Understanding PS3 Regions

Recently I had an issue with a game I bought which worked fine on my PS3 but the DLCs from my PlayStation Store were not compatible with my game disc. Further the code to access online features of the game were not working. The reason? The region of my game disc did not match the region of my PlayStation Store or my PlayStation ID. I have to sell off my game disc and obtain a game disc that was of the same region as my PlayStation Store.

To warn others in advance of making such a mistake, I have complied a guide to explain the issues.

Does the PS3 have region locking?
Though the PlayStation 3 is not locked by any particular region, a Japanese PS3 should play European titles, but there is one aspect with regards to the hardware used.

North America and Japan use NTSC television standards, or 480i, while Europe uses PAL standards, or 576i. Hence, the US PS3 isn't configured to handle the extra 96 lines of imaging. The solution is simple but costly: all PS3 titles support 720p, so buy an HDTV set. If you already have an HDTV set, then all you need is a HDMI cable.

What about PS3 games?
All PS3 games released so far are region free; though Sony has previously stated that it is possible for developers/publishers to enforce it. Games sold in different regions may have different content (e.g. extra languages, bonus content).

It is possible for games to censor content based on the region where you bought your PS3.

Multiplayer may or may not be locked to regional servers. Some games have global servers (region-free multiplayer, in essence), some games do not. It depends entirely on the game you're asking about – Google will help you find out before you import.

And DLC (Downloadable Content)?
You must download DLC from the same region PlayStation Store as the game. The DLC is specifically coded for its respective region, and will not work for other regions.

UK PS3 games are usually compatible with AUS PlayStation Store DLC – but check the BLES codes on your game case against the ones on the PlayStation Store before you download.

And Game Patches?
PS3 games will grab the correct patch for their region. The region of your PSN account is not relevant here – they will download and install of their own accord without issue.

And Saved Games?
Saved games work similarly to DLC. When you save your game, the file it creates is of the same region as the game. You cannot load it up on a copy of the game from a different region.

How do I identify my PS3 game region?
There are five PlayStation Stores: America, Europe, Japan, Asia and Australia. Use the below methods to find you game region.

Method 1:
Check the spine of your game box.

The standard list of region codes found on PS3 game boxes are:
BCUS - First Party - R1 - US
BLUS - Third Party - R1 - US
BCES - First Party - R2 - Europe
BLES - Third Party - R2 - Europe
BCJS - First Party - R2 - Japan
BLJM - Third Party - R2 - Japan
BLJS - Third Party - R2 - Japan
BCAS - First Party - R3 - Asia
BLAS - Third Party - R3 - Asia
BLAU - Third Party - R4 - Australia

The code works like this:

First letter: indicates the storage format. Can be either "B" for Blu-Ray or "S" for DVD.

Second letter: indicates if it is a first party game (Sony) or third party game (exclusive or not). Letter "C" for first party and letter "L" for third party.

Third letter: indicates the region. "A" = Asia, "J" = Japan, "U" = United States and "E" = Europe.

Fourth letter: indicates the type of content. "D" = Demo, "S" = Game.

NOTE: India falls under BCES/BLES region codes.

Method 2:
Check the cover of your game box.

R1
All Region 1 Games comes with a censorship logo on its cover. These ratings/content guides are unique to Region 1 games.

R2
R2 is REGION FREE and so any game bought from anywhere in the world will work on your console.

R2 Europe

R2 Asia

R3
R3 games did not have any form of rating board logos. But now we see more games that come with game rating logos from Taiwan.

R4
R4 is the country with the most draconian censorship laws and board.

So what do I do if the regions don't match?
The only alternative, sadly, would be to purchase a disc of compatible region.

Buy PS3 from Flipkart.com.

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