Andy Nguyen, better known as TheFlow, announced on September 15, 2026, that he was leaving the PS5 scene and stopping his work on PS5 Linux. The decision followed a dispute over a hypervisor vulnerability that Jordy said he reported to Sony through HackerOne. The immediate consequence is clear: TheFlow’s planned expansion to PS5 Pro and newer firmware has stopped with his development work.

What happened to PS5 Linux

TheFlow said he had also found the hypervisor bug and had asked for it to remain private until Grand Theft Auto 6 was released. Jordy gave a different account on September 16, saying he had initially agreed not to report the bug, then changed course after another person allegedly found it with AI assistance.

Jordy said he found the vulnerability independently and reported it through HackerOne. The dispute therefore centers on two separate questions: who found the bug first, and whether it should have remained private for longer. TheFlow’s withdrawal itself is not in dispute: he said he was stepping away from the PS5 scene and ending his PS5 Linux work.

The planned scope was substantial. TheFlow said he had intended to complete PS5 Pro support and release it in 2027. That was a future plan, not a delivered release, and PS5 Pro support is not part of the documented project capabilities described below.

Why the hypervisor matters

A hypervisor is a high-privilege security layer that controls access between the console’s hardware and system software. For PS5 Linux, that layer is a major gatekeeper: the project needs a way through the console’s security architecture before Linux can use the machine’s processor, graphics hardware, storage and peripherals.

That is why a hypervisor vulnerability can matter more than an ordinary application bug. It may provide a foundation for deeper system access, but a vulnerability alone is not the same thing as a finished Linux release. A usable Linux setup also needs the rest of the exploit chain, a boot path and hardware support.

The reported bug’s technical identity has not become part of the public project documentation. The name “Slopervisor” appeared in secondary coverage, but it is not used here as an official designation. TheFlow and Jordy described the dispute in public statements; their accounts differ over the timing and responsibility surrounding the disclosure.

What PS5 Linux can already do

Yes, a PS5 can run Linux through the documented PS5 Linux loader—but the supported configuration is narrower than a normal PC installation.

The project documentation lists support for PS5 Phat and Slim consoles running specific firmware versions from 3.00 through 7.61. It uses a soft-mod model: Linux must be launched through the exploit again rather than starting through a conventional permanent dual-boot menu.

The documented setup includes:

  • A USB drive with at least 64 GB of capacity.
  • HDMI output at 1080p, 1440p and 2160p at 60 Hz in broadly supported configurations.
  • Ethernet networking.
  • M.2 SSD support on eligible firmware, with the compatible drive used exclusively for Linux.
  • USB peripherals, plus limited wireless and Bluetooth support depending on the hardware configuration.

The project also carries practical limitations. Documentation lists bugs involving the screen saver, HDMI audio and some 1440p and 2160p monitor configurations. Standby and resume are unsupported.

On March 6, 2026, TheFlow demonstrated Linux on a PS5 as a Steam Machine running Grand Theft Auto 5 Enhanced with ray tracing. He reported operation at 3.2 GHz for the CPU and 2.0 GHz for the GPU, with optional boosts to 3.5 GHz and 2.23 GHz. He also noted overheating on his PS5 Slim when the boosts were enabled. Those figures describe that demonstration rather than a standardized performance test.

The disclosure dispute and AI-assisted code

TheFlow blamed the disclosure on what he called “slop kiddies”—his term for people using large language models to write exploit code they do not understand. His complaint was not simply about AI as a programming tool; it was about the alleged effect of AI-assisted work on the timing of a vulnerability disclosure and on the PS5 security research community.

Jordy rejected the idea that TheFlow had handed him the bug. He said he found it himself, initially agreed not to report it, and then filed the report after a third person allegedly found the same vulnerability with AI assistance.

The public dispute has split the homebrew community. Some users saw the disclosure as jeopardizing a rare chance to combine Linux with a legally purchased Grand Theft Auto 6. Others argued that keeping a vulnerability private carried the risk that another researcher would discover and report it first. Community discussion also described the understanding between TheFlow and Jordy as a request rather than a formal contract.

What happens to the project now

TheFlow’s withdrawal ends his own development work, but the existing PS5 Linux loader, images, tools and documentation remain available. That leaves a functioning foundation for compatible older-firmware consoles, even as the planned PS5 Pro expansion has stopped.

PS5 Pro Linux support was a planned 2027 feature, not an available release. The same applies to the proposed combination of Linux and Grand Theft Auto 6: TheFlow described it as a goal for a future release, while the project’s documented capabilities cover older PS5 Phat and Slim firmware instead.

For owners of supported consoles, the practical picture is therefore unchanged: the documented loader remains focused on listed firmware versions through 7.61, with its soft-mod requirements and hardware limitations. TheFlow’s departure removes the developer-led path he had described for PS5 Pro and broader support.