This Hack Is a Game Changer

Jailbreaking a device, or removing software restrictions imposed by the manufacturer, is seen by many as a dark art carried out by questionable characters wearing hoodies as Matrix digital rain scrolls by on the screen. But there is more than one side to any argument. More technically-inclined individuals tend to see jailbreaking as a way of fully utilizing the hardware that they have paid for.

There are many perfectly good reasons someone might want to jailbreak a device. Consider a video game console, for example. Removing artificial limitations could enable the user to back up their games to an external system, play games from unsupported stores, or even just simply customize the theme of the user interface.

There are also some good reasons to leave the stock firmware alone. Generally, these modifications violate the terms of service and void the hardware’s warranty. Furthermore, it is usually not possible to receive future updates on a jailbroken system and may ultimately lead to a device becoming less stable and more likely to crash. Security is also a concern, not only because updates will not be installed, but also because unauthorized software, which may be malicious, can be installed on the system.

Needless to say, the decision to jailbreak a device must be weighed carefully. But for those that decide to throw caution to the wind and get total control over their PlayStation 4, a new method has been described by YouTuber Michael Crump that makes it very easy — with a few caveats. This technique does not require any specialized tools or hardware. Just a PlayStation 4 and a smart TV are needed.

The method requires the use of an LG Smart TV, which itself has been jailbroken. After jailbreaking the TV, the WebOS Homebrew Channel must be installed on it. These initial steps can be tricky, because LG TVs that have been updated since mid-2022 cannot be jailbroken, so if you update frequently, you might be out of luck.

Once the WebOS Homebrew Channel has been installed, the user must both enable an SSH server and block system updates. From there, it just takes a few more steps to install the PPLGPwn mod and have a PlayStation 4 that is free as a bird. Well, until you reboot, anyway. This is not a permanent modification and will need to be re-run whenever the system is turned off or rebooted. Depending on how committed one is to the jailbreak, this could be either a feature or a bug.

As always, there is a constant cat-and-mouse game between hardware hackers and device manufacturers, so you should not be too surprised if this hack stops working after a future update to the PlayStation. But in the meantime, if you have the right TV, you might have an easy way to expand the functionality of your system if you are not concerned about the potential risks.