Playing PC games on a PlayStation 4 has always seemed like a virtual impossibility, but with Sony and Microsoft switching to x86 architecture for the PS4 and Xbox One, there isn't a huge difference between the new consoles and home computers. Now, a YouTuber called OsirisX has turned fantasy into reality by getting Steam's Linux client running on his PS4.
OsirisX had to jump through quite a few hoops to achieve this feat. He used a PlayStation 4 running the very old Firmware 1.76 in order to jailbreak it, installed Arch Linux, and used some files from console hacking team "fail0verflow."
In the video, we see OsirisX browsing his Steam library in Big Picture mode before playing action-RPG Bastion. Other games can also be played, but as the PS4 wasn't designed for this kind of thing they need to have their graphical settings turned down to run smoothly. Even on an undemanding game like Bastion you can see the occasional stuttering.
The process isn't possible on consoles running Sony's current PS4 operating system (3.50), though there are rumors that a new jailbreak for this firmware version is on its way. Sony doesn't make it easy for users to roll-back firmware for security reasons, but Fail0verflow's files are still available on Github for anyone who wants to give it a try.
While the majority of PS4 owners won't be able to use OsirisX's process, it's still pretty amazing to see Steam running on a console, even if it does require a lot of work and the games don't look that great.
