Open Source Project Boots Linux on Original PS5 Hardware with Full Steam Support

A new open source project called ps5-linux now allows users to boot Linux on original PlayStation 5 hardware with full Steam support. The project is available on GitHub.

Linux on PS5 requires specific firmware

The setup works only on the original PS5 model, also known as PS5 Phat, and requires specific firmware versions. Firmware 3.xx is supported without M.2 SSD access, while firmware 4.xx (including 4.00, 4.02, 4.03, 4.50, and 4.51) enables M.2 SSD support. The exploit takes advantage of a patched hypervisor vulnerability to unlock the full hardware.

Once booted, Linux has access to all eight CPU cores running at 3.5GHz across 16 threads, a GPU clocked at 2.23GHz, HDMI output at 4K60, all USB ports, and M.2 SSD support on compatible firmware. The developers say the setup delivers enough performance to run Steam games and emulators with solid results.

The project is available now on GitHub. Support for older firmware versions 1.xx and 2.xx may be added later but is not a current priority. Firmware 5.xx could be supported in the future, but that would require Linux to run inside a virtual machine with reduced feature access.

Source: RetroHandhelds