Rumors of a PS5 jailbreak are driving up prices for a classic Star Wars game.
Jailbreaking a gaming console is a significant milestone: once hackers achieve it, they can unlock the hardware to perform functions beyond its original design. The latest generation of consoles seemed secure against such attempts until recently, when a group of hackers claimed they are on the verge of fully exploiting the PlayStation 5. The catch? They need a very specific game to execute the jailbreak. That game is the PlayStation 4 version of the 2002 title, Star Wars: Racer Revenge.
If you’re not familiar with Racer Revenge, it’s a rather niche title. The PS4 version is a 2019 re-release by Limited Run Games of the original PlayStation 2 game. Initially, the reprint was priced at $14.99, with a Premium Edition available for $37.99. This retro Star Wars game offers a podracing experience set after Episode I – The Phantom Menace, allowing players to choose from various alien racers, each with unique podracing abilities. It received a decent reception, earning a score of 73 on Metacritic. The game even features some unique elements, like a permadeath mode where eliminated rivals can’t re-enter the race, and it encourages players to take out as many pods as possible during their runs. Despite these interesting features, there hasn’t been much demand for copies of Star Wars: Racer Revenge until now.
According to the hackers, Racer Revenge has recently been found to contain an exploit that could serve as a gateway for ongoing jailbreak efforts. They claim that running the PS4 disc version of the game on a PS5 allows users to inject code into the system via menus, and this method is reportedly unpatchable.
While we can’t confirm the validity of these jailbreak claims, the buzz surrounding them—and the potential for piracy—has caught the attention of opportunistic resellers. Copies of Star Wars: Racer Revenge are being listed for hundreds of dollars on various platforms; currently, most discs are priced around $250 or more. Retailers like Amazon are sold out of the game. Some users are bypassing the resellers by importing copies from other regions, but those are also flying off the shelves and are being sold at inflated prices due to tariffs. Given the limited run of Star Wars: Racer Revenge, it’s likely that prices will continue to rise.
Limited Run Games hasn’t responded to inquiries, but fans are already urging the company to consider a reprint of the podracing game. However, these requests may go unanswered, as LRG typically doesn’t restock games once they’re sold out. If you’re interested, you can still grab Star Wars: Racer Revenge through the PlayStation Store at a reasonable price, though it won’t be useful for any jailbreak activities.
