Sony has put out yet another PS5 system update aimed at security. Version 26.07-14.22.00 is now live, and its release notes are as short as they get: “We’ve made some security fixes to the system software.” It arrives a little over a week after the previous security-focused update, and for now it is not mandatory to keep playing online.
The timing is not subtle. Grand Theft Auto 6 launches on Nov. 19 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and Sony has been racing PS5 hackers who, since early October, have been publishing exploits for older firmware versions. Several groups have openly talked about dumping the game’s files on day one so it can be run on PC through emulation.
According to PlayStation Game Size, an account that tracks PlayStation Store backend data, the PS5 version of GTA 6 now lists firmware 14.22.00.00 as its minimum requirement. That means the game will only boot on consoles running today’s update or something newer. At the start of October the same tracker said the requirement was 14.10, and Push Square notes that it has moved up twice since then. Sony and Rockstar have not commented on the requirement.
For most players this changes very little, because consoles set to update automatically will already be on the latest version by launch day. It matters more to the jailbreak scene, which tends to rely on older firmware. Security researchers reported finding a userland entry point in version 14.20 within hours of its release, which helps explain why Sony followed it so quickly with 14.22.
Requiring newer firmware for a big release is not new. Sony has done it with its own games, and in the PS3 era Gran Turismo 5 was briefly held back over a console security problem. What stands out this time is how often the updates are landing in the run-up to a single third-party game.
GTA 6 is already shaping up to be a heavy download, with store data pointing to a roughly 210GB PS5 install. Players who want to be ready on Nov. 19 should make sure their console is on 26.07-14.22.00 and has room to spare.
