Abstract:
Overdrive has become increasingly popular as the PS5 begins to support newer firmware after being jailbroken. Sony has yet to comment on the PlayStation console's recent developments regarding piracy and emulators. Since Overdrive is an unofficial app that lists games that can be downloaded for free, Sony may feel it needs to take action.
Oliver Darko said on social media that Overdrive is now unavailable. Its GitHub page also shows a 404 error. It's unknown who or what caused it to shut down, but Sony Interactive Entertainment likely took action.
After the PS5 is successfully jailbroken, players will use Overdrive to find and download free games, including well-known 3A games such as "Marvel's Spider-Man 2" and "Cyberpunk 2077". Coupled with the Shadow Mount Plus tool, the downloaded game will appear on the home screen of the console.
It is unclear which servers these game files are stored on. The developers originally planned to be responsible for storing the files themselves, which may be one of the reasons why Sony took notice of Overdrive. Even regardless of where the files are stored, Overdrive makes it easier for players to obtain infringing games and may make piracy more common.
After Overdrive is closed, many players who are willing to try jailbreak may not stop there. In addition to Overdrive, an interface that is easy to use with a controller, they can still find PS4 and PS5 games through other channels. Regardless, the author believes that Overdrive's shutdown may once again illustrate PlayStation's growing concerns about this issue.
After the emergence of an exploit called Relapse, more people who support piracy began to participate. It appeared in late September for PS5s with firmware version 13.60 or higher; firmware version 13.60 was released in July. Previous jailbreak solutions require older firmware versions, so hosts that have recently updated their systems cannot be used.
Long before Relapse came along, Sony took steps to target homebrew developers with a September 16 update. There is no mention of Relapse in this update, but firmware version 14.00.00 contains security fixes. Players quickly discovered that Relapse was not available on updated consoles. Firmware version 14.10.00, launched on October 1, also prevents jailbreaks.
Publishers such as Take-Two have also been affected by copyright infringement. According to reports, when "GTA6" was released in November, the PS5 would not be able to start the game if firmware version 14.10.00 was not installed. Rockstar has yet to confirm whether this request is related to the development of the PS5 homebrew community.
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