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Apollo Save Tool needs a jailbroken PS4 — which means the console you buy decides everything. Jailbreaks are tied to the PS4’s system software version, and sellers get this wrong (innocently or otherwise) constantly. This guide is the verification routine. Two things to hold in mind: jailbreak ceilings move as new exploits release, so check the current scene state before fixing a maximum version in your head; and once a console updates past the exploitable range, there is no downgrade.
Step 1: The Screenshot Rule
Before paying anything, ask the seller for a photo of Settings → System → System Information showing the system software version, taken today, ideally with the console’s serial visible in a second photo. “It’s on low firmware” in a listing description is not verification. No screenshot, no deal — this single rule prevents nearly every bad purchase.
Step 2: Know What You’re Looking At
- Model: original PS4 (CUH-10xx/11xx/12xx), Slim (CUH-20xx/21xx/22xx), Pro (CUH-70xx/71xx/72xx). All can be jailbroken if the firmware cooperates; the Pro is the nicest Apollo/Retro machine, the Slim the quietest and coolest.
- Firmware: compare the screenshot’s version against the current jailbreakable range at the time you buy (milestone firmwares in recent scene history include the Lapse range up to 12.02 and the 12.50–12.52 range — verify the present state, as it evolves).
- Never let the seller “test it online” — connecting can trigger an update download. A console that auto-updated in transit is a paperweight for this purpose.
Step 3: Inspect the Hardware
- Disc drive reads a game (a dead drive limits physical-media use).
- Controller included and sticks don’t drift; a second controller is a bonus, and genuine DualShock 4s are getting scarce — see our notes on buying used PlayStation hardware for inspection habits that transfer.
- Fan noise under load and clean vents — overheating units get worse, not better.
- Storage: 500GB fills fast with PS4 + PS2 Classics libraries; 1TB or an upgradable drive is worth a small premium (see external storage picks).
Where to Buy
Used consoles are a marketplace game: eBay’s used PS4 listings give you buyer protection and seller history — filter for listings that state the firmware in a photo, and message the seller for the System Information screenshot before bidding. Local marketplaces work if you can inspect and power on the unit in person before money moves.
After It Arrives
- Check the firmware yourself before connecting anything.
- Block updates (your jailbreak setup’s standard precautions).
- Jailbreak, then install Apollo: install guide. Background on the firmware numbers sellers quote: 12.02/12.52 explained.