Almost every PS5 can now be jailbroken thanks to relapse

PS5 jailbreaking has moved much closer to current hardware. A new exploit called Relapse supports PlayStation 5 system software from firmware 7.00 through 13.60, covering a far wider range of consoles than many previous public jailbreak releases. Standard PS5 models are included, and PS5 Pro systems running compatible firmware are part of the mix too. For anyone following PS5 security research, 13.60 is the number drawing attention. Earlier jailbreak methods tended to work on much older system software, leaving owners of newer consoles outside the supported range. Relapse closes a large part of this gap. There is one clear cut-off. PS5 consoles already running firmware 14.00 or newer aren’t supported by the current release.

Relapse pushes PS5 jailbreak support much further

Relapse combines exploits affecting the PS5 browser environment and kernel, giving compatible systems kernel read and write access once the exploit succeeds. In practical terms, this gives developers access to parts of Sony’s system software normally kept away from user applications. From there, compatible payloads can run, including etaHEN and software created for modified PS5 systems.

It’s a sizeable change from the situation surrounding older PS5 exploits. Previous methods often meant keeping a console on ageing firmware for long periods. A machine updated for newer games could easily move outside an exploitable range. Relapse brings the ceiling up to firmware 13.60, making far newer consoles usable with current jailbreak software. The process isn’t permanent.

Restart the PS5 and the exploit needs to run again. Relapse doesn’t permanently modify Sony’s system software, so each fresh boot returns the console to its normal state until the exploit gets triggered once more.

It doesn’t take long to run

One of Relapse’s more practical improvements is speed. Demonstrations of the exploit show compatible consoles reaching the jailbreak stage within seconds. Older methods haven’t always offered such a quick route, with some exploit chains relying on repeated attempts or longer loading periods.

A faster process matters here. A non-persistent jailbreak needs to run after each reboot, so shaving time from the exploit process makes regular testing considerably less awkward. Once active, the system can load homebrew applications, emulators, debugging software, utilities and experimental tools created outside Sony’s official PlayStation environment.

Kernel access doesn’t remove every PS5 security mechanism in one stroke. Sony separates parts of the console’s security system across several layers, leaving other protections in place after kernel access has been gained. What a modified console can run comes down to the exploits, payloads and software available for its firmware.

Newer PS5 games enter the picture

The firmware range becomes more interesting once recent games enter the conversation. Marvel’s Wolverine provides a useful example. Reports surrounding the retail release place its required system software at firmware 13.40, placing the disc version inside Relapse’s supported range. Update 1.001.005 can run on firmware 13.60, keeping an updated version within reach too.

Later updates can require newer PS5 system software. Once a game asks for firmware 14.00, a console remaining on 13.60 can’t install it through the normal route without giving up compatibility with Relapse. It’s a familiar trade-off for modified consoles, only the gap is much smaller this time.

Earlier PS5 jailbreak setups could sit several major firmware releases behind current software. Moving support to 13.60 means far more recent games can share the same machine with a working jailbreak.

PS5 Pro joins the supported hardware list

PS5 Pro support gives Relapse another advantage over exploits tied to older machines. Sony released the Pro model several years into the PS5 generation, so jailbreak techniques limited to early firmware naturally had little relevance to newer hardware. Relapse reaches far enough through Sony’s firmware history for compatible PS5 Pro consoles to qualify.

The console model isn’t the deciding factor. Firmware is. A standard PS5 or PS5 Pro running software between versions 7.00 and 13.60 can fall within Relapse’s supported range. Move past 13.60 and the current exploit no longer applies.

Firmware 14.00 is where the door closes

Relapse doesn’t mean every PS5 can suddenly run jailbreak software. Sony has already released system software beyond 13.60, and consoles updated to firmware 14.00 sit outside the current range. New consoles can arrive with newer firmware installed too, so buying a PS5 today doesn’t automatically mean Relapse will work.

For existing machines still running compatible software, the release changes the picture considerably. A much wider selection of standard PS5 consoles can now run a public jailbreak, PS5 Pro has entered the supported hardware pool, and the gap between exploitable firmware and recent commercial games has become much smaller. For now, 13.60 is the line. Cross it, and Relapse is no longer an option.