Have you ever felt frustrated that you can’t play an exciting game due to location restrictions?
Perhaps you’re wondering if PS4 games are region locked – the short answer is they aren’t.
Region-locked games refer to games that limit its use and access in specific regions.
This means you can’t play games bought from a specific area in other countries.
Still, in the case of PS4, downloadable content is locked to the PlayStation Store region.
If the Store’s region doesn’t match the game disc region, you may not be able to access these contents.
Table of Contents
Can You Play PS4 Games from A Different Region?
Technically and officially, PlayStation 4 itself is not a region-locked device, which means that the digital and physical games are not region locked as well.
Still, for the best performance, Sony has been known to recommend that games and consoles should be from the same region.
Your PSN Online ID will also be tied to the region of your console, but it is not to say that you cannot play games made for a different region than your PS4 console or Online ID.
However, there is still a high possibility of you experiencing some gameplay issues.
Because the PSN Online IDs are region-locked, you may experience difficulties logging in to IDs from other areas if you are abroad.
Sometimes this problem won’t arise, but there are no guarantees.
You might also want to know that the downloadable content of your in-game entitlements is usually tied to the regional Store.
Thus, the game may not function properly if you play a disc from one region in a PS4 from a different region.
If you have problems with region mismatch, try visiting the in-game Store and see if you can purchase anything.
Otherwise, most probably, you have a region issue.
Also read: PS4 vs Gaming Laptop in 2020. Everything You Need To Know!
Can I Buy a PS4 Game from Another Country?
Any disc-based games should work on any PS4 console, regardless of where they are purchased.
However, sometimes you want to play a game that simply is not available in your region.
We have some good news because it is possible and relatively easy to buy PS4 games from another country.
All you need is to follow these few steps and go enjoy your newest PS4 game!
You will also need a PlayStation Network gift card in the local currency of the country you want to buy in.
You cannot use your usual payment method as the billing address will reveal that you are from a different country.
Thankfully, there are plenty of online stores from which you can buy foreign gift cards!
Then you’ll need to create a new PS4 account and set your region to the one you want to access.
After some authentication processes and filling a generic address form, log in to your PS4 with your new account.
Finally, just go to the Storefront and pick the game you want – easy, right?
The most important question you may be asking still: will you need a VPN?
None of these steps actually require us to trick the system into thinking you are based in another country, so you don’t need a VPN!
What is Region Free PS4 Games?
Unlike the older PS 1, 2, and 3 games that require you to play using an account from the region you live in, PS4 games are region free.
This means you can play games from any country on your console.
This is only possible, that is, for physical discs.
Digital media, like downloadable content, is region exclusive and does have some region-based limitations.
But if you are simply asking what region free PS4 games are, they are games that do not impose geographical restrictions for users.
And whether these games are, indeed, region free, the answer is yes!
You can easily play any physical game disc on your game console.
It does not matter where you bought the console, which region it is registered in, and if the games themselves have been made available in your country.
Yes, this means you can have a console from the United States and play games from across the globe. Be it Japan, UK, or Brazil, you name it.
We must say that this characteristic is one of the best features of the PlayStation 4.
Because it has been made region free, people can play and compete with fellow gamers from all around the world.
All in all, PS4 games and devices are not region-locked, so you can easily play games regardless of your country.
But remember that DLC and service entitlements are locked to the Store region.
This is why Sony recommends you playing games on a console from the same region.
However, that is not to say that you cannot buy PS4 games from another country too!
Can You Play UK Games on US PS4?
So to illustrate the point, can we play UK games on a US console?
Since we know that games are not region-locked anymore, you can play UK games on US Playstation 4 just fine without any problem.
You can just go to the UK and purchase a game there, put the disc into your US Playstation 4, and your game will run without problems.
However, you want to note that SONY itself suggests having games disc from the same region with your console to have the best gaming performance.
Although you can play UK PS4 Games on a US machine, downloadable content from the games are sometimes locked to a certain region.
So that is why it is best to have games that share the same region with your console.
Final Thoughts: Are PS4 Games Region Locked?
So to summarize, Are PS4 Games Region Locked?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Kind of.
The PS4 is not a region-locked console, as you do not need to buy games specific to certain countries or areas.
For example, you can buy a game from the UK store and play it on your US console.
However, some games have extra content that is only available if you buy the game from a specific PlayStation store region.
For example, the game “The Last of Us Remastered” has extra DLC available if you buy it from the UK store.
So, in short, no, the PS4 is not a region locked console. But some games DLCs can only be played if you buy it from a specific country’s Store.
There you have it!
Do I miss something in this article?
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