As PS5 jailbreaks began supporting newer firmware, Overdrive gradually gained popularity. Sony has yet to respond to recent developments in piracy and emulation on PlayStation consoles. Since Overdrive, an unofficial application, listed games available for free download, Sony may have felt the need to take action.
Oliver Darko stated on social media that Overdrive is no longer usable. Its GitHub page also shows a 404 error. It is currently unknown who shut it down or why, but Sony Interactive Entertainment likely took action.
After successfully jailbreaking their PS5s, players used Overdrive to find and download free games, including major AAA titles like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Cyberpunk 2077. Combined with the Shadow Mount Plus tool, downloaded games would appear on the console's home screen.
It is currently unclear which servers host these game files. The developers originally intended to host the files themselves, which may be one reason Sony noticed Overdrive. Regardless of where the files are hosted, Overdrive made it easier for players to obtain infringing games, potentially making piracy more widespread.
Even after Overdrive's shutdown, many players willing to try jailbreaking may not stop there. Besides Overdrive's convenient controller-friendly interface, they can still find PS4 and PS5 games through other channels. In any case, the author believes that Overdrive's closure may once again indicate that PlayStation is increasingly concerned about this issue.
After the exploit named Relapse emerged, more piracy supporters began to participate. It appeared in late September and works on PS5 consoles with firmware version 13.60 or lower; firmware version 13.60 was released in July. Previous jailbreak solutions required older firmware versions, so consoles that had recently updated their systems could not use them.
Even before Relapse appeared, Sony took measures against homebrew developers in its September 16 update. This update did not mention Relapse, but firmware version 14.00.00 included security fixes. Players quickly discovered that Relapse no longer worked on updated consoles. Firmware version 14.10.00, released on October 1, also blocked jailbreaking.
Publishers such as Take-Two have also been affected by copyright infringement. Reports indicate that when GTA 6 launched in November, PS5 consoles without firmware version 14.10.00 installed could not start the game. Rockstar has not confirmed whether this requirement is related to developments in the PS5 homebrew scene.