Homebrew alternative PlayStation 3 hack released
PSGroove program provably non-copyright infringing, piracy features disabled
An open source alternative to the PSJailbreak hack called PSGroove has been made available this morning, with the features intended for piracy removed.
The homebrew code must be downloaded to a AT90USB or variant before being installed, part of a USB development kit available for as little as £25.
In addition, the new hack doesn't feature the code in the commercial variant which causes a PlayStation 3 to lock up if the dongle is removed once the hack is installed.
Because the hack doesn't allow re-routing of Blu-ray traffic to either the internal hard drive or an external device, the ability to play "backup" games simply isn't possible - although there is nothing to stop the less scrupulous swapping in the original PSJailbreak payload, Eurogamer's Digital Foundry reports.
Importantly, and frustratingly for Sony, the code also proves publicly that no copyrighted Sony materials are used in triggering the exploit. Previously it was assumed that the hack was based on Sony's own service mode hardware, but in actual fact the hack only uses the same device identifier.
This will likely be a blow for Sony in the firm's ongoing legal challenge against PSJailbreak resellers.