Sony reportedly shuts down free PS5 game store accessed with console jailbreak

Sony has not commented on recent piracy and emulator advancements on PlayStation consoles. However, it may have felt compelled to act when a homebrew app listed free games for download. Overdrive gained popularity after the PS5 jailbreak became compatible with newer firmware.

On social media, Oliver Darko reported that the unofficial store no longer functions. The program’s GitHub page also now returns a 404 error. It’s not known what or who prompted the shutdown, but Sony Interactive Entertainment is the likely party.

PlayStation Store alternative

After a successful PS5 jailbreak, players relied on Overdrive to find and download free games. The AAA titles included high-profile candidates like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. When used with the ShadowMountPlus tool, acquired targets appeared on the console’s home screen.

It’s unclear which servers hosted the files, but the developers intended to take on that responsibility. That may be one reason Sony noticed the resource. Still, even providing an accessible path to copyright infringement threatens to bring piracy into the mainstream.

Many gamers willing to experiment with the jailbreak process won’t be deterred. There are alternative ways to discover PS4 and PS5 games outside a controller-friendly interface. Regardless, the downfall of Overdrive could be another sign of a growingly concerned PlayStation.

The Relapse effect

The Relapse exploit has fueled an influx of piracy supporters. Arriving in late September, it supports PS5 console firmware up to 13.60, released in July. Previous solutions required older software versions, eliminating more recently updated systems.

Even before the latest development, Sony’s September 16th update countered homebrew devs. While it didn't mention Relapse, firmware 14.00.00 included security fixes. Gamers soon realized that the exploit no longer worked on the hardware. 14.10.00 followed on October 1st, which also blocked jailbreaks.

Publishers like Take-Two Interactive are also impacted by copyright infringement. When shipping in November, GTA 6 reportedly won’t boot without 14.10.00 installed. Rockstar Games hasn’t confirmed whether the decision relates to the rise of the PS5 homebrew scene.