[TUTORIAL] PS5 homebrews in 2026: the essentials after jailbreaking (etaHEN, emulators, tools)

Step-by-step PS5, PS4 and PS3 tutorials: exploits, GoldHEN, PS3 custom firmware, installing homebrews, backups and updates.
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[TUTORIAL] PS5 homebrews in 2026: the essentials after jailbreaking (etaHEN, emulators, tools)

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Automatically translated from French.

[TUTO] Homebrews PS5 en 2026 : les indispensables après le jailbreak (etaHEN, émulateurs, outils)

Your PS5 is jailbroken: what should you run now? Here are the essential PS5 homebrews in October 2026, from basic tools to GameCube, PS2 and Switch emulators, with their official sources.


The starting point

All these programs require a PS5 opened by an exploit: currently Relapse, from firmware 7.00 to 13.60. Nothing works on 14.00 or above. The details by firmware are in our tutorial PS5 jailbreak: which firmware, what really works.

Essential reminder: the PS5 jailbreak is not permanent. You have to rerun the exploit at every boot, then the programs that depend on it.


1. The building blocks
  • elfldr (0.26, August 2026): the program loader, listening on port 9021. Almost every homebrew goes through it: you send it a file from the PC (with a small sending tool, or even the command nc).
  • kstuff-lite (1.11, 23 September 2026): the kernel module that unlocks advanced features, from firmware 1.00 to 13.60. Several tools require it.
  • etaHEN: the reference toolbox — a menu in the PS5 interface, direct package installation, cheats, temperature statistics, automatic plugin loading. Note the situation as of October 2026: the official version, the 2.5B, does not list 13.60. An unofficial adaptation for 11.00 to 13.60 has been circulating since 30 September, and 2.6 trial versions are distributed by the author for a limited time. If you are on 13.60, wait for an official version or accept the experimental side.
  • ftpsrv (0.21.1, August 2026): an FTP server to exchange files with the PC.
  • websrv (0.34, August 2026): a browser-based homebrew launcher (port 8080), which displays those stored in /data/homebrew.

2. Emulators: the big surprise of the autumn

In one week, the jailbroken PS5 became a complete emulation machine. We tell the story of their arrival in our news:
  • Porpoise (2.0, 5 October 2026): GameCube and Wii, based on Dolphin, with its own TV interface and the DualSense serving as a Wiimote.
  • PS5SX2: the PS2, based on PCSX2, up to ×6 the original resolution, widescreen patches and 60 frames per second.
  • XPSemu (alpha 1, 1 October): the original Xbox, based on xemu. Still uneven.
  • RetroArch for PS5 (alpha version 0.6.7, 5 October 2026, by Mihawk): the multi-emulator, with notably the PPSSPP, PS1, N64, Saturn, DS and arcade cores. It evolves every day.
  • ProsperoEden: the Switch, based on Eden. We don't link to it, as with all Switch emulators (see our news).
They all require the BIOS files and games from your own consoles.


3. Your games and your saves
  • PS5 App Dumper (2.10 beta, 3 October 2026): copies an installed game to a USB drive. It's the tool for keeping a backup copy of your games.
  • ShadowMountPlus (1.7 beta): automatically mounts these copies from internal or USB storage. It requires kstuff-lite.
  • Itemzflow: LightningMods' game manager. Its PS5 version hasn't been updated since March 2025 and targets old versions of etaHEN: keep it for older firmwares.
  • Apollo Save Tool does not exist on PS5: its author has stated he is not developing that version. Beware of any file claiming otherwise.

4. Game ports

Thanks to the websrv launcher, open source ports already run: Doom (CrispyDoom), Wolfenstein 3D, Diablo (DevilutionX, with your game's files), Duke Nukem 3D (EDuke32), VVVVVV, and ScummVM's adventure games.


5. What about Linux?

ps5-linux-loader (2.5, September 2026) installs Linux on the PS5, but only from firmware 3.00 to 7.61: it relies on a hypervisor flaw absent from later versions. With Relapse on 8.00 or higher, it's not possible for now.


Where to find all this without getting scammed
  • The original GitHub repositories: ps5-payload-dev (elfldr, ftpsrv, websrv, development kit), EchoStretch (kstuff, App Dumper), etaHEN and LightningMods, and those of the authors of the emulators listed in the sources.
  • The catalogue homebrew.page lists about thirty applications and links to their GitHub.
  • Steer clear of any “PS5 jailbreak 14.00 / 14.10” (it doesn't exist), any Windows program claiming to jailbreak the console, and any “official version” of etaHEN 2.6 that doesn't come from its author. Many repositories reuse the same names: always check the owner.

⚠ Warning: do not update your PS5 if it is on 13.60 or below, and do not connect to the PlayStation Network with a jailbroken console.


Sources and official guides: elfldr · kstuff-lite · etaHEN · websrv · PS5 App Dumper · RetroArch PS5 · Porpoise · PS5SX2 · ps5-linux

Tgames does not provide games, BIOS files or keys: only use backups of your own games and your own console. Got a question? Reply to this topic.

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