Stream PS5 games from an ordinary PC SMB share, with a smaller startup copy on the console. Supports extracted folders and the tested PFS/PFSC compressed layouts, including supported .ffpfsc images.
Use this single ELF for the current test beta. It already includes setup and connection diagnostics; there is no separate current logging ELF to choose. The source ZIP, relinking archive and verification files on the release page are supporting developer/test files.
This beta fixes saved settings appearing blank during startup and a settings form that could stay locked after replacing the resident. It retains the supported MkPFS exFAT reader and self-contained step-7 installer. Keep only one Blackwire resident running, and confirm /health reports blackwire-v0.3.0-beta.2 after loading it. Other reported failures still need their own verification.
Release notes and checksums · Beta test instructions · Setup · Requirements · Changelog · Test results · Build from source · Project mirror
This is a test beta. Earlier versions remain under Previous releases and rollback below and are labeled as previous versions on their release pages.
Verified firmware scope: the 13.00 family, process-layout profile 0x13000040. This is the only firmware profile covered by our console testing. Firmware 10.01 and other profiles are currently unverified. A matching ShadowMountPlus version alone does not establish firmware compatibility.
Our latest recorded console setup is from October 24, 2026:
| Component | Recorded setup |
|---|---|
| PS5 firmware | 13.00 family (0x13000040) |
| Jailbreak / hypervisor chain | Byepervisor Reborn, reported by the operator; exact deployed build and initial jailbreak entry point have not been recorded. |
| Kstuff | Kstuff-lite v1.11 |
| ShadowMountPlus | Stock 1.7beta7, used in the latest diagnostic retest |
| ELF loader | elfldr v0.27 in the latest captured payload inventory |
| ShadowMount library scan depth | scan_depth=2 |
| Legacy external runtime files | The released preview was tested with the five-file global pack; the development installer removes that dependency. |
| Network | Wired Ethernet with an SMB share on an awake PC |
Byepervisor Reborn is the hypervisor-exploit stage of a jailbreak chain; the reported name does not identify the initial entry point or its version. Blackwire requires a working jailbreak with Kstuff active before it is loaded.
Earlier baseline tests used ShadowMountPlus 1.7-beta5fix1 and elfldr v0.26; their results remain attributed to that earlier environment. The latest test inventory also records PS5 Payload Manager 0.6.3, BFpilot v0.4.4 and shsrv v0.20. Those are loading, file-management and development helpers, not additional game-streaming requirements.
The older v0.2.0 preview has a setup bug: it requires a particular optional global pack at /data/shadowmount/fakelib, even though Blackwire already embeds its reader. A missing pack can cause setup step 7 to fail after startup files transfer. This does not mean PS5 system files are missing. The current beta installer writes and verifies its embedded reader directly, preserves recognized existing per-game companions, and does not read or modify that global directory. See repair scope, requirements and test results.
Use Blackwire-Beta.elf from v0.3.0-beta.2 to test the reported missing-image and step-7 failures. Keep your original game images and share layout; there is no need to repack the whole library or create /data/shadowmount/fakelib. Stop the old resident before loading the beta. Follow the one-attempt test and logging instructions, including the build ID check.
The exFAT format scope, installer repair and exact test records describe what has been verified. Test results on our 13.00-family console do not establish universal firmware or title compatibility.
Previous releases and rollback
These older files are retained for rollback and comparisons. For the current beta, use the single download above. Load only one Blackwire resident at a time.
| Build | Download | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Previous preview | Blackwire.elf | The earlier v0.2.0-preview.1 runtime, retained for rollback. |
| Previous logging build | Blackwire-SendLog.elf | The same reader with extra Send/setup logging for investigating failures. |
Both ELFs are together on the download page. See diagnostic instructions for collecting logs and returning to the normal build. Sources, relinking materials and checksums are provided alongside the downloads or linked in the release notes.
Blackwire runs as a single resident ELF on a compatible jailbroken PS5. Its web interface works in the PS5 browser and a LAN browser. The game runs on the PS5; bulk game files stay on the PC. An ordinary Windows shared folder is enough—there is no Blackwire PC service to install.
The older v0.2.0-preview.1-sendlog.1 build is retained for comparisons with its original reader. Historical diagnostic and rollback instructions apply to those older files. The current beta already includes diagnostics.
- Stream supported PFS/PFSC compressed images without a PC decompression service.
- Scan two SMB shares on the same PC with the same sign-in details, keeping extracted and compressed games in separate folders.
- Read game artwork directly from supported compressed images.
- Finish setup with known earlier Blackwire readers while retaining valid startup files. Unknown reader binaries remain refused.
- Use Refresh library to rescan the shares after adding or moving games.
- See which running game must be closed when Send files or Refresh is blocked.
- Use PS5 controller hints on the console. Circle was confirmed to close Details and return from the main library to the PS5 dashboard.
GTA V and Resident Evil 7 reached controllable gameplay from compressed sources in earlier tests. GTA V also passed a direct Games-icon driving test. The current combined-library reader reached both initial menus; its later gameplay has not been repeated for this exact package. These are separate observations, recorded in testing.
The update reduces unchanged-source launch verification work, indexes the existing 64 MiB payload cache and batches adjacent PFSC reads. Controlled PS5 loading-time benchmarks are still pending. Background Game Compressor CPU contention contributed to earlier failures; it has not been established as the sole cause. See compressed-source results.
This is an early preview. The extra Close browser button still stayed open in the console test; use Circle instead. That redundant button is scheduled for removal in the next build. Broader compatibility, interrupted-operation recovery and hardware Uninstall qualification remain open.
Watch the Blackwire demonstration on YouTube.
We are already working on a full native Blackwire Dashboard: a cover browser with controller navigation and a shared library for streamed PC games and existing local console games. Planned settings, preparation progress and launch controls will bring those workflows into the native interface.
Dashboard is a separate product under development. This standalone preview uses the web interface; it does not include the native Dashboard installer or interface. Follow the roadmap for the planned work. No release date is announced.
The custom source offers the same current v0.3.0-beta.2 test beta as the direct download above, in one Blackwire entry. Payload Manager keeps the installed filename Blackwire.elf; its bytes and build ID match the manually downloaded Blackwire-Beta.elf. Refresh the source catalog to see the current version. Add the source once in PS5 Payload Manager:
-
Open Settings → Manage Sources → Add Source.
-
Paste this direct catalog URL and choose Add:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/XXD3V3L0P3RXX/BlackwireSMB/main/payloads.json -
Select Blackwire, confirm version v0.3.0-beta.2, install it, then load
Blackwire.elfafter starting the required jailbreak, Kstuff and ShadowMountPlus environment. Stop the previous resident before loading the update. -
Open
http://<PS5-address>:5918/and follow the quick start to connect your SMB share and prepare games.
The catalog points to the published preview ELF and supplies its SHA-256 checksum for Payload Manager to verify. This is an optional custom source, separate from Payload Manager's default catalog. It installs Blackwire; the required dependencies must be supplied separately. The release download remains available for manual loading.
- Share a parent folder containing complete extracted game folders or supported compressed images on your PC. You can share a separate compressed folder and enter it as the optional second SMB share. Give the same SMB account read access to both and keep the PC awake. Follow the share guide.
- Start the recorded compatible jailbreak/runtime environment, including Kstuff and stock ShadowMountPlus (
1.7beta7in the latest retest). Set ShadowMount's Library scan depth to 2 (scan_depth=2) for the layout in this guide, then loadBlackwire.elf. See the scan-root explanation and requirements. - Open
http://<PS5-address>:5918/in a LAN browser, orhttp://127.0.0.1:5918/in the PS5 browser. In Settings, enter the PC address, share name, optional second share and SMB account, then choose Save and check connection. Both shares must pass the check before a two-share configuration is saved. - Select a game and choose Send files. Wait for its preparation and registration to finish and show Ready.
- Recommended: return to the regular PS5 Games dashboard and start the prepared game from its icon. Web Play is also available. Blackwire must remain running, and the PC share must stay online.
Load the ELF again after a console reboot. Fresh settings start blank. Previously saved address, share and username can be shown; a fixed marker indicates a saved password without returning its bytes to the page.
If Send files is blocked, read the message beside the selected game and close the named running game normally. Use Refresh library after changing the contents of a share. On PS5, press Circle to leave Details, then Circle at the main library to exit the browser. When upgrading from an older UI test build, fully close and reopen the browser once so its old navigation history is discarded; no console restart is required for that UI reset.
The optional blue Media shortcut opens the running Blackwire page. Its authenticated, same-ELF setup action is qualified on the tested console, but automatic creation on a fresh startup is not integrated in this preview. See optional Media shortcut setup.
The first Send copies real executables and required startup data, builds an index, and prepares the reader and game registration. Size, file count, PC storage and network conditions determine the wait; a large title can take several minutes or longer. The game's own loading time is a separate wait.
Bulk files are represented by sparse placeholders with their original logical lengths. A console folder can appear very large while using far fewer allocated blocks. Check allocated storage or free space, rather than adding logical file sizes. Downloading a placeholder through a normal file manager can materialize a full-sized file of zeros; it is not a replacement for the PC original. Read how preparation works.
No title-specific compatibility blocker has been identified in testing so far. Coverage remains limited; individual startup, menu and gameplay observations are recorded separately.
- Extracted folders and supported unsigned contiguous D32 PFS/PFSC layouts are accepted. v0.3.0-beta.1 also accepts the supported contiguous exFAT layouts. An
.ffpfscextension alone does not establish support. Signed/encrypted PFS, fragmented/scattered allocations, wide PFS inode layouts and individually compressed inner files remain unsupported. - The two shares must use the same PC/server and credentials. A folder outside either shared root is not exposed automatically.
- Wired Ethernet is the tested network path. No minimum speed guarantees or universal loading-time improvement are claimed.
- Some tested games have slow menu or scene loading even when gameplay is normal. No universal speed improvement or all-game compatibility is claimed.
- Ready confirms the selected startup preparation and registration checks; it does not prove that every stage of a game works.
- The resident and SMB share are required for game-icon launches. A Media shortcut cannot load an absent resident.
- Unknown or interrupted operations need their actual status checked. Refresh does not grant permission to discard ownership records or repeat an uncertain action.
Current status, recorded results and the roadmap distinguish observed behavior from planned work.
Build instructions · Contributing · Credits · Third-party notices · Security reporting
Blackwire is intended for interoperability, research, preservation and compatibility purposes on systems and content that users are authorized to access.
Blackwire does not distribute retail game payloads, console firmware, cryptographic keys or proprietary console system libraries. A compatible jailbreak, Kstuff and ShadowMountPlus runtime must be supplied separately. The optional global library pack required by the older preview is no longer a reader-installation prerequisite in v0.3.0-beta.1. Users are responsible for ensuring that software, binaries and content used with this project are obtained and used in accordance with applicable laws and their respective license terms.
Blackwire is an independent project and is not affiliated with, authorized by or endorsed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. "PlayStation" and "PS5" are trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
Original Blackwire integration and reader code are licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later (GPL-3.0-or-later). See LICENSE.
Imported components retain their respective license terms; see third-party notices. Preserve corresponding source, notices and practical static-library relinking material when distributing binaries.