Modified Consoles/Phones

Jailbreaking also known as modification of a device, allows the user to do so much more. Doing so unlocks so many options like emulation, customization and personalization of device. Please back up your data and proceed with caution if you plan to modify your personal device.

iPhone Jailbreaking

Unc0ver is an incredible piece of software that is constantly being worked on to exploit the ios software. This is a semi-untethered jailbreak, as you can run the program without a computer to re-jailbreak, as every time you power the device off it un-jailbreaks. Although this is hard to predict when they will release an exploit as Apple patches these quite quickly. If you're interested in this check out this incredible video done by Linus Tech Tips.

A large chunk of Apple devices has a vulnerability that the jailbreaking community took to their advantage. From the iPhone 5s through iPhone X, are able to be exploited with this program called Checkra1n. Currently, it is a semi-tethered jailbreak as it is only available to macOS, and highly recommend it if you want something simple.

Personally, I've only used the Unc0ver, and checkra1n methods, but I was able to test this on an iPhone 5s, and two iPhone 6s. The reason why my main device is jailbroken is that I want to make the most of my device and personalize it to me. Some tweaks I have installed include gesture navigations, PiP video, minimalist lock screen and multitasking apps. Honestly, there are too many tweaks to even talk about

Android Rooting

Something I've always admired from ios is the constant updates and how you're not left behind even if you don't have the newest device for up to 6 years. The Samsung Galaxy S5 ended support at Android 6, essentially 2 years of software support, which was the standard for Android devices. At the time my only option to keep up to date and even be able to use the modern version of certain apps was to do the update myself.

The first step to root an Android device and install custom firmware is to connect the phone to the computer and use a program called Odin to root the device. You would then want to load an SD card with the files needed, then enter a recovery tool such as TWRP to help install the custom firmware and your app package. A more detailed guide can be found here.

I was mainly using this to keep up to date with Android, and utilizing the newfound modification the same as I did on ios. I would personally recommend trying this as it is unfair how the manufacturers don't care to support their customers' long term. Although I never took any pictures of the Samsung Galaxy S7, I'm happy to report that he is still enjoying his phone since 2019 to the day of writing this (2021). The specific forum I chose to follow is linked here.

PS Vita

The most versatile modification I've done would be from the PS Vita. Modifying it unlocked the capabilities to emulate the PSP, Game Boy, SNES and other retro platforms.

I was also able to change the boot logo and a comedic warning text. There were also different UI for the system, such as the Nintendo Switch theme below.

Most Importantly, I was able to use an adapter for SD card to the game card to add additional storage. PS Vita memory cards are outrageously overpriced even years after its launch and after it ceased production.

The PS Vita still lives strong with the tech modification community, and they give this console so much more life than Sony was willing to.

Check out this video tutorial if you're interested in trying this out yourself

PSP

This modification allowed me to access system-level files and alter game data or add cheats. There are also a variety of emulators that are able to run on this device such as the Game Boy, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, PS 1 and Game Boy Advanced shown below.

This was quite a quick process and is possible to do in about 10 minutes. If you're interested in trying this out check out this video tutorial.

PS3

After I got my PS4, I've neglected my PS3. I decided why not try and jailbreak this console as it had all the prerequisites and multiple guides from the tech modification community. It only required a USB to create a bootable flash drive and installed a custom firmware.

Installing games was just as easy, USB was also used to transfer game files. Was definitely worth it, and gave me some more enjoyment before I inevitably switch to the next generation

If you're interested in trying this for yourself, follow this video tutorial.