This PlayStation Classic hack will revive all your best gaming memories
The PlayStation Classic – a slightly disappointing retro Christmas treat from Sony – has only been available to buy for just over a week, but hackers have already found a way of making the machine run more than the meagre 20 included in the box.
For whatever reason, Sony hasn’t been very thorough in blocking hackers’ progress, considering the game of cat and mouse it played with modders in the PSP days. The key to decrypt the system’s code is actually right there on the device, so hackers dropping the code onto an external machine have found it pretty easy to uncover what makes the emulator tick.
Currently, it’s not the most user-friendly process in the world, but it is definitely working as a proof of concept. As the video below shows, the PlayStation Classic quite happily plays the old school Crash Bandicoot without any pushback – seemingly not making any checks to ensure that the game it’s running is permitted by Sony.
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A somewhat simpler version has since been pushed out on GitHub: BleemSync, named after the emulator that eventually closed down after multiple legal fights with Sony in the 90s.
It looks like this way of tackling things involves some folder management and a spot of database management. Although as with all these things, there’s a chance of bricking your device, and any risk is definitely on you.
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In this internet-connected age, usually a lack of security would be a massive cause for concern, but just like the original PlayStation, the Classic doesn’t have any internet connectivity. As such the only real risk is for publishers rather than consumers. For now, only old Sony games are working, but it surely won’t be long before SNES and N64 games are attempted…
Have you got the PlayStation Classic? How are you finding it? Let us know what you think on Twitter: @TrustedReviews
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
