Sony requires new PS5 firmware to play Grand Theft Auto VI

Sony reportedly requires PlayStation 5 consoles running firmware 14.22.00.00 to play Grand Theft Auto VI, which launches November 19, 2026, and preorders are already open.

Sony released PlayStation 5 firmware update 26.07-14.22.00 on November 2, 2026, with security-related patch notes. Sony had released firmware 14.20 on October 21, 2026, just 11 days earlier, and that update’s patch notes did not mention security.

Hackers began cracking PlayStation 5 firmware versions 7.00 through 13.60 using AI tools starting in October 2026, according to Push Square. The Relapse jailbreak supported all PlayStation 5 consoles running those versions, including the PlayStation 5 Pro, that users had not updated within the previous week. Later Sony firmware updates closed the exploit path after Relapse stopped working at firmware 13.60.

Grand Theft Auto VI will cost $80 as a download-only release with no physical disk, and analysts project more than 45 million units sold at launch. Take-Two Interactive confirmed the release date in its fiscal year 2027 first-quarter earnings report on September 5, 2026, and preorders are already open. Take-Two shares fell as much as 7% on delay rumors and leaked footage, while twenty of twenty-two analysts rate TTWO a Buy with a roughly 37% upside price target. Rockstar’s “Extended Look” preview drew 31.1 million views on Netflix, topping the platform’s English-language film chart.

Sony and Microsoft have raised prices on their consoles. A $650 PlayStation 5 and an $800 Xbox Series X were described as expensive but plausible holiday gifts in reporting from September 5, 2026.

Security researcher Jordy, using the handle 2tonejordy on HackerOne, received a $50,000 bounty from Sony on October 28, 2026, for reporting a critical PlayStation 5 hypervisor flaw. The vulnerability gave researchers low-level access to run unsigned software, such as Linux, on the console. Researcher Andy Nguyen had been using the weakness for PS5 Linux development and demonstrated Linux running on the hardware earlier in 2026.

Nguyen said he is stepping away from PS5 Linux development, including plans involving PlayStation 5 Pro support. He expressed frustration about losing the window during which users could buy Grand Theft Auto VI while retaining the option to experiment with Linux on their consoles. Sony operates a public bug bounty program through HackerOne, and Jordy’s profile records a resolved PlayStation report with a $50,000 bounty, the highest listed for Sony’s program.

On October 28, 2026, Sony’s firmware updates meant enthusiasts had to decide between an exploitable system they could keep or newer firmware needed for current software and games. Installing an update like 14.20 closed the software path researchers had been using. Sony wants to learn about serious flaws before anyone misuses them, but homebrew PlayStation 5 researchers often view those weaknesses as a path to controlling hardware they own.

A follow-up exploit called Overdrive provided a seamless PlayStation Store clone that allowed full games to be downloaded for free before being taken down within 24 hours via cease-and-desist. Overdrive emerged after the Relapse jailbreak stopped working at firmware 13.60. Jailbroken PlayStation 5 systems can still run pirated games for the entire PlayStation 5 library up to the official firmware cutoff and retain substantial resale value.

Remote Lua Loader successfully executing payloads live with FTP server listening on port 1337,” kuzi (@kuzibelit) wrote.

Sony has previously required systems to run the latest firmware before certain games could start, and Marvel’s Wolverine is one case where that happened. Some PlayStation 5 games already needed 14.00 firmware just to download updates. A well-known PlayStation homebrew community member demonstrated a jailbreak for 14.10 firmware, though pulling game executables off the system was not possible.

Grand Theft Auto VI was initially reported to require PlayStation 5 firmware 14.10.00.00 or newer, according to PlayStation Game Size on October 6, 2026. Sony now reportedly requires firmware 14.22.00.00. The game also reportedly requires current system software and a PlayStation Network sign-in, based on reporting from October 28, 2026.

Estimates for Grand Theft Auto VI’s install size fall anywhere from 120GB to 250GB, but these are unconfirmed rumors. Demon’s Souls Remake is running at nearly 60 frames per second on PC with a recent PlayStation 5 emulator.

The emergence of powerful AI models has raised the stakes in the ongoing battle between Sony’s security engineers and the homebrew community, with exploits found using AI. Reports on Relapse’s development suggest that AI likely extends to jailbreaking as well. IGN India reported concern that if a jailbreak becomes available for the firmware required by Grand Theft Auto VI, people could pirate the game on PlayStation 5 and potentially release it on PC. Sony faces an existential crisis in its effort to win a game of Whac-A-Mole with the homebrew scene, according to IGN India.