Sony PlayStation 3 owners now have yet another jailbreak to choose from when looking to unlock their game console, as the open source PSGroove hack has been released.
The PSGroove seems to try to slip through a legal gray area among Sony and game makers, because PSGroove doesn't support pirated or backed up game playback. The software has reportedly been designed to "allow the execution of unsigned third-party apps and games on the PS3," rather than promote piracy and unauthorized games.
Interested users must download and compile the open source jailbreak, and then save the code to a special USB dongle that includes a microcontroller. Cloning, configuring and other necessary steps are provided here, which is also where the code can also be downloaded.
Custom homebrew PS3 development is allowed using new unencrypted code that can be transferred from PSGroove to the PS3.
Since PSGroove is an open source hack, expect its code to be closely analyzed, copied, and replicated for future versions of PS3 hacks. Unlike the original PSjailbreak hack, PSGroove allows owners to unplug the USB dongle from the PS3 while it's being used.
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo may not approve when modders develop hacks and other modifications -- but these jailbreaks offer gamers the chance for software and hardware support that they wouldn't otherwise have with locked-down console units. For example, the PSJailbreak that kicked off recent interest allows game backup playback from a Hard Disk Drive.
Even so, I expect Sony to try to block as many hacks and jailbreak clones it can, even though it's likely similar cracks will continue to evolve and slip by their security. The PS3 was known as a fairly secure game console free of significant hacks -- but it appears that the flood gates have now been opened.
