New Developments in the PS5 Hacking Scene Spark Interest
Recent happenings in the PS5 hacking community are hinting at an exciting year ahead for those interested in jailbreaking – especially for owners of the disc version of Star Wars Racer Revenge for PS4. This title has become central to a new exploit that lets users jailbreak both PS5 and PS4 consoles, leading to a sharp rise in its price on eBay.
While PS5 and PS4 jailbreaks have been around for a while, they’ve often come with significant restrictions. Most notably, they typically require starting with a console running outdated firmware. However, an exploit known as mast1c0re now allows for jailbreaking consoles running on the relatively new 12.0 firmware series, enabling a broader range of consoles to be hacked.
But there’s a snag: mast1c0re necessitates owning the PS4 version of the PS2 classic Okage: Shadow King, a digital-only release. The catch? You can’t download software without logging into the PlayStation Network, which in turn requires a firmware update that would nullify the exploit. Unless you’ve got Okage pre-installed on a 12.0 system, mast1c0re is off the table for those looking to jailbreak their consoles.
Unfortunately, mast1c0re’s reliance on Sony’s PS2 emulator means that a version allowing disc-based PS4 games would be ideal. This would allow players to install any disc-based game on either PS4 or PS5 without an internet connection.
Excitingly, December 31 brought news that a key member of the PlayStation hacking community, Gezine, showcased a video of mast1c0re functioning with the 2002 Star Wars Racer Revenge. Although this iteration isn’t yet publicly available, it could potentially open the doors to easier jailbreaking for players.
However, there’s a caveat: the physical PS4 version of Racer Revenge was published by Limited Run Games, which no longer manufactures it. It’s estimated that fewer than 10,000 copies are in circulation. Before this exploit was publicized, copies of the game generally sold for around $30. Since then, prices have skyrocketed, some listings reaching as high as $400 – though buyers seem reluctant to commit at that steep price. Those who snagged the PS4 version previously are now sitting on a veritable goldmine, all due to the anticipation of an exploit that’s yet to be released.
This isn’t the only jailbreak-related development for Sony consoles this week. The close of 2025 also saw the leak of the PS5 ROM keys, which, as noted by our friends at Tom’s Hardware, could lead to even more straightforward hardware exploits down the line.
While our list of upcoming Star Wars titles includes an exciting new addition to the galaxy’s racing lineage, it’s fair to say Sony would prefer to stay clear of any association with this jailbreak saga.