A dedicated modder has reportedly ported Linux to the following versions: playstation 5. There are some limitations to the method he used to achieve this, but the end result allowed him to showcase some impressive off-script PS5 features by: grand theft auto 5.
The project is the work of security researcher and longtime modder Andy Nguyen, also known by the online handle @TheFlow0. Over the years, Nguyen has made several high-profile attempts to modify Sony's hardware, including a hack of the PlayStation Portal that allowed him to run PSP games on the portable device.
This all-in-one console bundles the PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch 2 into one system.
A dedicated hardware modder combines the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2 into a single all-in-one console that really works.
Hacked PS5 turns into a Steam Machine
Nguyen's latest project saw engineers installing Linux on the PlayStation 5. Nguyen took the proof of concept beyond booting to a desktop experiment, presenting a fully functional Linux port that could play games on the console and use USB ports. In a March 6 tweet, the modder demonstrated the end result of his efforts as a Steam Machine, showing a clip of a Linux-based PS5 running. GTA 5 Enhancement It uses ray tracing at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second. When running in fidelity mode on a regular console, the game is limited to 30 frames per second.
Rearranges covers into correct US release order.
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Rearranges covers into correct US release order.
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In a follow-up post, Nguyen revealed that his modified PS5 supports 4K HDMI video and audio, and all USB ports are functional, giving it more functionality than you'd normally expect from a proof-of-concept project. He succeeded in getting the modified console's CPU and GPU running at 3.5 GHz and 2.33 GHz respectively. This is the maximum clock speed supported natively by Sony. However, Nguyen found that the device overheated quickly in these situations, reverting to a 3.2GHz CPU clock and limiting the GPU to 2.0GHz. This issue clearly characterizes the demo as highly experimental. Especially since it suggests that the PS5 may overheat if running Linux games at sub-maximum clock speeds.
Nguyen acknowledged that placing the PS5 vertically might have alleviated some of the overheating issues, but said he didn't do so because he lacked a stand when he modified the console. At the request of a Twitter user, Nguyen ran RPCS3 on his modified PS5. I used this to run the PS3 port. GTA: San Andreas. He didn't elaborate on how well the emulator would perform in this setup. The project originally used a modified PlayStation 5 Slim model released in November 2023.
Installing Linux on PS5 is not an easy task
Considering that the PS5 Pro is much more powerful than the base model, it likely would have performed much better as a Linux system. However, that's purely hypothetical, as modifying the PS5 Pro wasn't an option for Nguyen. The engineer explained that they were only able to run Linux on the console using a full-chain exploit, a complete set of vulnerabilities that allow execution of unsigned code on the device. Nguyen cited the open source Byepervisor project as an example of one such exploit, but did not confirm whether this was the exact method used to install Linux on the PS5. Nonetheless, the requirement for a full-chain exploit means the project can only work on older firmware, which rules out the PS5 Pro for the time being.
Like most of the work Nguyen has done, this project provides a glimpse into the PS5's theoretical performance as an AMD-based system rather than simply a vendor-locked gaming system. However, it's unlikely to spark a wave of PS5 Linux modding, as the technical requirements are too steep for most users to reasonably meet.
