Programmer jailbreaks PS4 to play Steam games

MWEB GameZone writes: "Could we be seeing Steam run independently on the PS4 or the Xbox One in the near future?"

[HanCilliers]

Me thinks not gonna happen. Cross-play is one thing, but Steam on console? That'll be the day

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Would be awesome though! Can you imagine Steam on the next PS/Xbox?! Now that'd be an effing megaton!!

[InTheZoneAC]

at that point there would be no need for xbox...

[BossBattle]

@Inthezoneac there's no need for any console if we're talking about steam here. Especially once someone gets emulators for Xbox and Playstation games on pc.

[kaizokuspy]

@boss battle

How expensive would the pc setup be, to run and emulate ps4 exclusives though?

[GrimmyReaper]

@kaizokuspy
Given that the PS4 uses familiar hardware and x86 structure, me thinks. Not very expensive.
Heck, people are already getting close to emulate PS4 games, while the PS3 emulator is still wonky

[Eonjay]

Um, isn't Microsoft's big reveal related to Steam on Xbox.

[rainslacker]

It would seem you would either need Windows to make this work, or be restricted to SteamOS/Linux offerings. Obviously Xbox would have an advantage on the Windows front, but if it's hacked, it's unlikely to be allowed for very long.

I doubt official support would happen, because there's not much reason for Sony or MS to lose revenue from unlicensed software which they have no control over, which in itself offers up a multitude of security risks for their own closed systems.

[joab777]

Only if there is money in it. If Sony could get a cut on games they don't offer themselves...maybe.

[neoandrew]

Exactly, this is the reason EA Access was denied by sony on ps4.

[donthate]

Unless the games are pirated, retail disc based game sales still profit Sony. Every disc sold gets a cut to Sony.

@neoandrew:

"Exactly, this is the reason EA Access was denied by sony on ps4."

Which also shows how generous MS is at the moment allowing it on Xbox platform.

[kevnb]

It's already been done, although I'm sure they aren't getting the full potential of the ps4.

[AndrewLB]

These consoles are PCs bro. Same hardware architecture and everything. If they could get linux running on the PS3, this will be much easier to do. Steam OS is based on Debian linux PS4's os is based off FreeBSD. all of those run on pc hardware.

[Dragonking007]

Well you never know these days sony already let one of there biggest feature on to pc which is remoteplay.

[PSN_ZeroOnyx]

The next GeoHotz. Sony will take it to court, get his program and update a patch to block it.

[ILostMyMind]

It is alread locked now .

[Imalwaysright]

Last time I heard, it wasn't illegal to jailbreak your devices.

[ziggurcat]

The legislation, unless it has changed, only applies to cellphones. You can't jailbreak a console, legally, as far as I know.

[Imalwaysright]

Yep, it's illegal to jailbreak consoles.

http://www.theverge.com/201...

[PSN_ZeroOnyx]

An Australian jailbroke the PS3 and a court injunction prevented distribution, but allowed Sony a copy to patch the system. GeoHotz also jailbroke the PS3 and lost in court in Georgia. Again Sony received the software to patch the system and though the courts waved jail time he had restitution to pay any cannot own Sony products.

[rainslacker]

It was actually ruled that the cons outweigh the consumer rights when it came to consoles. Was around the last few years of last gen. I don't think it was a case set into precedent, but was a ruling by a judge. Sony had some thing against some university I believe, but I'd have to go look it up.

IIRC, the ruling didn't make jailbreaking illegal, it did make it so the console makers could exercise their rights to "shut off" the console, basically making it unusable outside of the jailbreak.

Edit: Damn, should have read all the replies. Looks like you found something as well. This is seperate from the thing I was talking about though. I'll see if I can find a link when I feel like it, but likely will forget about this by tomorrow.:(

[lfc_4eva]

You can never stop determined guys wanting to prove their skills against the big boys.

[Rookie_Monster]

Sounds cool but I wouldn't want to chance it and brick my PS4 as I need it still for all the great games still coming and PSVR.

[jb227]

You won't have to worry about bricking, my inside sources say that Sony themselves are releasing an official version! This will be great because PS4 owners can use it as a workaround to play games only on PC & Xbox like Rise of the Tomb Raider & Cuphead! This can totally happen!

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

'my inside sources'

lol, you expect people to believe you?

[ziggurcat]

Why? What benefit is it to play steam games on console when they run exponentially better on PC?

[UnHoly_One]

Because some people don't have a PC that can exceed the PS4's capabilities?

That seems like a pretty obvious answer to your question, so I'm guessing your "question" was just to troll and not a legitimate inquiry.

[ziggurcat]

... And playing the games on equivalent HW accomplishes what, exactly? I don't see how questioning the usefulness of running steam on console constitutes trolling.

[Spyroo]

"Because some people don't have a PC that can exceed the PS4's capabilities?"

LOL!

[ILostMyMind]

I think most of people don't have that PC.

[gangsta_red]

Convenience maybe, or like Unholy One said maybe that person doesn't have a PC that can run these games and having it on PS4 is a possible solution to this.

So you don't see how questioning the usefulness of something is trolling and yet you feel someone asking what they think of game is right?

http://n4g.com/news/1909141...

[Rookie_Monster]

Lol, nice find Gansta. Some people just like to be hyprocrite, I guess. And agreed with UnHoly_One that for many folks that don't have a PC rig to run some of the more demanding Steam games, a PS4 might be a great alternative for them as It can kill 2 birds with one stone analogy.

[gangsta_red]

@Rookie

I know right, that's like asking why do I need Netflix on my smartphone when I have a 60' flat screen at home.

I personally don't game much on my PC but I wouldn't mind having access to Steam through my consoles. I mean it could only mean more games right?

[ziggurcat]

"Convenience maybe, or like Unholy One said maybe that person doesn't have a PC that can run these games and having it on PS4 is a possible solution to this."

That's a fair enough answer.

"So you don't see how questioning the usefulness of something is trolling and yet you feel someone asking what they think of game is right?"

The difference, gangsta, is I'm just asking a question, I'm not attacking or childishly insulting anyone who might find it useful.

[gangsta_red]

Oh, so for you it's just asking a question right? Like how I asked a question and got a childish response from you and your brothers.

"I'm not attacking or childishly insulting anyone who might find it useful."

I think you know more about being childish and insulting more than anyone here right Ziggurcat?

http://n4g.com/news/1908707...

[Rookie_Monster]

Dang, caught him off guard 2x! you have earned a detective badge from me. Great work.

Edit: dang Ziggercat sounded mad and try to act innocent in self defense. That is a sign that a man is guilty.

[ziggurcat]

If you can point out anywhere in the questions I've asked where I've personally attacked anyone who thought this was a useful/beneficial function to add to their console, please be my guest. My question was how was the function useful, not why does x person think it's useful (or how can x person be so foolish in thinking it's useful).

The context of your question was insulting. How so? Because you immediately followed up with how something somewhere stated that the game looked bad (even though you provided no evidence to support your claim), so you were clearly asking the question in bewilderment, and mocking him for stating that he thought the game looked "sweet." Someone can think something looks good even if it's based on a single photograph - and there are a lot of concept design photos in the article as well (which, evidently, you didn't click).

My response was based on your belligerent, insulting attitude towards the person just because they had added a reference to the game being a PS4 exclusive. And you do it all the time when it's related to Sony/PS4. Never when it's related to anything Xbox - you're often seen vehemently defending people in that case rather than utilizing the same critical eye you have with PlayStation.

[Gol3m]

It's getting really scary that these multi account n4g users reply to their own posts.

[kingdom18]

Maybe he just wanted to see if it could be done?

[rainslacker]

There's a "hey neat, look what I can do" factor involved. Sounds rather troublesome to me considering you'd need a highly unoptimized for the PS4 OS to manage it, which would just get in the way of the benefits of console, but not all games would require more than the PS4 offers.

I suppose it could be convenient as well.

[1nsomniac]

Nice work!

[stuna1]

Update incoming! If it happens it'll be because Sony wants it to happen. The same with cross consoles/platform gameplay. Sony would require an incentive just any of the others, that's why I believe they haven't responded to Microsofts open invitation. It could be costly and potentially disastrous for Sony if they don't read the fine print of such an agreement as well as dot all I's and cross all T's.

[DFresh]

I hope so. That would open up a whole new market for Cross Play and Steam as a platform. If GOG/Steam came to consoles that would be epic.

[PressPlayBro]

Does this guy even grammar bro?

[subtenko]

Man what are yall talking about in the comments, no need for a console? You have to have a system to run steam on. Steam is a digital store. Last i checked, both PS and Xbox have that, thing is steam is for PC games. Now if the next consoles could add some compatibility, then we are talking about another thing; another benefit of being a traditional home console owner

[wenaldy]

Nice clickbait title.

[Monkeycan8]

Hows it clickbait?

[Haki1112]

steam is already running on hacked ps4 so yeah this is in reach

[quent]

Getting 3dmark to work on the ps4 would be very interesting, being able to compare hardware,cpu/gpu processing performance and give some insight on how optimization works with multiplatform titles this gen.

[Silly gameAr]

That's kinda awesome.

[Christopher]

This is not jailbreaking. Nothing on the PS4 OS was modified or required to make this happen. All they did was partition the HDD to run something else other than PS OS. Making hardware work the way it's supposed to work isn't jailbreaking, it requires modifying the base OS, which did not happen here.