Will Sony ban hacked PS3's from PlayStation Network?

The PlayStation community was enthusiastic when it was recently announced that a PlayStation 3 hack could "jailbreak" the popular game console. On the other hand, it was immediately noted that the hole could be patched by Sony in a future firmware update.

The hack supports playing backed up games off a FAT32 external HDD when a special USB jailbreak dongle is connected to the PS3 game console. Console owners can play pirated and backed up video games -- appealing features that are normally locked away from users.

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Meanwhile, it's possible that this jailbreak device has been successfully cloned -- and can be found online for an even lower price. The x3JailBreak mod-chip clone is expected to be released sometime next week with a price less than $50.

A post on PS3 Hax from SKFU and RichDevX indicates Sony will be able to monitor when jailbroken PS3 owners log into PlayStation Network using the backup game manager exploit that was previously reported just days ago.

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Another PS3 Hax member named "PSjb" recommended that users avoid PSN if they are using the hack. The PS3 Jailbreak is expensive (more than $150) but has already sold out to the select number of customers that it was available for.

If Sony is unable to immediately ban these jailbroken consoles, the company will attempt to bring the situation to a resolution as quickly as possible.

I'd be highly surprised if a game console jailbreak or crack can be released without a fix from the console maker being released at some point in the future. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are kept on their toes by crackers looking for ways to unlock and exploit game consoles.

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Anyone thinking about jailbreaking their game console should do their due diligence with plenty of research. Watch out for scams and knockoff USB dongles from Chinese and Eastern European sources. These dongles often times don’t work at all - and can corrupt storage devices and game consoles.

For now, we'll have to wait and see what Sony's response is. I predict PlayStation Network bans and a firmware update to close the hole that allows the hack.

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