PS5 jailbreak Relapse goes public for firmware 7.00-13.60; Sony answers with 14.00, 14.10 and a PSN cutoff

On September 29, 2026, the PS5 jailbreak Relapse went public. Per Tom's Hardware and TechSpot, it chains a browser exploit with a kernel exploit to get kernel read and write access, and it works on every PS5 running firmware 7.00 through 13.60, PS5 Pro included. In practice, any console not updated in the previous week or so was in range. Sony's firmware 14.00, released September 16, is not affected; 14.10 followed on October 1, and since mid-October PSN sign-in requires 14.10. Sony then shipped 14.20 on October 21 and 14.22 on November 2. As of November 3, 2026, there is no public jailbreak above 13.60.

What Relapse is

• Type: a browser exploit plus a kernel exploit. With kernel read/write, extra homebrew can be loaded.
• Range: firmware 7.00-13.60, on PS5 and PS5 Pro (Tom's Hardware).
• Reach: TechSpot notes most PS5 and PS5 Pro units on store shelves still ship on vulnerable firmware, and Relapse can turn a stock PS5 into a homebrew-capable console in under a minute.

A jailbroken PS5 can run unofficial software, emulators and mods included. Tom's Hardware specifically mentions a Switch emulator that runs on PS5.

The catch: new games want new firmware

Relapse ran straight into the usual problem: new games and updates often require newer firmware. Tom's Hardware used Marvel's Wolverine as the example:

Updating kills the jailbreak; not updating locks you out of games and patches that need newer firmware.

How Sony responded

The PSN cutoff

Notebookcheck reported that a post in the PS5homebrew subreddit showed what happens when a console on 14.00 tries to reach PSN: without updating, it is limited to offline use. Consoles held on 13.60 or lower to keep a jailbreak lose online modes and the PlayStation Store, and games that need to verify digital licenses may not load.

The private 14.10 demo

Per TechPowerUp, developer Gezine posted a short video captioned "Hello 14.10" that opens the normally hidden debug settings on a retail PS5. The exploit is private, with no word on a release. TechPowerUp adds that the hypervisor still holds on 14.10 and Gezine reportedly said a separate exploit may be needed. Some in the community asked him to hold off so Sony doesn't patch it right away.

The $50,000 hypervisor bug

Tom's Hardware reported that researcher Jordy used an AI model to find a hypervisor bug that let researchers install Linux on PS5, reported it to Sony and received a $50,000 bounty, which he shared on October 14. The jailbreak community was furious. Andy Nguyen, developer of the PS5 Linux project, said he had found the same bug earlier and kept it private, and had asked for the report to wait until after GTA 6 launched. Nguyen then announced he was leaving the PS5 scene and stopping all PS5 Linux work. Jordy said other researchers using AI had found the bug too, and he risked losing the bounty if someone else reported it first. Per Tom's Hardware, firmware 14.20 on October 21 patched it.

Firmware 14.22 on November 2

Per IGN, Sony pushed PS5 system software 26.07-14.22.00 (1.267 GB) on November 2. The patch notes say only that Sony made some security fixes to the system software, without saying what was fixed. It arrived about 11 days after 14.20. Accounts such as PlayStation Game Size also report that GTA 6 (out November 19) now lists 14.22 as its minimum firmware instead of 14.10; neither Sony nor Rockstar has confirmed that publicly.

Why it matters for emulation

The PS4 and PS5 emulators we cover run on PCs and phones and don't need a hacked console. The effect runs the other way: a jailbroken PS5 can run homebrew, including emulators for other consoles. In late September, the Switch emulator Eden was ported to jailbroken PS5s as ProsperoEden.

What this means for players

As of November 3, 2026: PS5s on firmware 13.60 or lower have a public jailbreak, at the cost of choosing between keeping it and using PSN and new games. Firmware 14.00 and up has no public jailbreak, and 14.10 has only a private demo. In about a month and a half Sony shipped 14.00, 14.10, 14.20 and 14.22 and raised the bar for PSN sign-in. For playing PS4 and PS5 games on PC instead, start at the PlayStation hub for emulators and ports.