How to Jailbreak a PlayStation 3 Console and Play Free PS3 Games?

If you’re looking to expand your gaming options and play PS3 games for free, then jailbreaking your PlayStation 3 console might be just what you need. By jailbreaking your console, you can unlock hidden features and run homebrew applications, as well as play games that you may not have access to otherwise.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to jailbreak your PS3 console and start playing free games.

Table of Contents

Get PS3 updated

Go to the settings and find the option to update the system. Update via Internet, then reboot the console. You can do it manually too, but it’s more time consuming.

Get the PS3 ready for the jailbreak

The jailbreak process allows you to play free PS3 games, but to go through it, the console must be set correctly. Find a jailbreak kit and download it.

Then, find out whether your console relies on NOR or NAND flash memory. Slim models use NOR, so old models rely on NAND.

Meanwhile, prepare a large USB drive too. Format it with FAT32 first. Go to the jailbreak kit you’ve downloaded and find the PS3 subfolder in the first step folder. Copy it on the USB drive.

Note the original PS3 firmware

You’ll have to ensure your PS3 can be jailbroken. Not all models can go through this process. Go to the same system update option, but choose to update via storage media. Note the version, it should be less than 3.56.

If it is, remove the USB drive and format it the same way again.

Prepare the USB drive

There are quite a few programs allowing you to jailbreak the PS3, with HFW 4.90 being the most popular one. Download it and find the PS3 HFW 490 folder, then copy the PS3 subfolder on the USB drive.

The technical part

This is the technical and most difficult part. Find the XAMPP Apache distribution and install it on the computer. Configure XAMPP and ensure it can run Apache. The point is to come up with a Hosted Toolset on the computer.

You’ll need your computer’s IP address too, whether you do it over a website or through the ipconfig command in CMD.

Get the firmware on PS3

This step prepares your console for jailbreak. Insert the USB drive and then go through the update via storage media. It will install the same version, but it’s modified, so make sure you complete it.

Once complete, go to the network, go to the browser, find the tools, and delete all the temp data, cookies, cache, search, and authentication details. Also, set the main page to blank.

Restart the PS3 browser again and enter the IP of your computer in the address entry. Use port 80. When done, your PS3 and computer are successfully connected.

There are also some last minute checks you can do prior to starting the process:

USB should read /dev_usb000/
Click on NOR or NAND, then run the checks

The final installation

Format the USB drive one more time. Again, use the FAT32 format method. Go to the original download folder and find the PS3 CFW 490 folder. It should also have a PS3 subfolder, which goes on the USB drive.

Move the USB drive from your computer to your console. Meanwhile, the PS3 browser window should be open from the previous use.

Click on Patch NOR/NAND/ flash memory, and the new file will be automatically installed. It may take a few minutes. You should get a message saying the patch operation was successful, so wait until you get there.

Restart the PS3 and go for a final system update. Again, choose to update via storage media. This step will install the 4.90 Evilnar PEX file on the console.

There are a few other prompts you’ll need to go through on the screen, but nothing important, just go along and complete the installation.

Finally, there’s only one step to complete, and that’s restarting the console, which is now jailbroken and can take all sorts of games from different external sources.

Conclusion

Jailbreaking your PlayStation 3 console can be a great way to access new games and features. However, it’s important to note that jailbreaking your console can also come with some risks, such as the potential to damage your console and void your warranty.

Before proceeding, make sure to fully understand the process and be aware of the risks involved. If you’re comfortable with the risks and want to proceed, follow these steps and enjoy your newly jailbroken PlayStation 3.