How to install Kodi on PS4

You will undoubtedly have read through several, if not dozens of articles misleading you to think that you can install Kodi on PS4, all the while repeating this particular phrase endlessly.

It’s a not-so-clever ploy to attract visitors on the creators’ websites. Some of them are honest enough to admit that you cannot install Kodi directly on your PlayStation 4 because the platform does not support .exe files and then provide you with a tutorial to install Plex instead. But Kodi is not Plex.

Plex does not have the streaming potential that Kodi does, and Sony developers expressly said they would not provide a facile way to run Kodi on their devices since this feature can potentially support piracy. We won’t recommend that you install Plex on your PS4. We will install Kodi, but a workaround is first needed before we can proceed. That’s right, we’ll actually show you a way to do this. Just brace yourself, because it’s not as easy as browsing the Google app store.

Should you use a VPN with Kodi?

Before we start installing Kodi on PS4, we recommend choosing a good VPN service. We all know what people use Kodi for and, as popular as it may be, the Kodi app does not have a native security protocol installed.

For this reason, it is essential to make sure that neither your ISP nor anybody else can see what media you’re streaming from the Internet using the Kodi on your PS4. For that, we offer one of the best VPN services for Kodi. Most of them provide not only top-notch privacy but also unblock Netflix, BBC iPlayer, and similar platforms.

As you probably have your PS4 connected to the internet via the router, make sure to pick a VPN that supports your router. TorGuard  provides configuration tools for DD-WRT and Tomato routers, while others give instructions on setting it up. We recommend NordVPN because it’s the most-secure one from all Kodi-worthy competition.

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The only way to install Kodi on PS4

Because of PS4’s architecture, we need to sideload Kodi on your PS4. What this means is that you first need to install an operating system on your PS4 that’s capable of running Kodi. Ubuntu is an excellent choice for this particular operation, so we will be showing you how to stream Kodi on your PS4 with the help of Ubuntu. The things you’ll need are:

1. One 16 GB (at least) USB stick that we’ll use to make a bootable Ubuntu USB. Make sure you’ve backed-up and then deleted everything on it.
2. Ubuntu OS, which you can download from their website because it’s open-source software
3. Linux Boot Loader for PS4
4. Virtual Box installed on your PC. This is software that acts as a virtual machine and basically enables us to run Ubuntu OS on a variety of platforms. Virtual Box is also open-source.

How to create a bootable Ubuntu USB?

1. Open VirtualBox and select New from the top menu. You should be prompted by a window to Create a Virtual Machine.
2. Give it a name, like PlayStation 4. Then select Linux in the Type box and Ubuntu (64-bit) in the Version one. Click Next.
3. Now allocate the amount of RAM that the virtual machine will use to run the OS. The minimum recommended is 2 GB. Because PS4 has 8 GB, we’ll also select 8.
4. The next window is titled Hard Disk. Here we select the option Do not add a virtual hard disk. It will prompt a warning after you click create. Just click continue.
5. You will see a VA called by the name you’ve chosen – in this case, PlayStation 4 – on the left-hand side of the Virtual Box window. Click the PS4 VA on the left, then click Settings.
6. A window with the Storage title should appear. On the right-hand side of the Storage window is an Attributes section. Under it, there is an Optical Drive drop-down menu. Click the CD icon next to the menu and then Choose Virtual Optical Disk File…
7. Browse for your Ubuntu ISO file. Select it, then click Open. Afterward, from the Storage section of the VA settings window navigate to the USB one. There, click on the USB icon with a plus on it, on the right side of the USB Device Filters list. You should get a drop-down menu and have the possibility to select the USB stick you intend to use to create the bootable Ubuntu. Click to add it to the list of filters. Then click OK.
8. The next step is to start the VM. First click on the PS4 VA, then click Start from the above menu.
9. Next up, a small window will appear that will install Ubuntu on your USB drive. You can make it full screen if you wish. After a few seconds, you’ll be prompted with the Welcome window. First, select your language on the left-hand side, then press Install Ubuntu.
10. The next window is titled Preparing to Install Ubuntu. Just click Continue.
11. In the Installation type step select Something else and Continue.
12. In the next screen, check that your USB stick is listed under Device for boot loader installation. Also, a Free space tab should be available under the /dev/sda path. If it is not, you can manually create a partition by clicking the /dev/sda/ tab and then New Partition Table.
13. In case you do have a Free space tab, select it and then press the “+” icon on the left-hand side to create a partition wherein the bootloader files will be installed. A smaller window will appear where you’ll have to input partition settings. 20 MB should be enough for the bootloader files. The Type should be Primary, its location Beginning of this space. In the Use as drop-down menu select FAT 32, and as mount point select /windows. Then click OK.
14. Now we need a separate partition for the Ubuntu installation. Click + again and leave the Size unchanged. The Type should still be Primary, and its location should also be Beginning of this space. In the Use as menu select Ext2 file system, and leave / as a mount point. Click OK.
15. Select the ext2 partition and click Install Now. The next window will ask you about swap areas. Just click Continue two times to confirm the write changes to the disk.
16. The next window will ask you to select your time zone. Click on your location on the world map and hit Continue. Then, it will also ask for your preferred Keyboard Layout. English (US) – English (US) is the way to go.
17. The last window will ask you to enter your name, the computer’s name, as well as your username and password. Just write these in and then make sure to either remember them or copy them somewhere safe. Also, select Log in automatically and then hit Continue.
18. Now you have to wait for it to install. It will take some time. Then you’ll get a black window with some data on it.
19. It will try to boot, but VirtualBox can’t boot from a USB. So feel free to select File in the upper left-hand corner, then hit Close. In the next window choose Power off the machine and hit OK.
20. The last thing we need to do for your Ubuntu USB is to copy the bootloader files. As soon as you finished Step 19, an auto-play message will appear from your OS. Click Open folder to view files.
    The size of your drive will now be roughly 17 MB, a little less than the bootloader one we previously made in the installation setup.
21. Copy the Linux Bootloader files straight on to the stick.

Loading your Ubuntu USB on PS4

After you’re done with creating the Ubuntu USB, the next step is to plug it into your PS4. Because PS4 has only 2 USB ports, you might need to buy a USB Data Hub to be able to have a mouse, keyboard, and the stick connected at the same time.

1. In the PS4 menu go to Settings and then select User’s Guide. This should take you to the PS4 start site.
2. Click on PS4 WebKit Playground.
3. On the next page click Load! under Linux loader. You’ll see a black screen for a while. There’s a chance you’ll land straight on the Ubuntu screen, but if you don’t, you’ll get the Linux console, like so.
4. Next thing you need to do is connect a keyboard, type fdisk –l and hit Enter.
5. In order to load the Ubuntu partition to the PS4 console, type mount /dev/sdb2 newroot/ and hit Enter. Then type exec switch_root/newroot/ /newroot/sbin/init and hit Enter once again.
6. You should get a message about the disk drive for /windows not being ready. Press S to skip mounting and your Ubuntu will be finally loaded on PS4!
7. To install Kodi on your PS4 Ubuntu, use the Ubuntu icon on the upper left-hand corner to search for the terminal and double-click.
8. In the terminal, type sudo apt install kodi and then sudo apt-get install software-properties-common. It will ask for user permission, so select Yes.
9. Type sudo add-apt-repository ppa:team-xbmc/ppa and hit Enter. Then type sudo apt-get update and hit Enter again. This will make sure you get the latest version of Kodi.
10. Type sudo apt-get install kodi and hit enter. After a few minutes, it will ask for your permission. Select Yes.
11. Presto! You now have Kodi on PS4 like nobody else.

Installing a VPN for Kodi

As we mentioned before, using Kodi without a VPN is a risky business that we don’t recommend.

To be able to use Kodi with a VPN, all you need to do is download the VPN Manager plugin from under the add-ons menu in Kodi’s home screen.

Now the only thing left to do is to install your selected VPN service and enjoy Kodi safely!