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Are PlayStation Games Region Free?

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Have you been playing PlayStation games, and wondered about playing games from a different region? Maybe you are considering buying games from a different region, but don’t want to buy them if they do not work. This leads most people to ask the question:

Are PlayStation games region free?

Although the games for the PlayStation didn’t used to be region free, recently PlayStation unlocked its games to be used anywhere. Although this is not true of all games you buy through the PlayStation Plus network, it is true of all of the physical and digital copies you buy in the store. 

If you want to know more about PlayStation games being region free, you will want to keep reading. You can also watch this video to learn about what games are region free, on the PlayStation.

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Digital PlayStation games vs physical games. 

PlayStation consoles are preferred throughout the world. Because of its high-quality games and world-class specifications, it is the choice of almost every gamer. Some people on the other hand consider that its games are region-locked, which means that you cannot play all the games everywhere. Although this used to be true, recently PlayStation changed its consoles to work with any region of games. 

PlayStation games are classified into two categories. One is the hard copies of the games that are available in the blue-colored case. The other version of games are the digital ones that you can download and install directly on your console without needing to buy the physical version of the games.  

As there are two game types, the region locking in them differentiates according to different factors. But they have the same meaning. The physical version of the games i.e., the blue hard copies, are all region free. They are not region-locked, which means that you can play any game on any PlayStation console in any part of the world. 

It does not matter if you buy that hard copy from one part of the world and use it for the console on the other part. It will run successfully without showing the region locked error.

Also, if you purchase a game from your PlayStation Plus network, then it may or may not be region locked. The digital version of the particular game that you are looking for may not be available all over the world. 

It may be available on the internet of some region, and it may not be available somewhere else. In other words, the accessibility of the digital version of the game will depend upon the area, but this is true for only some games.

The majority of the digital versions of the games are region-free though, which is good for gamers who travel alotl. 

If you have already downloaded some game that is not allowed in some other region, then you will not be able to play it when you are in the boundaries of that region. This is why when you are traveling outside the U.S. you will try to avoid downloading new games. 

Why does PlayStation region lock some of their games?

The reason for that region-locked of the digital games is because of the gaming content, language, and other explicit content of the game. It may be suitable in one country but may be banned in others because of the culture and rules of the country. In simple words, if you want to get a game that is region free throughout the world, then go for the hard copy. 

Region Free Games

Region free games are the games that are not bound to a particular area to run. You can play them anywhere on any other PlayStation console. On the other side, if a game is region-locked, then you will not be able to play it everywhere.

The access will depend upon a particular area. Therefore, you need to make sure that the digital games you buy are allowed in the region you live as well as the one you are currently in. 

In store vs online games

The PlayStation game store contains tons of games. Some are free and are available all over the world. While some vary concerning the country or the area, they are in. All the PlayStation consoles in the world have a region that they belong to.

Also, when you create your PlayStation Network ID, you are assigned a particular region where you live in. Although the region of the console does not matter as PlayStation consoles are region free, it is recommended by Sony to match the region according to the ID to have the best experience of the games. If your ID is from a different region than your console region you may encounter some problems downloading games. 

Another issue you might have is the games you see on the PlayStation Plus are all ones that depend upon your region. You may not be able to get some games that are available to a person sitting in some other region. This is because of the rules a country enforces according to the gaming content they want. In other words, if your country or region has a strict gaming policy, then you will not be able to get the games that are available for adults only. Luckily for us, the U.S. has very lax rules for games. Even with these lax rules, there have been some games that get banned even in the United States. Here is a video showing 10 Playstation games that were banned in the U.S. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X5xLbIvzxs

The problem for Gamers

If you are a frequent traveler and you take your consoles along to play, then you do not have to worry about anything. In the past, when Sony had the PlayStation region-lock ban, then this gaming problem was a massive problem for every gamer. As they had to travel the world to take part in different competitions of the world, they faced the game region locking problem.

But ever since Sony removed this ban, this problem is solved. Now, there is no ban, and no gamer has to face this problem ever again. Now, they can carry around their consoles and games anywhere in the world.

Region of your PlayStation Consoles

To have the best performance and the perfect gaming experience, it is recommended by Sony to have the same region PlayStation console as that of the games. Therefore, you will need to learn how to find out the region of your console. If you bought your console here in the U.S, most likely your games you purchased and your console match.  

The region code is an alphabetic sequence that you can see on your PlayStation console’s setting. Please type this code on any browser to check out its region.

Conclusion

Now that you know that PlayStation consoles are region free, you can go ahead and purchase those games that were only released in japan and play them here in the United States. You also no longer have to worry about taking the console with you on vacations and not being able to play any games in the country you are visiting. 

No matter what country you are in, and what PlayStation games you have, Sony wants you to be able to play your games and enjoy playing them without worry about the region of the world you are in.