Last week marked a significant milestone in the gaming world as Linux made its debut on the PlayStation 5, unlocking a myriad of possibilities through the integration of an open operating system on a traditionally closed platform. Spearheaded by renowned security researcher Andy Nguyen, known in the community as TheFlow, this Linux implementation utilizes an existing exploit for PS5 consoles running on system software versions up to 4.5. The process involves preparing a suitable Linux image, executing the PS5 exploit, and sending the correct payload via a computer, allowing the console to enter rest mode. Upon waking, Linux can boot from an attached USB or SSD, setting the stage for a unique gaming experience.
For those looking to enhance storage speeds, Linux can be installed on an SSD located in the PS5’s m.2 bay, significantly outperforming the USB option. However, a USB stick remains necessary for the initial boot. Users gain full access to the Linux desktop, specifically running Ubuntu 26.04 LTS, with around 15GB of usable memory at their disposal. The PS5’s powerful hardware is fully accessible, including all eight cores and 16 threads of the Zen 2 processor cluster, and the complete 36 compute unit GPU. The CPU operates at 3.2GHz, while the GPU runs at 2.0GHz. An optional tool can activate the PS5’s boost mode, pushing CPU frequencies to 3.5GHz and the GPU to its specified 2.23GHz, with additional cooling adjustments available.
While the steps to run Linux on the PS5 may seem straightforward, the reality is more intricate for those unfamiliar with the Linux environment. Additionally, sourcing a PlayStation 5 with the required low firmware can be a challenge. Firmware 4.5, released in December 2021, is essential for this process, and TheFlow has indicated that there are no plans to extend Linux support to later system software updates. For instance, acquiring a unit with untouched firmware 2.0 from eBay set me back £520, a price considerably lower than the typical market rate. My unit currently operates on firmware 4.03, which coincides with Sony’s introduction of support for the m.2 expansion port.
During testing, I encountered an issue that TheFlow is actively addressing: the inability to run the PS5 at resolutions higher than 1080p, resulting in black screens for anything above that threshold. Initially, I conducted tests without boost clocks, followed by evaluations with full CPU and GPU frequencies. The boosted multi-core score reached 7566, comparable to the Ryzen 5 3600, while the single-core score of 1127 aligns with the Core i7 7700. In contrast, a more contemporary processor, the Ryzen 5 7500F, achieves a score of 2888/12869 with 6000MT/s DDR5.
To assess the GPU’s capabilities, I turned to PC games that mirror PS5-equivalent settings, utilizing Steam for downloads. Due to the display output limitation, I confined my tests to titles that operate at native 1080p, effectively transforming the PS5 into a 1080p Steam Machine of sorts, leveraging the Proton compatibility layer to run Windows games on Linux.
Performance Insights
My first test was with Black Myth Wukong, where the PS5’s performance mode mirrors the equivalent of PC’s high settings, albeit with lower texture quality. This game typically employs frame generation to boost 30fps to 60fps, except during the prologue, which operates without frame generation, providing a solid comparison point.
While performance results may vary slightly, running without boost clocks yielded 99.9 percent of the PlayStation 5’s performance. Activating boost mode provided a marginal improvement, adding three percent more frames. However, a curious quirk emerged: enabling high-quality textures under Linux could lead to frame-rate drops of up to 5fps in graphically intensive scenes. This suggests that memory management may be a weakness, possibly due to less efficient utilization of unified memory compared to the standard PS5 OS.
Next, I tested Crimson Desert, aiming to evaluate CPU-limited performance in the notorious Bug Hill area. Using the PS5’s performance mode, which runs at native 1080p with developer-supplied settings, I encountered rendering issues with the sky, potentially linked to ray tracing. Despite this, the non-boosted PS5 delivered 98.9 percent of standard PS5 performance, with a 3.8 percent improvement when boost mode was activated. This indicates that PS5 Linux is capable of matching the standard PS5’s GPU and CPU performance in select titles, although I anticipated more from this particular game.
As I ran out of native 1080p PS5 games to compare, I slightly bent the rules with Pragmata, which operates at native 1080p on PS5 in both its resolution and frame-rate modes. The game employs a basic FSR 1 spatial upscaler to achieve 4K, minimally impacting performance. I aimed to explore ray tracing comparisons, but Linux did not support this feature, leaving me to test the frame-rate mode, which typically maintains 60fps on the PS5. Interestingly, Pragmata on PS5 Linux initially performed comparably, with only a few dropped frames. However, as I progressed into the second level, performance became less stable, accompanied by noticeable stutters.
It appears that the primary challenge of running games on the PS5 under Linux lies in memory management. Developers have full control over unified RAM when creating standard PS5 games, while PS5 Linux utilizes a dynamic allocation for graphics that seems to cap at around 5.5GB. Reducing texture quality in Pragmata from high to low noticeably improved the experience, though it remained less than ideal. Similarly, I encountered severe stuttering and crashing issues while testing Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which seemed to stem from RAM limitations.
Throughout the games tested, it was intriguing to observe how multi-platform titles could deliver performance closely aligned with the PlayStation 5, even though they were being run through the Proton compatibility layer. However, I would not anticipate such parity for games primarily developed for the PS5 and later ported. Titles from Sony’s first-party studios typically demand an extra level of GPU performance to achieve PS5 equivalence.
In addition, I conducted brief tests with ray tracing in Control Ultimate Edition. The PS5 version operates at native 1440p with a 30fps quality mode featuring RT reflections, alongside a 60fps performance mode that disables ray tracing. Interestingly, under Linux, Control ran at 1080p, maintaining 50-60fps on settings that closely resembled those of the console. While achieving perfect parity is impossible due to some PS5 raster settings being lower than PC’s low settings, the results suggest that Remedy could have offered a viable 1080p60 ray tracing option.
Control also presented an intriguing opportunity for super-sampling. The limitations of PS5 Linux’s display output could be circumvented by running internally at 1440p or even 2160p, downscaling to 1080p output. Given that Control operates at 1440p on PS5 in its quality mode, I conducted a couple of quick tests with super-sampled 1440p. Initially, performance exceeded 30fps, though occasional stuttering occurred. However, during a subsequent session, I experienced a hard crash early on.
Ultimately, the nature of this setup is somewhat exclusionary; it is likely that few PlayStation 5 consoles remain on firmware 4.5, and downgrading is not an option. Nevertheless, PS5 Linux stands as a remarkable achievement, providing a fascinating avenue to explore the hardware in ways not possible with a standard retail console. The memory limitations encountered in gaming underscore the advantages of a fixed platform with a dedicated development environment. PCs equipped with 8GB GPUs and 16GB of system memory often face similar graphics memory challenges when compared to the PS5, which offers not only 16GB total but also 12.5GB of usable memory for developers.
Despite the limitations, gaining full access to PlayStation 5 hardware through Linux has been an intriguing experience, with a vast array of content available for testing. The potential for further exploration is enticing, as I have noted instances of titles like Bloodborne running via ShadPS4 and Motorstorm Pacific Rift through RPCS3 emulation. The wealth of modding opportunities and the prospect of running path tracing on the PS5 GPU add to the allure. While I do not expect groundbreaking results, particularly from path tracing, the freedom to experiment with such software on the Sony console is undeniably compelling.
