Modders Turn PS5 Into A Steam Machine And Unlock Extra GPU Cores
Bazzite is a Linux based alternative to Valve’s SteamOS, and one of its features is a handheld mode designed to work on the Steam Deck. Developer VivaLaVent ported this mode over to the PS5, dubbing it PS5 Bazzite Deck, which boots into Steam Gaming Mode but still provides users access to the operating system’s KDE desktop. It also delivers a console like experience, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDR and DualSense working right "out of the box.”
The best part of this port is that it’s able to run from an external USB drive and doesn’t make any modifications to the PS5. You could take it for a spin, then restart the console and be right back into the default OS. You don’t even need to remove the USB drive, either. Although it’s important to note that you need a PS5 console, including the PS5 Pro, running firmware ranging from version 3.00 to 13.60.
An interesting aspect of this project is that it can potentially unlock 4 more compute units in the GPU that are typically locked. The developer says that “the other 4 were switched off at the factory, partly because on some chips one of them is faulty.” Users can attempt to run with those cores unlocked, and if they win the silicon lottery, could end up with a bit of extra gaming horsepower.
The catch is that the onboard HDMI chip will determine some of the experience. Most PS5s ship with the FLAVA3 chip, while more recent models have the VERDE chip. If you have the former, you’ll get access to 1440p up to 120Hz, 4K up to 120Hz, HDR when running at either 1080p up to 60Hz or 4K up to 60Hz, plus VRR. Unfortunately, consoles with the VERDE chip won’t get these features, at least for now.
If the community continues to put work into this project to make it a more polished experience, it could mean the PS5 has a chance to be a well-priced Steam gaming machine.
