Summary

  • Linux can boot on PS5, turning it into a Steam Machine; GTA V Enhanced runs with ray tracing.
  • It supports 4K HDMI output and full USB support, with the CPU running at 3.2GHz and the GPU at 2.0GHz.
  • The tinkerer says they'll release a fix "before GTA 6," but you'll need a PS5 on older firmware to use it.

Okay, I know I've said that I believe 2026 will be the year of gaming on Linux, but I didn't mean we'd be seeing a PlayStation 5 running the operating system. Still, someone has managed to do something amazing and gotten FOSS working on the newest Sony console. Not only does it seem to run just fine, but you can also play GTA 5 with ray tracing.

Running Linux on a PS5 is a surprisingly viable way to game

Get PC games on your PS5

As spotted by Notebook Check, this cool feat was performed by Andy Nguyen over on X (formerly Twitter). You can check out Nguyen showing off his work below, including the PS5 running Ubuntu before launching into GTA 5 Enhanced with ray tracing enabled. Honestly, if Nguyen hadn't specifically said he was running this on a PS5, I would have assumed he was using a PC to play it. It just works that well.

Andy says that he can get 4K HDMI video and audio, with all USB ports available. He's currently running the CPU at 3.2GHz, and the GPU at 2.0GHz, and he says he could boost that further, but the PS5 starts to get a bit toasty. It seems they plan to release instructions on how to perform this trick "before GTA 6," though you'll need a PS5 running older firmware to break it open.

Weirdly enough, if this trick takes off, it may not be such a bad idea to buy a PS5 if you want a Linux gaming PC. After all, with all the RAM price hikes, buying a PS5 can sometimes be the better choice over a PC. Plus, you get to tap into your Steam library on your console, which sounds great to me.