Hacking group fail0verflow is at it again. After unlocking the PlayStation 3 and Wii in generations past, the technical wizards have posted a video showcasing PlayStation 4 running via a customized Linux operating system.
Using a hacked version of Pokémon as a test subject, fail0verflow is said to be implementing the public version of Linux OS, though noted that it currently has no plans to release said exploit publicly as “PS4 security is crappy enough that you don’t need us for that.”
Digital Foundry later ran a piece about the seemingly low-level PS4 hack, noting that the group believe Valve’s bespoke SteamOS could “just work” on Sony’s current-gen hardware.
Linux on the PS4 actually makes a lot of sense, more than it ever did on any previous game console. It’s close enough to a PC that getting 3D acceleration working, while rather painful (as we’ve learned), seems entirely possible without undue amounts of effort (in a timeframe of months, not years), to the level needed for real indie games and even AAA titles, not just homebrew. And many thousands of indie and AAA games already run on Linux. Yes, SteamOS on the PS4 should “just work” once the driver issues are sorted out.
What do you make of cracking open the PlayStation 4 to run a different operating system?
[Source: fail0verflow via Digital Foundry]
