Yesterday, a group of PS3 hackers united under the name 'fail0verflow' presented their method of circumventing the built-in security of Sony's machine at the 27th Chaos Communication Conference, or 27C3. Today, they announced that the code will be made public for anyone to use.
In a nutshell, they found a way to calculate the so-called "keys" you need to "sign" a piece of software so the console accepts it as valid code and runs it. That means when the full implementations of this are out there, you can sign any piece of homebrew, or pirate games without needing a PS Jailbreak USB dongle.
For the full video of the conference session and some more insight into what this means for you, keep on reading.
In the last generation of consoles, it was pretty clear what console you wanted if you just wanted to mod the hell out of it: the Xbox. The GameCube had its mods to let you play pirate copies if you wanted to, and so did the PlayStation 2, but when the original Xbox got cracked open, it created a flood of homebrew far beyond simply being able to play pirated games.
After the initial 007: Nightfire exploit and the first modchips, the Xbox saw a booming homebrew development scene which produced the custom "dashboard," emulators, Xbox ports of Doom and Duke Nukem 3D and perhaps most importantly, the Xbox Media Center. It turned the Xbox from a games console -- with mostly mulitplatform games that looked a bit better than on the PS2 -- to a cheap solution for having a media center and all your old retro games in one box. A box that was a bit smaller than most PCs that do exactly the same thing.
Whether you agree with the always-present piracy option that comes with such mods or not, the homebrew scene was fantastic during the Xbox age. You could switch from playing a game to watching a movie without getting off the couch, stream porn from your bed and turn off the console with one button on the remote, put the console in an arcade cabinet, and play your emulated games for the 15 minutes it takes before you get tired of them. It was a great time of wonder and enjoyment.
With the current generation of consoles, people started to get fully into the transition to HD. Of course, that meant there were high hopes for being able to do the same thing with an Xbox 360 or a PS3 as before, but now for the HD era. Sadly, the Xbox 360 did get its custom DVD drive firmware which lets you play pirate games, but no good way to run homebrew. If you have an older model, you can still go for a hardware solution (i.e., soldering) to run your own code, but to date it's way too much of a hassle. The Wii lets you easily mod it and run whatever you want, but it's not exactly a giant step up from the Xbox homebrew scene, if a step forward at all.
As the PS3 launched, a lot of people looked toward that as the next console to potentially use as they used their modded Xboxs. It comes with a Blu-Ray player, which is nice. The default HDMI and separate optical audio outputs are also nice, as the Xbox 360 initially didn't even have an HDMI output. And you can swap out hard drives with larger laptop models instead of going for a hardware modding solution on the Xbox 360, or paying for overpriced hard drives. The PS3 seemed like the go-to console for future hacks and homebrew, especially when it became clear that the Xbox 360 just wasn't as easy to crack open as the Xbox was.
But nothing practical ever came from the PS3 scene until recently. The hypervisor -- see it as a hardware security component -- proved to be a hassle to overcome. People could run Linux natively on the PS3 thanks to Sony's effort on that side, but you couldn't access both the Cell processor and the RSX videochip, which meant everything had to be coded for the Cell specifically. What was missing was a way to circumvent all of that and have complete access to every hardware component. That is, until now.
Following newfound interest in the PS3 scene after Geohot's response to the lack of OtherOS in the PS3 Slim, the exploits he found as a result, and the PS Jailbreak USB dongles that hit the market shortly afterward, comes this insight into the PS3's method of signing private keys. With this new method of being able to sign your own software, in theory, you can sign your own PS3 games, homebrew, and even Blu-Ray discs to run on a retail PS3 without needing to buy a USB or hardware solution. When it comes to fruition, it means the PS3 will take its spot as the next Xbox for those of us who enjoy running homebrew -- like actually useful media centers on our consoles.
I, for one, can't wait to be able to run x264 content natively on a PS3. Lantus, who made the popular Xbox xSnes9x emulator as well as a few ports like DoomX and QuakeX, has apparently already said he's working on MPlayer for the PS3. I still haven't seen anything that worked as well as Xbox Media Center on any of this generation's consoles, so with luck, we'll have some great homebrew to look forward to in the near future. Especially with today's amount of streaming content available, it could turn your PS3 into something magical.
As for the piracy that comes with any hack like this: I'm sure some more people will pick up a PS3 just for the free games. So yes, some games will be pirated a bit more than if this option didn't exist. But, you know, pirates gonna pirate, and if you want to, you already can do that on each of the three consoles. Besides, you probably all know at least one person who had a modded Xbox lying around. How much did they use it for actual games instead of homebrew? And if you had one yourself, are you looking forward to doing the same stuff with your PS3?
Maurice Tan Maurice Tan does his Associate Editing from The Netherlands in a reality-shattering time zone. After working as a university lecturer in Psychology and Communications teaching game studies and the merits of Keyboard Cat, he now spends most of his time posting news, previews, reviews, and features about industry stuff or all things PC and strategy. He is also a connoisseur of licensed games, as long as they have achievements. Likes Deus Ex, Colonization, Mass Effect, TIE Fighter, and his iPod Touch.
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God knows I'd love an classic games emulator that functioned with wireless controllers and without having to dick around behind my TV to hook up my computer.
As for the piracy... I doubt it'd be worth the time for me (or any Canadians, really). God love Rogers and their 60GB a month transfer limit. That'd be what... A game a month? Hell, I manage to get close enough as it is.
@Fugly Duckling
Are you talking about the PS3?? Because mine already functions as an bloody excellent media centre.
Homebrew applications my ass. If you're the kind of person who knows how to run those types if applications you probably already have a PC loaded to the hilt with them. There's only one reason to crack a PS3, or a 360, and that's for free games.
I honestly think people go into this with the best of intentions. The Kinect hack was definitely not so that the guy could play free games, but instead tap into the technology associated. Of course though, it's inevitable for stuff like this to give way to piracy and I'm sure it was always in the back of their minds but never an actual goal.
Or they want to use a big TV and only have so many ports. Right now I've got a 42" LCD and it's only got two HDMI ports. One is for my Xbox 360 and one is for my PS3. Right now, if I want to hook my computer up to the TV I've got to move the PS3 or Xbox 360 out of the way and use the HDMI to connect things. That's a MAJOR pain in the ass.
If I can start playing emulated SNES games on my TV without paying Nintendo for games I already bought AND without having to mess about with my wiring setup, I'll be happy.
@ LittleBigD: "At the Chaos Communication Conference 27C3, the team gave a 45-minute presentation on the methods they used to work through the PS3's various security levels, which include a chain of trust, a hypervisor, and signed executables. Their primary goal was to restore the capability to run Linux, something that was forcibly removed from the original PS3 and never possible on the PS3 Slim."
Source
Some people just don't like to get stuff forcibly removed from them. Sony brought it on themselves by removing OtherOS.
well, despite what he said - props to SONY. it took 4 years to hack the PS3, and it's not even fully functional yet. other consoles were hacked way faster
@meteorscrap
If it weren't for people cracking systems and making it possible for people to download games they've never payed a dime for Nintendo might already have a system in place that would allow you legit access to a game you've already purchased. To download that copy of Zelda you purchased for your SNES onto your Wii. But you know that for every one person using homebrew for that there are 100+ people ripping of games they've never purchased. It's no wonder Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft don't already have that type of system in place.
Why would you need something the PS3 already offers? Or are you asking about piracy? Dude, rule of thumb? While it's generally not cool to pirate, pirating things newer than two generations ago is a huge dick move.
@Mobius
There might be a few people legitimately pissed at the loss of those funtions, but for the most part it's just a cover. There is a mall not far from me that thrives off of this crap. They sell cracked systems, and will also sell you a stack off copied games to go with it. That's what this is ultimately for. You're kidding yourself if you think otherwise.
I'd rather support developers and buy my games. Between my 360, PS3, Wii, and multiple older systems I have no need to do this. My PS3 and 360 are already damn fine media centers, so XBMC type app wouldn't be an incentive for many people like myself.
I already have everything I want. Much liked the hacked xbox's and Wii's, this will just turn into a reason to pirate games. All that does in the end is hurt developer's, and ultimately could kill off "would be" game projects.
Less money going to developers = a bad thing for gaming in general.
Even if piracy didn't exist, no company would offer up the ability to get old games for free. Hell, look at Squaresoft's games on PSN. They actually charge a premium ($9.99 versus $5.99). Ditto Nintendo and everyone else... Look how well the Mario 25th Anniversary Wii collection is selling.
Speaking of which, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft's solution to emulation would bug me a lot less if it weren't such a nostalgia-fueled cash-grab. I'd feel a lot more comfortable purchasing old NES games instead of emulating them at $1 or maybe $2, not freaking $5.
This thing doesn't suddenly create piracy on the PS3 or anything. There are already existing methods to do that if you want that. Piracy is already happening, and now you get the option to run homebrew if you want. Of course, if you can sign your own games then piracy will become easier. But things like this happened with the Xbox too, but piracy never destroyed that console. Not to mention the PC is still alive.
I wonder how long it will be before someone intelligent makes a viable PS2 emulator. I bet Sony would really bring the hammer down then. Imagine... there wont be much of an excuse to re-buy all of their remakes they plan on putting out to generate much needed $$.
I have absolutely zero desire to pirate PS3 games, but if anything really interesting comes out of the homebrew scene there is a chance I might do it.
It's kinda similar to why I'm currently planning on hacking my PSP. I don't want to play pirated games, but I just want to play the PS1 games I currently own without having to repurchase them on the PSN. I'm looking at you Chrono Cross, which I still haven't beaten despite owning it for ages.
Say what you want about homebrew but I dare you to look me in the face and tell me that half of what the current gen does outside of gaming, like the Media Center aspect and turning your console on or off from your controller, isn't at least in part due to the demand that homebrew caused.
When you have that competition between the homebrew community and the developers you can actually come out ahead on both sides most of the time.
As for piracy, I think there's a difference between piracy and homebrew. They do share similar strategies to get their content working but I've always just viewed the homebrew community as people trying see what their toy of choice is capable of. Pirates are just pirates.
The only thing I've ever broken to get homebrew to run on it was my iPhone and I will never regret it. Because (A) now I'm more educated in how the phone actually works and (B) I can get it to do what I need it to do without dealing with Apple's BS red tape.
Your device can always do more than it's intended to do out of the box. Just because you can't see it, conceptualize it, or haven't thought of it doesn't mean someone else can't or hasn't. That's what the homebrew community does. Pirates are just pirates. Though their means are the same, their ends are vastly different.
@Jayson619: People started hacking the PS3 seriously because Sony removed OtherOS from them. Until then, only a little amount of people tried to hack it, and most of them (if not all) were just doing it for the challenge. Just because you can't understand that doesn't mean that every single person who's interested in hacking a system is a pirate. Hacking and pirating are two very, very different things.
@Bullett00th: It took 4 years because people had no real reason to hack the system, since OtherOS was present for their homebrew stuff. When they removed it, a lot of talented people started hacking it because they were pissed off by Sony's decision.
@LittleBigD: You DO realize that reselling you the exact same game years after years on different platform (Look at the 25th anniversary of Mario compilation that came out on the Wii this year) is one of their most lucrative income right? There's no way they'd do what you said.
Furthermore, no I'm not kidding myself. There are quite a few people that absolutely hate being jerked around by multi-billion dollars companies and will simply refuse to take it up the ass. I'm one of them, I haven't upgraded the firmware of my PS3 since they said they'd remove the OtherOS option, and if this hack work I will use it. Not to pirate games, but just to get back something that should never have went away in the first place.
Will some people use this hack to pirate games? Maybe, but it's not like there aren't other hacks already available for that, and yet, pirating on the PS3 is not widespread. If you wanna blame someone for games being pirated, blame the pirates. But not us, who just want a function of the console back. Not the people who are just interested in homebrew. Not the people who just hack stuff for the challenge. Don't put us all in the same basket.
Gotta love how we get newer technology only to play older games. I know Homebrew can lead to some creative stuff, but emulators and older games are things I already own. I don't need them again.
The only question I have for you, is why spend possibly 600+ if you bought at launch on a console to run homebrew that is more readily available, and easier to use on any PC, Mac, or linux based system?
Wouldn't that really be like throwing money away for a really shitty computer?
I'm not trying to defend what Sony did as I also had Linux installed on my PS3, but let's be honest here. There's no need for you to not update your PS3 if you own any kind of computer, even a computer from 1999 with XP would pretty much equal, if not be better then anything your running homebrew wise on your PS3.
For me, it's more about the convenience of it. Emulating "most" games (which my PS3 phat does) is not as awesome as emulating "all" games. There are titles for which my only options (to play them) are:
-Dig out my old PS1 from the closet, hook it up to my wall-mounted TV, and play. Quite a bit of work.
OR
-Emulate using ePSX on my laptop. Hook it up to the TV, which is still a pain in the ass.
I can play my old games, but if I can do it from the comfort of my couch without having to mess about with wires and stuff, I'll be happier to play them than I am now.
I can't argue. It is unlikely that anyone will offer that service anytime soon. And why would they when they know there are still people willing to pay? You don't become a multi billion dollar company that employs a couple hundred thousand people by giving your stuff away for free.
I was also going to ask a question along the lines of what Nyktharas asked. What will you do with a cracked PS3 that you probably can't already do with your PC?
By "homebrew" we of course mean "rip rented/downloaded games to the harddrive", but y'know, whatever. Hey, I'm sure it'll make the three people who used otherOS happy, as well as the tens of thousands who didn't give two shits about it until it was removed.
Saying that, if they can add the ability to play .mkv files (and add a few more codecs as well) then it may actually be worth more than just stealing games.
Disclaimer - I don't care too much if people pirate or not. Just...quit hiding behind "homebrew", because you're not fooling anyone.
I modded my Xbox, PSP, PS2, and Wii. Not gonna do it to mmy PS3 though since I can already play homebrew and use emulators on my PSP (which is more or less my portable SNES now). But nice to know I have the option when the PS4 eventually is released.
I'm very happy about this. I buy all my games - on the DS, the Wii, Xbox, PSP, PS3 and Android phone but I also, aside from the Xbox, have opened up all those devices to do whatever I want with them.
And really, this only happened since Sony removed OtherOS in a short-sighted reaction to hacking efforts that started after they announced that OtherOS would be removed from the Slim. They brought it up on themselfs.
I really hope the PS4 will have some sort of "app store" in the same way iOS or Android devices have. Give people an option to run their own software on the device (like a better browser on the PS3, for example. The build in one is horrendous) and they'll be happy.
I bought the PS3 with the indent of installing Linux on it and using it as a media-streaming-device for my TV as well as for Emulators and some Linux-Games. Sadly, that was only possible to a limited extend due to the RSX-Restrictions, but whatever, it still worked okay and I was happy.
This on the other hand is really awesome. With this, I can just put my homebrew app on a USB stick, sign it, and start it on the PS3. Awesome. ;)
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Contest:
7:00 PM on 12.30.2010
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Looks like there could be a PS4 sooner than expected.
Nah, sorry. I enjoy being able to pay for my games, and everything else 'homebrew' can do on a PS3, I can do with my PC, easier.
Homebrew is just a bullshit cover for piracy.
God knows I'd love an classic games emulator that functioned with wireless controllers and without having to dick around behind my TV to hook up my computer.
As for the piracy... I doubt it'd be worth the time for me (or any Canadians, really). God love Rogers and their 60GB a month transfer limit. That'd be what... A game a month? Hell, I manage to get close enough as it is.
Are you talking about the PS3?? Because mine already functions as an bloody excellent media centre.
Homebrew applications my ass. If you're the kind of person who knows how to run those types if applications you probably already have a PC loaded to the hilt with them. There's only one reason to crack a PS3, or a 360, and that's for free games.
Or they want to use a big TV and only have so many ports. Right now I've got a 42" LCD and it's only got two HDMI ports. One is for my Xbox 360 and one is for my PS3. Right now, if I want to hook my computer up to the TV I've got to move the PS3 or Xbox 360 out of the way and use the HDMI to connect things. That's a MAJOR pain in the ass.
If I can start playing emulated SNES games on my TV without paying Nintendo for games I already bought AND without having to mess about with my wiring setup, I'll be happy.
Hey guys. How about a bitching HD Wii emulator running on the PS3?
Source
Some people just don't like to get stuff forcibly removed from them. Sony brought it on themselves by removing OtherOS.
If it weren't for people cracking systems and making it possible for people to download games they've never payed a dime for Nintendo might already have a system in place that would allow you legit access to a game you've already purchased. To download that copy of Zelda you purchased for your SNES onto your Wii. But you know that for every one person using homebrew for that there are 100+ people ripping of games they've never purchased. It's no wonder Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft don't already have that type of system in place.
Why would you need something the PS3 already offers? Or are you asking about piracy? Dude, rule of thumb? While it's generally not cool to pirate, pirating things newer than two generations ago is a huge dick move.
I think you're being incredibly short sighted.
I think he is being incredibly mad.
There might be a few people legitimately pissed at the loss of those funtions, but for the most part it's just a cover. There is a mall not far from me that thrives off of this crap. They sell cracked systems, and will also sell you a stack off copied games to go with it. That's what this is ultimately for. You're kidding yourself if you think otherwise.
I already have everything I want. Much liked the hacked xbox's and Wii's, this will just turn into a reason to pirate games. All that does in the end is hurt developer's, and ultimately could kill off "would be" game projects.
Less money going to developers = a bad thing for gaming in general.
Even if piracy didn't exist, no company would offer up the ability to get old games for free. Hell, look at Squaresoft's games on PSN. They actually charge a premium ($9.99 versus $5.99). Ditto Nintendo and everyone else... Look how well the Mario 25th Anniversary Wii collection is selling.
Speaking of which, Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft's solution to emulation would bug me a lot less if it weren't such a nostalgia-fueled cash-grab. I'd feel a lot more comfortable purchasing old NES games instead of emulating them at $1 or maybe $2, not freaking $5.
Piracy already exists on the PS3, almost fully a part from online.
So obviously why wouldn't the hackers just give up once piracy did exist?
Well because they don't care about piracy. Most hackers probably do it solely for the challenge, opening up the system is a benefit.
It's kinda similar to why I'm currently planning on hacking my PSP. I don't want to play pirated games, but I just want to play the PS1 games I currently own without having to repurchase them on the PSN. I'm looking at you Chrono Cross, which I still haven't beaten despite owning it for ages.
When you have that competition between the homebrew community and the developers you can actually come out ahead on both sides most of the time.
As for piracy, I think there's a difference between piracy and homebrew. They do share similar strategies to get their content working but I've always just viewed the homebrew community as people trying see what their toy of choice is capable of. Pirates are just pirates.
The only thing I've ever broken to get homebrew to run on it was my iPhone and I will never regret it. Because (A) now I'm more educated in how the phone actually works and (B) I can get it to do what I need it to do without dealing with Apple's BS red tape.
Your device can always do more than it's intended to do out of the box. Just because you can't see it, conceptualize it, or haven't thought of it doesn't mean someone else can't or hasn't. That's what the homebrew community does. Pirates are just pirates. Though their means are the same, their ends are vastly different.
Eat a dick Sony. I'll have my homebrew by force.
@Bullett00th: It took 4 years because people had no real reason to hack the system, since OtherOS was present for their homebrew stuff. When they removed it, a lot of talented people started hacking it because they were pissed off by Sony's decision.
Furthermore, no I'm not kidding myself. There are quite a few people that absolutely hate being jerked around by multi-billion dollars companies and will simply refuse to take it up the ass. I'm one of them, I haven't upgraded the firmware of my PS3 since they said they'd remove the OtherOS option, and if this hack work I will use it. Not to pirate games, but just to get back something that should never have went away in the first place.
Will some people use this hack to pirate games? Maybe, but it's not like there aren't other hacks already available for that, and yet, pirating on the PS3 is not widespread. If you wanna blame someone for games being pirated, blame the pirates. But not us, who just want a function of the console back. Not the people who are just interested in homebrew. Not the people who just hack stuff for the challenge. Don't put us all in the same basket.
I'd settle for a decent PS1 emulator. A few of the games I've got for PS1 that I'd like to play on my PS3 simply don't work. :/
The only question I have for you, is why spend possibly 600+ if you bought at launch on a console to run homebrew that is more readily available, and easier to use on any PC, Mac, or linux based system?
Wouldn't that really be like throwing money away for a really shitty computer?
I'm not trying to defend what Sony did as I also had Linux installed on my PS3, but let's be honest here. There's no need for you to not update your PS3 if you own any kind of computer, even a computer from 1999 with XP would pretty much equal, if not be better then anything your running homebrew wise on your PS3.
For me, it's more about the convenience of it. Emulating "most" games (which my PS3 phat does) is not as awesome as emulating "all" games. There are titles for which my only options (to play them) are:
-Dig out my old PS1 from the closet, hook it up to my wall-mounted TV, and play. Quite a bit of work.
OR
-Emulate using ePSX on my laptop. Hook it up to the TV, which is still a pain in the ass.
I can play my old games, but if I can do it from the comfort of my couch without having to mess about with wires and stuff, I'll be happier to play them than I am now.
I can't argue. It is unlikely that anyone will offer that service anytime soon. And why would they when they know there are still people willing to pay? You don't become a multi billion dollar company that employs a couple hundred thousand people by giving your stuff away for free.
I was also going to ask a question along the lines of what Nyktharas asked. What will you do with a cracked PS3 that you probably can't already do with your PC?
Saying that, if they can add the ability to play .mkv files (and add a few more codecs as well) then it may actually be worth more than just stealing games.
Disclaimer - I don't care too much if people pirate or not. Just...quit hiding behind "homebrew", because you're not fooling anyone.
This is VERY unproffessional and the author should be fired.
Why would you need to dig out your PS1 when you said you already had your PS3 hooked up? You know any PS3 can play any PS1 game, right?
I know obviously this wouldn't be the case in other scenario's, but it seems like your trying really hard to justify piracy.
And really, this only happened since Sony removed OtherOS in a short-sighted reaction to hacking efforts that started after they announced that OtherOS would be removed from the Slim. They brought it up on themselfs.
I really hope the PS4 will have some sort of "app store" in the same way iOS or Android devices have. Give people an option to run their own software on the device (like a better browser on the PS3, for example. The build in one is horrendous) and they'll be happy.
I bought the PS3 with the indent of installing Linux on it and using it as a media-streaming-device for my TV as well as for Emulators and some Linux-Games. Sadly, that was only possible to a limited extend due to the RSX-Restrictions, but whatever, it still worked okay and I was happy.
This on the other hand is really awesome. With this, I can just put my homebrew app on a USB stick, sign it, and start it on the PS3. Awesome. ;)