Hacked and Proud: Nigerian gamers explain why they jailbreak PlayStations

In December 1994, the gaming world witnessed a significant change. That was when Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. began marketing “PlayStation”, its gaming console. The console launched in Japan, but in 1995, sales began in other regions.

According to Sony, the PlayStation is now sold in over 120 countries worldwide. As technology continues to evolve, the console connects people from different parts of the world, both young and old.

However, while Sony continues to record strong sales, users around the world have found ways to jailbreak these consoles to enjoy a variety of games that would have otherwise been purchased online or on official CDs.

Jailbreaking a PlayStation console means that the console’s software and firmware are illegally modified, and the user can install as many games as possible for free. However, such a user will be unable to use the console to go online to install new games, update the software or play with other online users.

For Joseph Igboanua, a student at the University of Abuja and an ardent gamer, purchasing a jailbroken PlayStation console was far cheaper than a brand-new one. Mr Igboanua also claims that his console performs better.

He discovered he could buy a jailbroken PlayStation console from a friend and install multiple games for free or at a lower price than the official fee, without the hassle of buying them.

“Back then, people already knew. Someone told me there were cracked PlayStation consoles with about 16 games already installed. You just buy it and start playing. No need to buy games separately,” he said.

This is the case for many Nigerian gamers. Although this is not common only in Nigeria, but also globally, several factors would affect why Nigerians prefer to hack their consoles or purchase a hacked one.

No Remorse For Owning A Cracked PlayStation

In PREMIUM TIMES’ interviews with many Nigerian gamers, one question kept popping up. Did Sony consider the Nigerian market?

“I don’t feel any remorse. There’s no reason to. The consoles and games are too expensive.” Favour Chiemere, another student who also enjoys his cracked console, said. This is largely because these consoles and their games are expensive for Nigerians, he said.

On the official PlayStation website, a PlayStation 5 Pro Console with 2 terabytes of storage costs approximately N1,000,000. For a 1-terabyte console, it would cost about $549, or approximately N743,000. This does not factor in shipping costs to Nigeria.

On the streets of Lagos, the PlayStation 5 Pro is sold for about N1,300,000. A PlayStation Slim costs N920,000, while a PlayStation Fat costs N820,000 (which basically means one console is slimmer than the other). These consoles come with one gaming pad and no games, so you must purchase one.

FIFA 25 & 26, two of the most popular games played in Nigeria, are sold for N70,000 and N80,000, respectively. Another two, Mortal Kombat and Call of Duty Black Ops, are sold for N40,000 and N120,000, respectively.

When you consider Nigeria’s minimum wage at N70,000, and the exchange rate, purchasing a brand-new PlayStation or its games remains a luxury for many.

Preferred Opportunity Cost

There are several reasons why Mr Igboanua, Mr Chiemere and several others would rather stick to a jailbroken PlayStation. For them, the only advantage to owning an original console that hasn’t been cracked is the ability to go online, which then allows them to compete against other online users.

Mr Chiemere explained that once a cracked console comes online, it may stop functioning. “Yes. Most cracked consoles can’t connect to the internet. Once you connect them, they can stop working,” Mr Chiemere said.

On the other hand, games can be installed from one cracked console to another, just as with file sharing. “Yes, you can transfer games from a cracked PlayStation to another cracked PlayStation for free,” Mr Igboanua told PREMIUM TIMES.

Henry Aloysius, a computer engineer well-versed in jailbreaking these consoles, confirmed that gamers are willing to forfeit online access just to have as many games as possible installed on their consoles.

“Once a console is jailbroken, the major trade-off is that it cannot go online. That’s the biggest downside. Jailbroken consoles are strictly offline.

PlayStation requires consoles to stay updated to access online services, and once you jailbreak, you cannot safely update anymore. “So you lose online multiplayer and downloads, but many players are willing to accept that,” Mr Aloysius said.

Another ardent game lover, Bill Willie, said he jailbroke his console in November 2025. According to him, his drive was simply to get more games at a lower price. When we checked his gaming console, Mr Willie had over 14 games installed, including the latest FIFA 26, which costs about N80,000 in physical or online stores.

“Each game costs about ₦5,000, aside from the initial jailbreaking fee. Right now, I have about 14 games on my console, recent and high-end games.

“In total, everything cost me around ₦120,000, including the jailbreaking and some maintenance work on the console,” he said. He would have spent almost a million naira if he wanted to acquire the original versions of the 14 games he now has in his console.

He said his gaming experience has changed ever since the jailbreak. According to him, he used to worry about the cost of buying games, but no longer does.

“Before now, I always worried about how much I’d spend to play new games. But now, I don’t think about cost as much. If a new game comes out, I just go back to the vendor and have it installed. It has made gaming more enjoyable for me.”

Mr Willie said it took him about 3 hours to complete the process.

When asked what he felt Sony could do better to avert such losses, he suggested that they cut prices on their games and make some of them free. “I’m sure they already make a lot from selling the consoles themselves, so lowering game prices could help,” he said.

Why Jailbreaking Makes Economic Sense

For as low as ₦20,000 to ₦40,000, a PlayStation console can be jailbroken. Mr Aloysius said the real value is the cost-effectiveness of owning such a console.

“This is where the real value comes in. Back in 2014–2017, a brand-new PlayStation 4 game sold for about ₦15,000. FIFA was the most expensive at the time.

“Today, a new PlayStation game sells for ₦70,000 to ₦80,000. But the dollar price hasn’t really changed; the exchange rate has. Games still sell for about $40–$60 internationally. The difference is what Nigerians pay after currency conversion.”

He went on to explain that ₦80,000 could get you more games and even cover the cost of jailbreaking the console.

“If you spend ₦80,000 on one original game, like FIFA, that’s it, just one game.

“But with a jailbroken console, after spending about ₦30,000 to jailbreak it, installing that same game costs as little as ₦5,000. Older games can cost ₦2,000 to ₦3,000, while newer ones go for ₦3,000 to ₦5,000.

“So instead of buying one game, you can (jailbreak and) install five to seven games for the same amount,” he said.

How Jailbreaking Works

While jailbreaking a console has become more difficult as Sony rolls out new security updates, patience remains the key factor. According to Mr Aloysius, the older a console is, the easier it becomes to jailbreak. Over time, the jailbreaking software also becomes more stable.

“Yes, jailbreaking becomes harder as Sony improves its security. Sony does not want consoles to be jailbroken because it hurts their business. That is why system updates are released frequently. Each update fixes known vulnerabilities. At the same time, however, developers are constantly studying these systems and searching for new exploits.”

He explained that jailbreaking works by exploiting weaknesses in older software versions, noting that each jailbreak is tied to a specific system update, usually an outdated one.

“It is similar to rooting an Android phone. You bought the console; it is your property. Just as Android users choose to root their phones to gain deeper access, console owners jailbreak their devices to unlock features that Sony restricts.”

Mr Aloysius added that all PlayStation models use the same operating system, despite design differences.

“Every PlayStation model—Fat, Slim, or Pro—runs the same operating system. The difference is in the hardware, not the software. Think of it like Android versions. Phones released years ago may still receive newer updates. Consoles work the same way. Sony releases official system updates that include security patches. Jailbreaking depends entirely on which version the console is running.”

He noted that some jailbreaks took years to develop.

“After version 5.05, it took a very long time before stable jailbreaks appeared again. Version 9.00 remained stable for a long period, but nothing worked for versions 9.03 through 10. Eventually, version 11 was jailbroken. Later, a Blu-ray exploit made it possible to work on newer versions. Recently, jailbreaks for versions 12 and 13 emerged. The pattern is clear: once Sony begins to abandon a console, jailbreaking becomes more stable.”

He cited the PlayStation 3 as a clear example.

“Sony no longer supports the PlayStation 3, so jailbreaking it is very stable. The PlayStation 4 is approaching that phase. Once updates stop, jailbreaks stabilise because there are no new security patches to fix the exploits.”

By contrast, he said jailbreaking Xbox consoles is almost unheard of.

“People rarely ask about jailbreaking Xbox consoles. PlayStation is more game-focused and more popular in Nigeria. Microsoft, which owns Xbox, uses a more sophisticated system-level security. There has not been any successful jailbreak for Xbox consoles, not even up to the Series X. Xbox still relies on account-based systems, official purchases, and Game Pass. For now, there is simply no working jailbreak option.”

What is Sony Losing In the Nigerian Market?

While precise revenue losses cannot be independently verified due to the absence of country-level disclosures, available industry data suggests Sony may be forfeiting significant income in Nigeria’s console market. According to market forecasts published by Statista, Nigeria’s gaming hardware market is projected to reach about 6.3 million users by 2030, while annual console unit sales across all brands are expected to remain below 50,000 units. However, the larger population of gamers in Nigeria depend on mobile phones, and the numbers continue to grow.

Nigeria’s console gaming community is relatively small, with estimates suggesting it runs into the hundreds of thousands rather than millions. Within this group, many players use jailbroken PlayStation consoles instead of original ones. This means that while the consoles are being used, Sony earns little or nothing from game sales. Over time, this results in a significant loss of potential revenue.

With PlayStation games selling in Nigeria for between ₦40,000 and ₦120,000, each jailbroken console represents money Sony does not earn. Most console owners typically play more than one major game in a year, meaning the losses add up over time. Even using modest estimates, this translates to billions of naira in lost revenue. While exact figures are not publicly available, the pattern suggests that high prices, limited local adaptation, and widespread piracy continue to erode Sony PlayStation’s earnings in Nigeria.

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PREMIUM TIMES reached out to Sony via multiple emails but received an automated response.

“Thank you for your email. Whilst this email address is no longer monitored, you can find immediate information on common issues, including troubleshooting, common PSN Account queries, and general information on this page: https://www.playstation.com/support/playstation-support-contact-guide/

“Alternatively, you can reach out to us directly via the “Online Assistant” button from 10.00 to 18.00 hours, Monday through Friday.”

As requested, we sent a message via the “Online Assistant”, and here was the response we got. “I am sorry, but I cannot assist with inquiries related to media requests or provide specific data regarding PlayStation usage or operational challenges. I recommend reaching out to PlayStation’s official media relations or public relations department for assistance with your request.

“If you have any other PlayStation-related questions, feel free to ask!”

A direct message was also sent via X (formerly Twitter), but got no response.

This reporter also took further steps to establish contact by creating an account on the Sony official website, but realised that Nigeria was not included among their service regions.