Verify any claim · lenz.io
Claim analyzed
Tech“A Sony PlayStation 4 can be jailbroken on system software version 13.50.”
Submitted by Nimble Crane 8dd0
The conclusion
The evidence does not support this claim in any practical, publicly usable sense. Reliable technical sources indicate firmware 13.50 has, at most, userland code execution and still needs a separate kernel exploit for a full jailbreak, with no public, reproducible jailbreak chain shown. Videos claiming a 13.50 jailbreak rely on private, unverified, or commercially motivated demonstrations rather than independently verifiable release material.
Caveats
- Do not confuse userland code execution tools such as Luac0re with a full PS4 jailbreak; a kernel exploit is still required.
- Private or unreleased developer demonstrations do not mean an ordinary user can jailbreak a stock PS4 on firmware 13.50.
- Many YouTube '13.50 jailbreak' tutorials are low-reliability, unverifiable, or commercially motivated and should not be treated as proof.
Get notified if new evidence updates this analysis
Create a free account to track this claim.
Sources
Sources used in the analysis
Sony’s official PS4 system software page lists version 13.50 as a system software update, but does not mention any ability to run unauthorized code or jailbreaking. Instead, it describes 13.50 as a routine update that "improves system performance" and user experience. Official Sony documentation consistently frames system software updates as security and stability enhancements, not as enabling hacking or homebrew.
Sony rolled out PS4 system software update 13.50 for March 2026 last night alongside the highly anticipated PS5/PS5 Pro firmware update. The update brings both good news and somewhat bad news for last-gen owners. The good news? There don’t seem to be any “security fixes” included in this update, which is Sony’s term for plugging exploits and vulnerabilities that allow players to hack and jailbreak the console.
Modders reported that with the 13.50 firmware update, Sony quietly made changes to the security system: reports are confirmed that the Use-After-Free (UAF) vulnerability, which was used to enter userland, is completely closed. This update closed a loophole that would have allowed launching a potential kernel exploit (Kexploit; if it is ever found). For this reason, enthusiasts are advised not to update if they want to preserve the possibility of jailbreaking.
The Luac0re project release notes describe a userland savegame exploit for PS4/PS5. The 2.1 release (March 2026) notes that the exploit has been tested on recent firmware: community videos linked from the page state that Luac0re "still works on the latest firmwares on the PS4 and PS5" and has been run "on the PS4 up to firmware 13.50" for userland code execution. However, Luac0re is explicitly a userland entry point; a separate kernel exploit is required for a full jailbreak.
The Luac0re repository documents a userland exploit for PS4 and PS5 that works via specific games. In the release notes and README, the author explains that Luac0re provides userland code execution on recent PS4/PS5 firmwares but requires a separate kernel exploit to achieve a full jailbreak (HEN/GoldHEN). It does not include or claim to provide a kernel exploit for firmware 13.50, and the project’s description positions it as a component that could be chained with a kernel exploit if one were available, rather than a standalone jailbreak for PS4 13.50.
In the video, the creator notes the release of PS4 firmware 13.50 and explains that the Vue After Free exploit used for PS4 jailbreaking has been fixed: "Now, in terms of the 13.50 update for the PS4, it looks like it has actually patched a couple of things including the PlayStation View exploit. So, that has now been patched in firmware 13.50." He further adds: "you can only use PlayStation View to jailbreak up to 13.0 at the moment," and notes that while the userland portion of the exploit loads up to 13.04, it no longer works once updated beyond that.
The video discusses a claim that a new PS4 kernel exploit exists on 13.50: "Gezine has revealed a new kernel exploit working up to 13.50 on the PS4 and possibly 13.00 on PS5." The host shows an image where "the system software is on 13.50 running PS4 HEN version 2.2.0" and notes that "PS4 HEN did get updated to support 13.50 even though we didn't have a jailbreak to be able to run it yet, but now it seems that Geidy Nas has managed to create a jailbreak here up to the latest firmware." He also questions whether it will be released to the public, saying it "may never see the light of day."
Discussing the state of jailbreaking after the 13.50 update, the host says that the LuaCore userland exploit still works but there is no public kernel exploit for the latest firmware: "Lua core is in fact still working" on PS4 up to 13.50, but "if you're on the latest firmwares using this, you're not going to be able to jailbreak using this until there is a new kernel exploit that works up to your firmware." He reiterates that PlayStation Vue was patched and that current jailbreak chains do not support 13.50.
The tutorial explicitly sets out the supported range: "Now, this works for firmwares 7.00 all the way up to 13.00. So, as long as you are within that range, you should be good." The creator later reiterates: "your firmware version on your system is going to have to be within this supported range. So, you need to be on at minimum firmware 7, but you cannot be on any firmware higher than 13.00." This guide therefore excludes 13.50 from the supported jailbreak versions.
In community and developer discussions about PS4 security, firmware 13.00 is typically cited as the latest version with a public, reproducible jailbreak using the Vue-After-Free (PSVue) entrypoint combined with earlier kernel exploits. Subsequent firmware 13.50 is generally described as having closed this userland vector, leaving it without a publicly released full jailbreak chain as of early 2026, though research on new exploits continues.
Around 0:14 the narrator states that "about 2 weeks ago, The Z showed that he had a private jailbreak for the latest update for PlayStation 4 13.50, and he showed HEN, and this time, he has Gold HEN, and this is not spoof." The video clarifies that this jailbreak is private and in the hands of the developer only. Later the host speculates that it probably "won't release until a year from now" and may instead be sold via a bug bounty like HackerOne, indicating that ordinary users do not currently have access to a public jailbreak for PS4 13.50.
This separate Vue After Free jailbreak guide likewise defines its range: "View After Free requires you to be on at minimum firmware 7.00 and at most firmware 13.00." It advises users on higher firmware: "if you're on a firmware higher than 13.00, what you're going to want to do is disconnect your PS4 from the internet, keep it unplugged, and just be patient. Eventually, jailbreaks do come out for these firmwares." The instructions explicitly stop at 13.00, not 13.50.
In this update video on PS4/PS5 jailbreaking, the host explains that a developer is "most likely using BDJ as a method for userland chained with his own private kernel bug to get a JB working on the latest version on PlayStation 4, which is 13.50 using the PS4 HEN version of 2.2.0 beta." He describes this as "huge news" for the scene but notes that the kernel bug remains private. The discussion frames the 13.50 jailbreak as something demonstrated privately rather than a publicly released jailbreak method for general users.
This tutorial video shows how to use an "Auto PKG Installer" on PS4 firmwares 13.02, 13.04 and 13.50. The presenter’s description and commentary stress that the method installs game PKG files without requiring GoldHEN or a full jailbreak. The channel, which focuses on PS4/PS5 jailbreaking news, differentiates these techniques from an actual kernel‑level jailbreak, implying that while some content can be installed on 13.50, a conventional jailbreak with HEN/GoldHEN is not available publicly for that firmware.
The video title and description claim: "PS4 13.02, 13.04 & 13.50 Auto PKG Installer Tutorial | Install Free Games PKGS, No GoldHEN & Jailbreaking." However, the demonstration shows using a PC tool and previously obtained PKG files; it does not show installing or running GoldHEN or any other custom firmware on 13.50. Comments and community responses note that the method relies on non-standard hardware configurations and does not constitute a general software jailbreak for retail 13.50 consoles.
The video title and description claim "PS4 13.50 Jailbreak With GoldHEN (No Spoof)" and present the channel as "dedicated to providing news and information about PS4 and PS5 jailbreaking". The creator advertises "premium PS4 modded backups" and links to paid downloads. The video purports to show a PS4 on firmware 13.50 running GoldHEN without spoofing, implying that a working jailbreak is available for that version, but it does not provide verifiable public exploit details and is promoted alongside commercial modded backups.
In this lesser‑known video, the creator claims in the title and description that they have a "PS4 13.50 Jailbreak". However, in the content they admit they are using a previously jailbroken console and updating certain payloads, stating: "This isn't a full new jailbreak for 13.50 – it's just showing that some homebrew still works on my system after I updated." They do not demonstrate any reproducible method for jailbreaking a stock PS4 on 13.50.
In this short video the creator claims to show "how we can jailbreak any PS4 with any PS4 firmware" including 13.50. The instructions tell viewers to download a "PS4 jailbreak file" from a link in the comments, copy it to a USB drive, plug it into the PS4, and then simply select a menu option labeled jailbreak and GoldHEN, after which the narrator says "Now, your PS4 is jailbreak". The video presents this as an easy method to jailbreak "any PS4 with any PS4 firmware," explicitly asserting that system software 13.50 can be jailbroken via the provided files.
What do you think of the claim?
Your challenge will appear immediately.
Challenge submitted!
Continue your research
Verify a related claim next.
Expert review
3 specialized AI experts evaluated the evidence and arguments.
Expert 1 — The Logic Examiner
The claim 'a PS4 can be jailbroken on firmware 13.50' is ambiguous between (a) technically possible in principle and (b) publicly achievable by ordinary users. The proponent correctly identifies that Sources 7 and 11 document private demonstrations of HEN/GoldHEN running on 13.50, which logically supports the weaker reading (technical possibility). However, the opponent correctly notes that Sources 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, and 13 collectively establish that no public, reproducible jailbreak chain exists for 13.50: the userland vector was patched, Luac0re requires a separate kernel exploit not publicly available, and all 13.50 'jailbreak' demonstrations are private proofs-of-concept. The proponent commits a scope fallacy by treating a private, unreleased developer demonstration as equivalent to a generally available jailbreak, while the opponent's framing that the claim is simply 'false' overstates the case since private technical demonstrations do confirm feasibility. The most logically sound reading is that the claim is misleading: a PS4 on 13.50 cannot be jailbroken by ordinary users through any publicly available method, but private kernel exploits have been demonstrated, making the claim neither straightforwardly true nor false without qualification.
Expert 2 — The Context Analyst
The claim omits the crucial distinction between a publicly available, reproducible jailbreak chain versus private or unverified demonstrations: the evidence indicates 13.50 has (at most) a userland entry point (Luac0re) but no publicly released kernel exploit/jailbreak for general users, and multiple sources describe key prior vectors as patched and advise not updating to preserve jailbreakability [3][5][8][10]. With full context, the statement “can be jailbroken on 13.50” gives a misleading overall impression because it reads as a generally achievable capability, while the best-supported picture is that a public jailbreak is not available (and any “it exists” claims are private/uncertain), so the claim is effectively false as framed.
Expert 3 — The Source Auditor
The highest-authority, independent source (Source 1, Sony PlayStation support) is neutral and provides no support for jailbreaking, while the most technically grounded evidence in the pool (Sources 4-5, Gezine/Luac0re on GitHub) indicates only userland code execution up to 13.50 and explicitly says a separate kernel exploit is required for a full jailbreak; the remaining support relies mainly on YouTube claims of a private exploit (Sources 7, 11, 13) rather than independently verifiable, reproducible documentation. Given that the best available reliable documentation does not establish a real, usable jailbreak on 13.50 (and several sources report patched vulnerabilities and no public chain: Sources 3, 8), the claim as stated is not supported by trustworthy evidence and is best judged false on this record.
Expert summary
The arguments
Two AI advocates debated this claim using the research gathered.
Argument for
Source 7 (YouTube - MODDED WARFARE) explicitly shows a PS4 running system software 13.50 with HEN version 2.2.0 active, confirming that a kernel exploit capable of jailbreaking firmware 13.50 has been demonstrated, and Source 11 corroborates this by describing a developer showcasing GoldHEN running on 13.50 without spoofing — both independently verifying that jailbreaking PS4 firmware 13.50 is technically achievable. The claim that a PS4 can be jailbroken on 13.50 is therefore substantiated by multiple independent demonstrations of working jailbreaks on that exact firmware version, even if public release remains pending.
The Proponent equivocates between “can be jailbroken” as a general, user-meaningful capability and mere claims of a private proof-of-concept: Source 7 (MODDED WARFARE) is explicitly framed as an unverified report that “may never see the light of day,” and Source 11 likewise characterizes the 13.50 GoldHEN as private and not accessible to ordinary users, which does not substantiate the motion in any practical or reproducible sense. Moreover, the Proponent's reliance on these demonstrations ignores the brief's technically grounded constraint that 13.50 lacks a public jailbreak chain—Luac0re is only a userland entry point and “requires a separate kernel exploit” (Source 5: GitHub Gezine/Luac0re), while contemporaneous reporting says 13.50 closes the relevant userland vulnerability and advises not updating to preserve jailbreakability (Source 3: iXBT.games).
Argument against
The motion is false because the only technically grounded evidence in the brief indicates there is no public, reproducible jailbreak chain for PS4 firmware 13.50: Luac0re is explicitly just a userland entry point and “requires a separate kernel exploit to achieve a full jailbreak,” with no such 13.50 kernel exploit provided (Source 5: GitHub Gezine/Luac0re; Source 8: MODDED WARFARE). Multiple sources further report that 13.50 closes the key vulnerability used for prior jailbreaks and that any 13.50 “jailbreak” claims are private, non-released, or unverifiable/scam-like USB-file tutorials rather than a real jailbreak method (Source 3: iXBT.games; Source 11: YouTube scene commentary; Source 18: The Ice Gaming).
The Opponent conflates 'publicly released' with 'technically achievable,' but the motion asks only whether a PS4 can be jailbroken on 13.50 — not whether a public release exists — and Source 7 explicitly documents a working PS4 HEN 2.2.0 running on firmware 13.50 with a kernel exploit demonstrated by a named developer, which directly satisfies that standard. Furthermore, the Opponent's reliance on Source 11 as a refutation is self-defeating: Source 11 itself confirms that a developer demonstrated GoldHEN running on 13.50 without spoofing, which corroborates rather than undermines the claim that jailbreaking on 13.50 is technically possible.