PlayStation 5 Linux support opens up for more firmware versions
More old PlayStation 5 consoles can be turned into fully functional Linux PCs
Earlier this year, a modder called Andy Nguyen, also known as “theflow0” and “TheOfficialFloW”, showcased their Linux-powered PlayStation 5 (PS5) and its PC gaming capabilities. Now, a functional PS5 Linux Loader is available on GitHub, and it has been updated to support several new firmware revisions.
Right now, the loader is limited to original PlayStation 5 (fat) consoles. Previously, this Linux loader only worked on 3.xx and 4.xx firmware revisions. Now it works on firmware revisions up to 6.02. Note that the current PlayStation 5 firmware is version 13.20.
Using Linux on PS5 gives users access to the console’s 8 Zen 2 CPU cores, and its RDNA 2 GPU. This can turn a PlayStation 5 into a fairly capable Linux gaming PC.
ps5-linux is now available on 5.50, 6.00 and 6.02 firmwares! https://t.co/WiiQiPCoIa
Using a patched hv heap oob bug: https://t.co/ldDPr3EKyg https://t.co/OXLw6ZPphx
— Andy Nguyen (@theflow0) May 17, 2026
A cool mod, but it’s far from perfect
Using this exploit, Linux can use the PS5’s 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU running at 3.5 GHz and its GPU running at 2.23 GHz. This level of performance is enough to turn the console into a capable Linux gaming system. Note that this exploit requires a 64GB USB drive (for installing and running Linux), a USB Ethernet/WLAN adapter (for internet access), and a USB mouse/keyboard. A USB Bluetooth dongle is required to use a PS5 DualSense controller with Linux.
(Andy Nguyen using his PS5 as a Linux-powered gaming PC)
Note that this is a “softmod”, which means that the PS5 will not automatically boot into Linux. This means that the PS5’s standard OS is not affected by this Linux mod. However, this also means that exploits are required whenever the system boots into Linux. Other limitations include HDMI being limited to 4K at 60 FPS, and needing extra dongles for Ethernet, Bluetooth, and WiFi.
You can join the discussion on the PlayStation 5’s Linux Project becoming available for more firmware versions on the OC3D Forums.
