Bazzite on PS5: how a jailbroken PS5 runs Steam games on Linux
Yes, but only on a jailbroken console. A community build of Bazzite called Bazzite Deck now boots PlayStation 5 consoles into Steam’s Gaming Mode, the same interface as the Steam Deck, and can optionally switch on all 40 of the GPU’s compute units. It is unofficial, it needs older firmware, and the PS5 Pro is not supported. Here is what works, what the 40 compute unit claim really means, and what the limits are.
Bazzite on PS5: what works
Status from the image’s README and release notes. distro.watch has not tested this on a console.
| Console or feature | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Original PS5 (CFI-10xx) | Yes: Works | The model the image’s author tests on, on firmware 13.60 with a 4K60 TV. It needs a jailbreak and a PS5 Linux loader for your firmware. |
| PS5 Slim | Partly: Loader supports it | The PS5 Linux loader lists Slim support. The author has not published Slim test results, and newer consoles with a MediaTek MT7921 Wi-Fi chip have no working Wi-Fi under any PS5 Linux kernel yet, so plan on Ethernet. |
| PS5 Pro | No: Not supported | The loader added PS5 Pro support on firmware 13.60, but the Bazzite image’s release notes say the Pro is the one model it does not support. |
| Steam Gaming Mode | Yes: Works | Boots straight into the Steam Deck-style interface, with Switch to Desktop and back. The menu renders at 1080p and is upscaled; games run at the resolution you pick in Steam. |
| 40 GPU compute units | Partly: Optional, per console | The PS5 ships with 36 of its GPU’s 40 compute units active. The image can switch on the other 4, but some consoles then show green dots, a purple tint or crash, so since v1.1.1 it is off by default. |
| Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, video decode | Yes: Works on tested units | Wi-Fi on the NXP IW620 chip, Bluetooth, and hardware video decode for H.264, HEVC and VP9 work on the author’s console. |
| Normal Bazzite updates | No: Not available | rpm-ostree and ujust update do not work on this build. The project ships its own update bundles instead (from v1.0.3 onward). |
| Online games with anti-cheat | Unknown: Same as any Linux PC | Games whose anti-cheat blocks Linux will not run here either. Check each game on Are We Anti-Cheat Yet. |
Last verified Oct 29, 2026.
What happened
The ps5-linux project has been able to boot Linux on exploitable PS5 consoles since April 2026. Now a developer known as Gilles (VivaLaVent) maintains ps5-bazzite-deck, a ready-made image of Bazzite’s Steam Deck edition with the kernel patches the PS5 needs. Instead of a bare desktop, the console boots into Steam Gaming Mode, where you sign in and install games from your Steam library as on a Steam Deck. Windows games run through Proton, Valve’s compatibility layer.
The release that made the news, v1.1.0 on October 23, added 1440p at 120 Hz and enabled all 40 GPU compute units by default, as VideoCardz reported. The same day, v1.1.1 made the unlock opt-in again after reports of artifacts and crashes on some consoles, and v1.2.0 followed with display fixes, such as rainbow colours on some TVs and black screens at boot.
What the 40 compute unit unlock means
Sony’s official PS5 specs list a GPU with 36 compute units at up to 2.23 GHz. The chip itself has 40; four are switched off at the factory, a common way to use chips with small defects. The Bazzite image can turn them back on with the kernel option amdgpu.ps5_cu_unlock=3. In theory that is about 11% more shader hardware, but whether your console runs stably with it is luck of the draw: the project’s notes describe green dots, a purple tint and crashes on some units. No one has published game benchmarks comparing 36 and 40 compute units on a PS5, so treat any performance figure you see with caution.
Which PS5 consoles can run it
Two things decide it: your console model and its firmware. The firmware must be one the PS5 Linux loader supports, because Linux gets in through security holes that Sony closes in newer system software. According to GamingOnLinux on October 26, 2026, the loader now covers:
| Firmware | Consoles | Internal M.2 SSD |
|---|---|---|
| 3.00 – 3.21 | Original and Slim | No |
| 4.00 – 4.51 | Original and Slim | Yes |
| 5.00 – 5.50 | Original and Slim | Yes |
| 6.00 – 6.50 | Original and Slim | Yes |
| 7.00 – 7.61 | Original and Slim | Yes |
| 11.60 | Original only | Not tested yet |
| 13.00, 13.20, 13.60 | Original and Slim (Pro on 13.60) | Yes |
Not every point release inside those ranges is listed, so check the loader’s own page for your exact version. The Bazzite image is tested on an original PS5 on firmware 13.60, and does not support the PS5 Pro even where the loader does. If your console has already updated past these versions, there is currently no way to run it.
Sony, Valve and the Bazzite team are not involved. This page reports on the project and explains what it means; distro.watch does not provide jailbreak instructions, exploits or downloads. Modifying a console is unsupported by Sony and is at your own risk.
Not to be confused with Playden
A separate project reported two days later, Playden for PS5, runs Windows Steam games inside the PS5’s own system through a port of Wine, without installing Linux. Its developer calls it alpha software. Bazzite Deck is the Linux route: a full desktop and Steam’s Gaming Mode, the same software as a Linux gaming PC.
Want the same thing on a PC?
Everything the PS5 image does comes from Bazzite, which installs normally on PCs and handhelds, with regular updates and rollbacks. Read our Bazzite overview, or see how it stacks up in Bazzite vs SteamOS.
Linux distros for gaming
The most popular gaming distributions right now, from our best Linux distros for gaming ranking.
- 1
Arch Linux
Build the system you want. Keep learning.
IndependentYour choiceRollingAdvanced2 GB+ RAM
Highly configurable installation
#4 overallProfile - 2
CachyOS
An Arch-based system tuned for speed.
Arch LinuxKDE Plasma, GNOME, COSMIC, Hyprland, niri, moreRollingIntermediate4 GB+ RAM
Optimized package builds for newer CPUs
#6 overallProfile - 3
SteamOS3
Valve’s console-style Linux for handheld gaming.
Arch LinuxGaming Mode + KDE PlasmaAtomicBeginner16 GB+ RAM
Console-like Gaming Mode
#7 overallProfile - 4
Bazzite
A gaming-focused desktop built on Fedora Atomic.
Fedora AtomicKDE Plasma, GNOMEAtomicBeginner8 GB+ RAM
Gaming-focused defaults and image choices
#8 overallProfile
Bazzite on PS5: common questions
Can a PS5 run Steam games?
Only a jailbroken one, and not through Sony’s system. A community project boots a PS5 into Linux with the Bazzite gaming distro, where Steam runs as it does on a PC or Steam Deck. Sony does not support this, and it only works on consoles whose firmware has a public exploit.
Is Bazzite officially available for the PS5?
No. The PS5 image is a community build called ps5-bazzite-deck by Gilles (VivaLaVent), based on the ps5-linux project. Its README says it is not affiliated with Sony, Valve or Universal Blue, the team that makes Bazzite.
Which PS5 firmware versions can run Linux?
It depends on the PS5 Linux loader, not the Bazzite image. As of October 26, 2026, GamingOnLinux reports the loader supports original and Slim consoles on firmware 3.00 to 7.61 (with some gaps), 11.60 (original model only) and 13.00, 13.20 and 13.60, plus the PS5 Pro on 13.60. Consoles updated past those versions cannot use it.
Does Bazzite work on the PS5 Pro?
Not yet. The PS5 Linux loader added PS5 Pro support on firmware 13.60, but the Bazzite Deck image’s release notes list the PS5 Pro as unsupported.
What is the PS5 40 compute unit unlock?
The PS5 GPU has 40 compute units, of which Sony enables 36. Bazzite Deck v1.1.0 turned on all 40 by default with the kernel option amdgpu.ps5_cu_unlock=3. Because the extra units were disabled at the factory, some consoles show artifacts or crash with them on, so v1.1.1 made the unlock opt-in. Nobody has published benchmarks of the difference yet.
Does installing Bazzite replace the PS5 system software?
No. The image runs from a USB drive or SSD of 32 GB or more, and you start it with the PS5 Linux loader. It is not a replacement for Sony’s firmware.
How is this different from Playden, the other PS5 Steam project?
Playden, reported on October 25, 2026, runs Windows Steam games inside the PS5’s own system through a Wine port, without Linux. Bazzite Deck boots the console into a full Linux system with Steam’s Gaming Mode. Both need a jailbroken PS5.
Is it safe to run Bazzite on a PS5?
It is an early community project, used at your own risk. The image ships with SSH enabled and the default password ps5, which the project advises changing before the console goes online.
What changed on this page
- Page published: what the PS5 Bazzite Deck image does, supported consoles and firmware, the 40 compute unit unlock, setup overview and risks.
Sources
- ps5-bazzite-deck on GitHub (README)
- ps5-bazzite-deck v1.1.0 release notes (40 compute units)
- ps5-bazzite-deck v1.1.1 release notes (unlock made opt-in)
- Logic-Sunrise: Bazzite Deck v1.2.0 (French)
- ps5-linux loader on GitHub
- GamingOnLinux: PS5 Linux adds PS5 Pro and newer firmware
- GamingOnLinux: the ps5-linux project
- VideoCardz: PS5 runs Steam games through Bazzite
- Tom’s Hardware: Playden runs Steam games on jailbroken PS5s
- bit-tech: Sony unveils PS5 hardware specs
- Bazzite official site
distro.watch is independent and not affiliated with Sony, Valve or Universal Blue. PlayStation and PS5 are trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment.