Sony has rolled out a new system update for the PlayStation 5: Firmware 26.07-14.20.00 is now available and is approximately 1.2 GB in size. Officially, Sony only states that it has “improved messages and usability on some screens.” Nevertheless, the timing is generating buzz – because GTA 6 is set to release on November 19.
What's in PS5 Update 14.20?
The official patch notes are a single line about messages and operation. Nothing is mentioned about security. This is exactly what makes the scene suspicious: some speculate that more is happening under the hood than stated. This is unconfirmed, and according to IGN, there's no indication that 14.20 is a reaction to a specific jailbreak.
Why is PS5 Firmware Suddenly So Important for GTA 6?
At the end of September, a jailbreak caused a stir that affected all PS5 models running firmwares 7.00 to 13.60 – including the PS5 Pro. Shortly thereafter, some games required firmware 14.00 to load updates, and the homebrew scene began working on a new exploit for the current system. A well-known community member recently showed indications of a jailbreak for 14.10, but according to subsequent comments, game executables cannot be extracted with it.
Things get critical with GTA 6: If the game only runs on the latest firmware, a jailbreak specifically for that version would be the key to pirated copies – and in the worst-case scenario, even a PC port. Some therefore expect GTA 6 to require at least 14.20. This is not officially confirmed. IGN also considers another security update before November 19 to be possible.
What Does This Mean for PS5 Players?
From our perspective, the situation for players is simple: Anyone who wants to play GTA 6 online and without stress on launch day should simply install the update and ideally download everything in advance. Those who have deliberately kept their console on an older firmware must expect that new games and patches will no longer run. There is no official way to revert to older versions.
For Sony, this is a cat-and-mouse game: The scene cracks a version, Sony patches the loophole, and the whole thing starts over. Our report, whether Rockstar is foregoing Sony's new QSSR upscaler for GTA 6, also shows how seriously Sony takes this – the PS5 remains the most important platform for Rockstar.
Source: IGN
Have you already installed the update? Let us know in the comments if, from your perspective, GTA 6 is a reason to keep your firmware up to date.
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