What does "Jailbreaking" mean?
Jailbreak: An alternative term that is used in place of the word "hack". It is a made up word created from an infamous hacker who goes by "geohot". He was known for being the first to "jailbreak/unlock" the iPhone and the first to successfully "jailbreak" the PlayStation 3.
Advantages of Jailbreaking
- Free PS3 Games
- Use Emulators - Meaning you can play games from Sega, Nintendo, Gameboy, Atari, etc.
- Read movies and games off of an external harddrive
- Mod/Hack any game (RTM Tools, Mod menus, etc.)
- Freedom to personalize and customize the interface
- Copy and backup disc games on your Harddrive
- Visually see your PS3's performance
How it works
A jailbroken PS3 essentially means that you are on CFW (Custom Firmware). Sony's system updates (not to be confused with game updates) are called OFW in the hacker world, which stands for official firmware. Custom firmware is a modified version of Sony's firmware that allows you to go beyond restrictions and do things that are listed in "Advantages of Jailbreaking" above. To put it in an simpler sense, Custom Firmware is the key to unlocking great things. So now you may be asking: "how does someone jailbreak their PS3?" Before answering that, it is important to tell you a quick history lesson so that you can catch up with today's PS3 hackers.
History
The PS3 was first jailbroken from the discovery of an exploit (a "fluke" in the system that left it vulnerable). Jailbreaking your PS3 at the time was the easiest thing to do thanks to the simplistic method the hackers created, which was by simply putting a custom firmware on a USB and installing it on your PS3. Sadly enough, this "exploit" was patched from Sony's official firmware update 3.56 and you could no longer jailbreak your PS3 unless you had a version of 3.55 or earlier. A long time has passed since and finally there was a new method to jailbreak but didn't really appeal to the average person. This method called for using a modchip, called the 'E3 Flasher', that allowed you to downgrade your PS3 back to version 3.55. Unfortunately, there are some PS3s that still cannot be jailbroken through this method because there are some requirements hardware-wise.
Limitations and Compatibility
The 'E3 Flasher' modchip requires a complete PS3 tear-down to the motherboard and is only compatible with certain motherboards that have what's called a "NOR Chip". The only PS3's that don't have a NOR chip are the earliest Phat PS3 models (Not all of them but some!). The other limitations are set on PS3s that don't have a stock official firmware of 3.55. Stock firmware is basically the very first firmware your PS3 had when you had barely purchased your it (new). Due to this reason, the newest Super Slim PS3s and a small portion of the Slim PS3s are completely un-jailbreakable. To make things easier and to find out if your PS3 can be jailbroken, a list of Model numbers is written under "Jailbreak Requirements".
Using a Jailbroken PS3
One of the most common questions that gets asked is "How do I mod a game or get free games with my PS3 once it is jailbroken?" Although those are excellent questions, its important to know the fundamental functions of a jailbroken PS3. Buying a new computer does not mean it'll have the software or programs that you want; you will have to install them if you want them. The same way works with a jailbroken PS3: you have to download and install whatever it is you want in order to use it. This can only be done on a jailbroken PS3 because, as mentioned earlier, it 'unlocks' any restrictions that Sony has set down.
The first thing you'll notice on a jailbroken PS3 is the additional folder named "Package Manager" or "Package Installer". This is the heart of all modifications; it is where you install "programs" (known as "packages" on the PS3). From there, you use these 'packages' for different purposes (obviously depending on what they are designed to do) such as using Multiman for mounting games and wireless FTP transfer, or PSNPatch for disabling syscalls and spoofing your console id to reduce the risk of being banned. These are just some examples to give you a taste of how it is like when having a jailbroken PS3. Of course, it gets much more sophisticated and advanced but that is a whole other topic on its own.
History
The PS3 was first jailbroken from the discovery of an exploit (a "fluke" in the system that left it vulnerable). Jailbreaking your PS3 at the time was the easiest thing to do thanks to the simplistic method the hackers created, which was by simply putting a custom firmware on a USB and installing it on your PS3. Sadly enough, this "exploit" was patched from Sony's official firmware update 3.56 and you could no longer jailbreak your PS3 unless you had a version of 3.55 or earlier. A long time has passed since and finally there was a new method to jailbreak but didn't really appeal to the average person. This method called for using a modchip, called the 'E3 Flasher', that allowed you to downgrade your PS3 back to version 3.55. Unfortunately, there are some PS3s that still cannot be jailbroken through this method because there are some requirements hardware-wise.
Limitations and Compatibility
The 'E3 Flasher' modchip requires a complete PS3 tear-down to the motherboard and is only compatible with certain motherboards that have what's called a "NOR Chip". The only PS3's that don't have a NOR chip are the earliest Phat PS3 models (Not all of them but some!). The other limitations are set on PS3s that don't have a stock official firmware of 3.55. Stock firmware is basically the very first firmware your PS3 had when you had barely purchased your it (new). Due to this reason, the newest Super Slim PS3s and a small portion of the Slim PS3s are completely un-jailbreakable. To make things easier and to find out if your PS3 can be jailbroken, a list of Model numbers is written under "Jailbreak Requirements".
Using a Jailbroken PS3
One of the most common questions that gets asked is "How do I mod a game or get free games with my PS3 once it is jailbroken?" Although those are excellent questions, its important to know the fundamental functions of a jailbroken PS3. Buying a new computer does not mean it'll have the software or programs that you want; you will have to install them if you want them. The same way works with a jailbroken PS3: you have to download and install whatever it is you want in order to use it. This can only be done on a jailbroken PS3 because, as mentioned earlier, it 'unlocks' any restrictions that Sony has set down.
The first thing you'll notice on a jailbroken PS3 is the additional folder named "Package Manager" or "Package Installer". This is the heart of all modifications; it is where you install "programs" (known as "packages" on the PS3). From there, you use these 'packages' for different purposes (obviously depending on what they are designed to do) such as using Multiman for mounting games and wireless FTP transfer, or PSNPatch for disabling syscalls and spoofing your console id to reduce the risk of being banned. These are just some examples to give you a taste of how it is like when having a jailbroken PS3. Of course, it gets much more sophisticated and advanced but that is a whole other topic on its own.
Jailbreaking Requirements
Unfortunately, not all PS3s are jailbreak-able.
To check to see if you are eligible for this service, check the back of your Playstation 3 console where there is a barcode. You will see a model number beginning with "CECH". This is what will indicate if your PS3 has the potential to be jailbroken. Below is a list of all eligible model numbers. If yours appears on the list, then you are in luck! *The x's stand for any number/letter. PS3 Phat CECHHxx CECHIxx CECHJxx CECHKxx CECHLxx CECHMxx CECHNxx CECHOxx CECHPxx CECHQxx PS3 Slim CECH-20xxA CECH-20xxB CECH-21xxA CECH-21xxB CECH-25xxA < Please read the information listed on the bottom of the page. CECH-25xxB < Please read the information listed on the bottom of the page. PS3 Super Slim
Sorry, but these models are not able to be jailbroken. If you have a CECH-25xxA or CECH-25xxB, you must determine if your PS3 is jailbreakable by looking on the bottom of your PS3 console where it shows the date code or manufacture date.
Method #2
This is just another method to finding out if your PlayStation 3 can be jailbroken.
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