5’s box (top, front, as well as bottom near the barcode), and can be found on a seller’s picture, if you’re buying from a marketplace such as eBay, and the seller is unable, or unwilling, to give you the number.

Please note that the A/B letter indicates if it’s a Digital or Disc Edition. Both Digital and Disc based consoles are hackable, but for various reasons (including hacking-related), a disc edition is better if you can get it.

Ideally you’ll be looking for models CFI-10xx (CFI-1000, CFI-1002, CFI-1008, CFI-1014, CFI-1015, CFI-1018), unopened in box. It is very likely those will come with a firmware lower than 4.51. Launch models actually come with firmware 1.xx-2.xx and are the holy grail.

If buying a model CFI-11xx, you’re taking a significant bet, but its possible it could come on a firmware as low as 3.20. This is unlikely however, and some of these models are reported to have launched with firmware 5.00. They were also manufactured way after 4.51 was released, and therefore many of them ship with a higher firmware.

Models CFI-12xx are basically a no go. These models ship with firmware 5.50 or above, and are not what you’re looking for!

Are any PS5 bundles shipping with firmware 4.50 or lower?

In the PS3/PS4 era, we would look for specific bundles that were known to run a specific firmware. There haven’t been that many bundles for the PS5: The Ratchet and Clank bundle was one of the exceptions, and if you can get your hands on a (sealed) one it is pretty much guaranteed to ship with a low firmware. We haven’t been able to find it on the usual marketplaces though, and the few claiming they have a “bundle” are actually just selling a recent PS5 with the game, which is not what we’re looking for. So we can’t easily recommend that as a feasible option.

The Horizon Forbidden West bundle used to ship with firmware 4.50. Unfortunately multiple users have reported that it now ships with firmware 5.xx or higher. You might try your luck in a local store, but that seems like a losing proposition at this point.

Buying a Hackable PS5 Model: used

If you’re looking to buy a used, hackable PS5 Model, what you want to ensure is that the seller can tell you what firmware it’s on. If that person is also a member of the scene (or a scalper), they know why you want a lower firmware. You might have to pay a premium to ensure you’re getting what you want, but sometimes that’s the best way.

TL,DR:

• Find “cheap” PS5s on eBay or other marketplace, and confirm with the seller that the firmware is what you want (4.03 or 4.50)

Once again, in the case of “open” or “pre owned” products, if the seller is not able or unwilling to give you the firmware, do not buy. Most professional stores actually update the consoles before selling them, as part of their “cleanup” process, and they also coincidentally happen to be the ones who refuse to give you more details about the firmware because of “policy”. You’ll be better served by someone who’s willing to discuss.

Conclusion

One last time, set your expectations right: what you’ll get is a somewhat expensive PS5 (although to be honest I was expecting way higher prices), which might or might not have firmware 4.5, 4.03, or lower (depending on how diligent you’ve been and a bit of luck). Having that firmware doesn’t give you much today. So, really, what you’ll get is an expensive PS5, which was a bit harder to buy than your average consumer product. If you’re willing to be at the front of future hacking discoveries, this might be worth it, and the time to act is now, rather than after  (because as we speak, some people are definitely jumping on the remaining 4.03/4.5 consoles, and if/when more potent exploits are released then those will be impossible to find).

Bottom line, you could end up “only” with an expensive PS5 and a story to tell. The choice is yours.

Last but not least, if you don’t want any of these shenanigans but still want to be involved in the future of PS5 hacking, you can do what a lot of us have been doing: buy 2 PS5s. One for gaming, and one that will sit in a closet on its current firmware, until a hack is released for said firmware. This might take months, or even years, but patience is probably the cheapest way to proceed.

As always, I’ve tried to be as precise and correct as possible in this article. If you find that anything is inaccurate or simply wrong, please let me know in the comments!