Jailbroken PS5s can now run Nintendo titles, physical PS2 discs, PS3 games, and...Windows 7 (?!)

The PlayStation 5 homebrew scene is moving at breakneck speed, turning Sony’s flagship console into an unexpectedly versatile emulation powerhouse. Just days after we covered PS5SX2 bringing PlayStation 2 emulation and the ProsperoEden project taking on Nintendo Switch titles, developers have rolled out massive updates that fundamentally change what jailbroken PS5 consoles can do.

PS5SX2 v2.1.0 brings native-style PS2 disc playback

Leading the charge is PS5SX2’s v2.1.0 release, which introduces the scene’s first direct physical disc-booting workflow. The PCSX2-based emulator can now boot original physical PS2 DVDs directly from the PS5’s home screen, completely bypassing the tedious step of first dumping ISO files to storage. It relies on a combination of ShadowMount Plus and a companion helper payload, bringing the jailbroken console closer to the native backwards compatibility that Sony never delivered.

The PS5’s internal laser drive only reads DVD-based PS2 media, not CD-ROMs (blue-bottom PS2 discs), but the developer has also rolled out experimental support for external USB optical drives to broaden disc compatibility.

In-developement PS3 emulation

Why stop at PS2 games when you can also run PS3 games? Developers showed off proof-of-concept footage of an RPCS3 port (RPS5S3) running GTA IV on the PS5.

However, the developer noted that this is an early alpha build that has not yet been publicly released. Still, this makes us excited for what you can achieve with the PS5.

Nintendo emulation: Wii U, 3DS, and Switch upgrades

Nintendo backward compatibility also took a massive leap forward with the release of PS5CEMU-HAR 4.0.0. The build bundles support for playing Nintendo Wii U, 3DS, and original DS titles into a unified interface, significantly broadening the PS5’s portable and dual-screen emulation repertoire.

Meanwhile, Switch emulation on the console received dual updates via ProsperoEden v1.0.0-2000 and SwitchPS5 v1.0.0-2000. The companion releases unlock additional free system memory (RAM headroom) to reduce crashes in heavier games, while introducing an on-screen FPS counter, UI scaling improvements, and bug fixes across graphics shaders.

Beyond gaming: Windows 7

Adding to the milestone week, developers also showcased proof-of-concept footage of Windows 7 running on the PS5 via a hybrid native-and-virtual-machine implementation.

While practical utility remains limited at this early stage, it demonstrates just how much low-level control developers are gaining over the PS5’s custom AMD Zen 2 and RDNA 2 architecture.

Sony may have conceived the PS5 as a walled garden, but community developers are rapidly turning jailbroken PS5s into the ultimate all-in-one, backward-compatible machine enthusiasts have long requested.