I have an old PayStation 3 Slim that I want to jailbreak, because the disc reader is broken. I have looked around, but everyone is talking about needing data codes and serial numbers, and it confuses me.
My serial number is CECH – 2504B.
My data code is 0C.
How do I tell if my PlayStation 3 can be jailbroken?
Best Answer
The talk about data code and serial numbers you see are likely in reference to the firmware version.
Firmware changes after Sony were hacked made it far more difficult to jailbreak the console, and many users will tell you it is impossible. As a result, the first question asked is always 'what is the earliest supported firmware for your console'. If your console can support firmware earlier than 4.4.0, you can move forward with the standardised method of jail breaking.
Note that we will not cover how to jail break, as that subject is far more broad, but determining if you can based off the serial and data code is quite easy.
There are software that you can run on your console, but the guys over at psx-place have developed a light application that simply takes in the serial and data code, and reports the earliest supported firmware.
In your particular case, the application reports support for firmware as early as 3.4, implying support for the standard jailbreak method you find when researching. If you are in the habit of updating your console, you will likely be running a newer firmware version.
You will have to determine the current version of your console through system settings, but assuming you are running a version higher than 4.4, you will need to downgrade firmware. A factory reset should take you back to an earlier version, but in some cases, your console will have been shipped at a higher firmware version than originally released for that model. If that is the case, a factory reset will only take you back to the earliest running version, and you will still need to explore flashing your console and installing an older firmware version, manually.
As a disclaimer, ensure that you are conducting yourself legally, in respect to the modifications. While the overall practice of jail-breaking is generally legal, some methods have been outlawed by some countries. For example, the first popular method was the "PS Jailbreak" chip, which is illegal to purchase, install, or use in any way, in Australiasource.