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{{Short description|Type of digital rights management}}
{{Unreferenced|date=April 2007}}
{{Distinguish|dateline{{!}}Lockout (news filing)}}
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{{Too few opinions|date=September 2011}}
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{{Original research|date=April 2024}}
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A '''regional lockout''' (or '''region coding''') is a class of [[digital rights management]] preventing the use of a certain product or service, such as [[multimedia]] or a hardware device, outside a certain region or territory. A regional lockout may be enforced through physical means, through technological means such as detecting the user's [[IP address]] or using an identifying code, or through unintentional means introduced by devices only supporting certain regional technologies (such as [[Videotape format war|video formats]], i.e., [[NTSC]] and [[PAL]]).

A regional lockout may be enforced for several reasons, such as to stagger the release of a certain product, to avoid losing sales to the product's foreign publisher,<ref name=NGen29>{{cite magazine|title=Letters |magazine=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]] |issue=29|publisher=[[Imagine Media]] |date=May 1997|page=166 |url=https://archive.org/stream/NEXT_Generation_29#page/n167}}</ref> to maximize the product's impact in a certain region through localization,<ref name=NGen29/> to hinder [[grey market]] imports by enforcing [[price discrimination]], or to prevent users from accessing certain content in their territory because of legal reasons (either due to [[censorship]] laws, or because a distributor does not have the rights to certain [[intellectual property]] outside their specified region).

== Multimedia ==

=== Disc regions ===
{{main|DVD region code|Blu-ray#Region codes|Universal Media Disc#Region coding}}
The [[DVD]], [[Blu-ray|Blu-ray Disc]], and [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]] media formats all support the use of region coding; DVDs use eight region codes (Region 7 is reserved for future use; Region 8 is used for "international venues", such as airplanes and cruise ships), and Blu-ray Discs use three region codes corresponding to different areas of the world. Most Blu-rays, however, are region-free. [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] discs are also region-free.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Are Blu-ray/ Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs region coded? {{!}} Sony UK |url=https://www.sony.co.uk/electronics/support/articles/00029369 |access-date=2023-04-27 |website=www.sony.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>

On computers, the DVD region can usually be changed five times. Windows uses three region counters: its own one, the one of the DVD drive, and the one of the player software (occasionally, the player software has no region counter of its own, but uses that of Windows). After the fifth region change, the system is locked to that region. In modern DVD drives (type RPC-2), the region lock is saved to its hardware, so that even reinstalling Windows or using the drive with a different computer will not unlock the drive again.

Unlike DVD regions, Blu-ray regions are verified only by the player software, not by the computer system or the drive. The region code is stored in a file or the registry, and there are hacks to reset the region counter of the player software. In stand-alone players, the region code is part of the firmware.

For bypassing region codes, there are software and multi-regional players available.

A new form of Blu-ray region coding tests not only the region of the player/player software, but also its country code, repurposing a user setting intended for [[Internationalization and localization|localization]] (PSR19) as a new form of regional lockout. This means, for example, while both the US and Japan are Region A, some American discs will not play on devices/software configured for Japan or vice versa, since the two countries have different country codes. (For example, the United States is "US" (21843 or [[Hexadecimal|hex]] 0x5553), Japan is "JP" (19024 or hex 0x4a50), and Canada is "CA" (17217 or hex 0x4341).) Although there are only three Blu-ray regions, the country code allows much more precise control of the regional distribution of Blu-ray Discs than the six (or eight) DVD regions.

Since Blu-ray discs are cheaper in America than in Japan, American releases of Japanese anime series are often protected in that way to prevent reversal importations. Some discs check whether the country code is US or Canada (sometimes also Mexico) and play only in these countries, others allow all country codes (even those of non-Region-A countries) except the Japanese.

[[AnyDVD]] HD (7.5.9.0 and higher) has an option to enforce the US country code. The software developers say users can also change the country code to enforce in the registry value "bdCountryCode" themselves or set "no country code" by using the value 4294967295 or hex 0xFFFFFFFF. (Before the change of the value, AnyDVD must be closed, and after changing, it must be restarted.)

Some stand-alone Blu-ray players and player programs allow to change the country code (e.g. via the parental lock) and can bypass this protection like that.

=== Software ===
Some features of certain programs are/were disabled if the software is/was installed on a computer in a certain region.

In older versions of the copy software [[CloneCD]], the features "''Amplify Weak Sectors''", "''Protected PC Games''," and "''Hide CDR Media''" were disabled in the United States and Japan. Changing the region ''and'' language settings in Windows (e.g., to Canadian English) or patches could unlock these features in the two countries. [[RedFox|SlySoft]] decided to leave these options disabled for the US for legal reasons, but, strangely enough, in the program "''AnyDVD''", which is also illegal according to US law, no features were disabled. The current version of CloneCD (5.3.1.4) is not region-restricted anymore.

The newer versions of the copy software {{ill|DVDFab|de|vertical-align=sup}} (9.1.5.0 and higher) come in a US version (with no Blu-ray-ripping feature), which is downloaded if the homepage ''dvdfab.cn'' identifies a US IP address, and a non-US version (with working Blu-ray-ripping feature). Some webpages allow the download of the non-US version also from the US (they store the non-US version directly and do not use download links to the developer's homepage).

The software [[CCleaner]] v5.45.6611 has an added check to prevent the use in embargoed countries.

Some programs (e.g., games) are distributed in different versions for NTSC and PAL computers. In some cases, to avoid grey market imports or international software piracy, they are designed not to run on a computer with the wrong TV system. Other programs can run on computers with both TV systems.

[[Kaspersky Lab]] sells its anti-virus products at different prices in different regions and uses regionalized activation codes. A program bought in a country of a region can be activated in another country of the ''same'' region. Once activated, the software can also be used in and download updates from other regions as long as the license is valid. Problems may arise when the license must be renewed, or if the software must be reinstalled, in a region other than the one where it was bought. The region is identified by the IP address (there is no activation possible without Internet connection), so the use of VPN or a proxy is recommended to circumvent the restriction.

The Kaspersky regions are:

*Region 1: Canada, United States, Mexico, and Bermuda
*Region 2: Western Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, Egypt, and Japan
*Region 3: Southeast Asia
*Region 4: Central America, South America (excluding French Guiana), and Oceania; Mexico uses software that uses flags for both regions 1 and 4
*Region 5: Africa, India, and the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (also includes Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Serbia)
*Region 6: Mainland China
*Region 7: Elsewhere
*Region 8: Special international area (airplane, steamer, etc.)

The desktop versions of [[HP Pavilion]] and [[Compaq Presario]] are region-locked, according the build is 91UKV6PRA1, for the A6740uk released in 2009. [[WildTangent]] EMEA, [[easybits|Magic Desktop]] will not work on models in the US.

The HP FlexBuild regions are:
*USA: United States
*JAP: Japan
*KOR: Korean
*EMEA: Middle East
*TOUCH: Designed for [[HP TouchSmart|HP Touchsmart]] only


=== Websites ===
'''Regional lockout''' is the programming practice, code, chip, or physical barrier used to prevent the playing of media designed for a device from the country where it is marketed on the version of the same device marketed in another country.
{{main|Geo-blocking}}
On the [[internet]], geo-blocking is used primarily to control access to online media content that is only licensed for playback in a certain region due to territorial licensing arrangements.<ref name=cnet-netflixgeoblock>{{cite web|title=Netflix VPN access locked down for overseas users|url=http://www.cnet.com/news/netflix-vpn-access-lock-down-overseas-users-geoblock/|website=CNET|access-date=22 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418235359/http://www.cnet.com/news/netflix-vpn-access-lock-down-overseas-users-geoblock/|archive-date=18 April 2015}}</ref>


==Examples==
== Video games ==
Regional lockouts in video games have been achieved by several methods, such as hardware/software authentication, slot pin-out change, differences in cartridge cases, IP blocking and online software patching. Most [[video game console|console]] [[video game]]s have region encoding.
===Video Games===
* In the [[video game industry]], [[Nintendo]] was the originator of regional lockout for video games (example:[[GameBoy]]). Regional lockout in video games is when a piece of [[hardware]] is designed such that only [[software]] for that region is compatible. Most [[video games]] have region encoding.


The main regions are:
The main regions are:
* [[Japan]] and [[Asia]] ([[NTSC-J#Marketing definition|NTSC-J]])
* [[Americas]] (NTSC-U)
* [[Europe]], [[New Zealand]], [[Australia]], [[Oceania]], [[Middle East]], [[India]], [[South Africa]] ([[PAL]])
* [[China]] ([[NTSC-C]])


=== Atari ===
* [[Asia]] ([[NTSC-J]]).
The [[Atari 2600]] does not have regional locking; however, NTSC games can display wrong colors, slow speed and sound on PAL systems, and vice versa.
* [[North America]] and [[NTSC]] territories ([[NTSC U/C]]).
* [[Europe]], [[Australia]] and [[PAL]]/[[SECAM]] territories.


[[Atari 7800]] has regional locking on NTSC systems, making PAL games unplayable on them. However, the PAL versions of the Atari 7800 can run NTSC games, but still suffering from the same problems the Atari 2600 had.
The [[Game Boy Advance]] and [[Nintendo DS]] do not have regional lockout; because of this, [[International trade|import]] games can be played on those systems. In other words, a Japanese game would work on an American unit, although the game would likely not be in the user's native language and might be different from the product as released in other countries. Many "[[hardcore gamers]]" import games, usually from Japan or North America, if the game is released much earlier in that country than in their own, or for [[Import gamers|other reasons]].


The [[Atari 5200]], [[Atari Lynx|Lynx]] and [[Atari Jaguar|Jaguar]] are region-free.
The PSP does have partial regional lockout, and uses the same regions as DVD. As of February 2006, the lockout is only used for UMD movies and not for games, although Sony has hinted it is up to the developers if they want to include region protection in their games. As of February 2007, copies of Battlezone for the PSP that are released in certain countries are found to be region protected, however it is unknown if there are other region-protected PSP games in the market.


=== Nintendo ===
The [[history of video games (Sixth generation era)|sixth generation of video game consoles]] have regional lockout, so games imported from other countries cannot be played on foreign versions of those [[consoles]] without some form of alteration to bypass the lockout.
Nintendo was the first console maker to introduce regional locks to its consoles, using them for every one of its home consoles except for the [[Nintendo Switch]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/13/nintendo-switch-will-be-region-free|title=Nintendo Switch Will Be Region Free - IGN|date=2017-01-12|access-date=2017-01-13|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113212005/http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/13/nintendo-switch-will-be-region-free|archive-date=2017-01-13}}</ref> Nintendo has mostly abstained from using them for its handheld consoles.


Games for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) were locked through both physical and technical means; the design of [[Nintendo Entertainment System Game Pak|cartridges]] for the NES differed between Japan and other markets, using a different number of pins. As the Famicom (the Japanese model) used slightly smaller cartridges, Japanese games could not fit into NES consoles without an adapter (and even with that, they could still not use the extra sound functionalities of the Famicom due to their differing hardware). Official adapters existed inside early copies of [[R.O.B.#Gyromite|Gyromite]]; other Famicom games could be played by disassembling the cartridge and then swapping out the original board of the game with a different Famicom game's board.
===DVDs===
{{details|DVD region codes}}
* [[DVD|DVD Video discs]] are the most visible example of regional lockout. Computer DVD drives come from the factory with RPC (Regional Playback Control), either RPC-1 (older drives) or RPC-2 (newer drives). The difference between the two is that RPC-1 means the player software has the responsibility of enforcing the region control, while in RPC-2, it is enforced by the drive's firmware.
It means that RPC-1 drives can play DVDs from any region (0-8) while RPC-2 drives play only from a particular region (although the region code can be changed 5 times after which the code is locked.).


Additionally, the NES also contained the [[CIC (Nintendo)#10NES|10NES]] authentication chip; the chip was coded for one of four regions:
==Technical design==
* ''NTSC'' ([[North America]])
Regional lockout usually requires hardware manufactured by someone who can be trusted to support the methods chosen. For example, manufacturers need a license to produce DVD players, and game consoles are generally produced by only one company per console. The hardware is typically instructed to play only media designated for a particular region, and that region is then encoded onto the media.
* ''PAL-A'' ([[United Kingdom]], [[Australia]] and [[Italy]])
* ''PAL-B'' (other [[Europe]]an countries and [[South Korea]])
* ''Asia'' ([[Southeast Asia|South East Asia]], [[India]], and [[Hong Kong]])


A game's region is recognized by the console using the 10NES chip. If the chip inside the cartridge conflicts with the chip inside the console, the game will not boot. The 10NES chip also doubled as a form of [[digital rights management]] to prevent loading unlicensed or bootleg games. The redesigned [[Nintendo Entertainment System models#Redesigned variant|Nintendo Entertainment System (Model NES-101)]] released in 1993/1994 lacks the 10NES chip, and can play PAL and unlicensed games, although Famicom games still need a converter. The Famicom does not include a 10NES chip, but is still unable to play imports unless an adapter is used, due to the different size of the media.
For instance, a Japanese GameCube game disc is encoded with a marking NTSC-J (NTSC Japan), and GameCube consoles from Japan are programmed to only play games with that marking, not PAL or NTSC-M (NTSC US/Canada) game discs.


[[File:SNES_Cartridge_Comparison_bottom.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|alt=A photo showing the bottom ends of a PAL SNES / Japanese SFC cartridge and a North American SNES cartridge.|Cases for SFC games in Japan and PAL regions (top) and North American (bottom) regions. Notice the slots in the bottom cartridge to accommodate for plastic tabs in the North American console.]]The American [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES) and the Super Famicom use differences in cartridge cases. A Super NES cartridge will not fit in a Super Famicom/PAL SNES slot due to its different shape and two pieces of plastic in the SNES slot prevent Super Famicom cartridges from being inserted in the SNES. PAL SNES carts can be fully inserted in Japanese consoles, but a similar chip to the 10NES, called the CIC, prevents PAL games from being played in NTSC consoles and vice versa. While physical modification of the cases (either console or cartridges) is needed to play games from the different regions, in order to play games of different TV systems, a hardware modification is also needed. Region locks could be bypassed using special unlicensed cartridge adapters such as [[Game Genie]]. The swapping of cartridge shells also bypasses the physical regional lockout.
==Legal design==
In addition to technical measures, regional lockout schemes are generally supported by legal measures. For example, the U.S. [[Digital Millennium Copyright Act]] (DMCA) has a clause that covers "circumventing a scheme used to restrict access to copyrighted material" that may be used to prosecute people who ignore, circumvent, or crack a regional lockout scheme.


The [[Nintendo 64]] features similar lockout methods as the Super NES. The [[GameCube]] and [[Wii]] are both region-locked, as well as the [[Wii Shop Channel]]. On the Wii, channels from other regions will refuse to load with the message "This channel can't be used." The coded regions are:
Often such regional restrictions are in conflict with national law, for instance in regions such as Hong Kong, where [[parallel import]] is expressly allowed and supported by government bodies. Also, the [[High Court of Australia]] has recently concluded that modification of devices to circumvent region lockout is allowed under Australian law[http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/PlayStation-ruling-a-victory-lawyers/2005/10/06/1128562928349.html].
* NTSC-U (The Americas and Asia)
* PAL (Europe and Oceania)
* NTSC-J (Japan)
* NTSC-K (South Korea)


The GameCube and Wii's regional lockout can be bypassed either by console modification or simply by third-party software. [[Datel]]'s FreeLoader or [[Action Replay]] discs are most notable.
It also violates the international copyright treaty [http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/wct/index.html], Article 4[http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/wct/trtdocs_wo033.html#P56_5626], which equates electronic media with that of other literary works such as books, with the copy owner having the right to buy, read, and sell the material anywhere in the world, as well as Article 10 [http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/wct/trtdocs_wo033.html#P83_10885], which prohibits the introduction of national legislation that limits copy owners normal use.


The [[Wii U]] is also region-locked,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/9/24/3381730/wii-u-region-locked|title=Wii U to be region-locked|access-date=2012-09-24|date=2012-09-24|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120927060735/http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/9/24/3381730/wii-u-region-locked|archive-date=2012-09-27}}</ref> as well as its [[Wii U GamePad|Gamepads]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nintendoeverything.com/109199/looks-like-wii-u-gamepads-are-region-locked-as-well|title=Looks like Wii U GamePads are region-locked as well|access-date=2012-12-25|date=2012-12-25|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121230180441/http://nintendoeverything.com/109199/looks-like-wii-u-gamepads-are-region-locked-as-well/|archive-date=2012-12-30}}</ref>
==Advantages for producers==
* Allows items to be launched at different times in different places, without allowing people to obtain the item 'ahead of time' by purchasing from abroad.
* Allows price differentiation between markets (localisation), thus increasing the potential revenue from worldwide sales and/or making products affordable in markets not tolerating the prices of other regions.
* When distribution contracts for each area are awarded to different companies, it allows a company to avoid "stepping on someone else's toes".


The [[Nintendo Switch]] is region-free, therefore allowing games from any region to be played, whether through physical [[Nintendo Game Card|cartridges]] or digital downloads. For instance, games from the [[Nintendo eShop]] can be purchased and downloaded regardless of region.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch/2017/3/2/14793318/how-to-buy-japanese-games-from-the-nintendo-switch-eshop|title=How to buy Japanese games from the Nintendo Switch eShop - Polygon|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|date=2017-03-02|access-date=2017-03-26|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327080754/http://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch/2017/3/2/14793318/how-to-buy-japanese-games-from-the-nintendo-switch-eshop|archive-date=2017-03-27}}</ref>
==Criticisms==
* It prevents (or complicates) legitimate enjoyment of a product that has been legally obtained in a different territory, e.g. DVDs purchased by tourists, given/sent as gifts or brought by immigrants.
* Regional lockout promotes [[copyright]] infringement, [[software cracking]], and [[modding]], as it makes the 'official' version of a product less desirable due to the restrictions placed on it (as in the above case of a user relocating to another region).
* It allows items to be launched at different times in different places, so eager customers in some countries must wait for the items to be sold locally (which may never happen) instead of importing them sooner.
* It allows price-discrimination, which may be illegal in some countries.
* It presents a barrier to [[free trade]], which may be illegal in some areas such as the [[European Union]]. Since the accession of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia there are two regions in the European Union, restricting trade in the bloc. This state of affairs has yet to be challenged in court.
* Works may not be able to be enjoyed in their original language and/or format due to product localisation (e.g., dubbing, censorship).
* Localisation may be less than satisfactory for the work.
* Works may be released with different features in different regions, making these inaccessible for some region users. For example, DVD releases are very often released earlier and with more special features in Region 1 (US and Canada) than in Region 4 (Latin America, Australia).


These regions are:
==Effect on society==
Because regional lockout is commonly used to enforce [[price discrimination]]{{Fact|date=February 2007}} (or "price differentiation"), the disparity in the price of an item between different locations encourages consumers to import goods privately.


{| class="wikitable"
For both video games and movies, there is a so-called import scene or import community. In many cases, fans and collectors buy Asian or Japanese movies or games from online stores and eBay sellers prior to their release at home. Often these titles are not even scheduled for release overseas (e.g., some [[anime]]), or fans want to see and play the titles in their original unaltered form (e.g., uncut or in Japanese).
|+ Nintendo Switch regions (affects in-game [[System of units of measurement|measurement systems]], language, region-specific content, save games, DLCs)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://faq.qisahn.com/1736-qisahn-faq/4308-nintendo-switch-faq/15991-nintendo-switch-understanding-regions|title=Nintendo Switch - Understanding regions}}</ref>
! Region Code
! Country
! Notes
|-
| JPN
| Japan
| Japanese-based games and systems are usually released in JPN region first.
|-
| USA
| The Americas (North/South America)
| American-based games are usually released in USA region first, while Japanese-based games and systems are usually released in USA region second.
|-
| EUR
| Europe
| Games and systems usually launch in EUR region third.
|-
| AUS
| Oceania (Australia/New Zealand)
| Many games released in Australia/New Zealand actually share the same version as the EUR region. However, a minority of games released in Australia/New Zealand have a different version from the European release, due to censorship and content edits.<br />Games from AUS region will work in European systems and vice versa.
|-
| ASI, CHT, KOR
| Asia (China/Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea)
| Applicable for Versions 8.0.0 and later. This region is less common in terms of number of titles, compared to JPN/USA/EUR.<br />Similar to AUS region, games with ASI region have a different version due to censorship, content edits, or regional language differences.
|}


Before version 8.0.0, most Asian countries belonged to the Americas, just like with the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
The largest import communities are the Asian [[martial arts]] community, [[video games]] community, and the anime community. Because of the number of anime tie-ins produced for video game systems, the latter two communities have a great deal of overlap. For example, ''[[Naruto]]'' and ''[[One Piece]]'' are big hits on DVD, in comics, and on game systems.


The only exception to this is the Chinese version of the Nintendo Switch distributed by [[Tencent]] in mainland China. This version of the console can still play cartridge-based games from any region; however, they can only connect to Chinese servers. Thus, it cannot access any game updates, DLC or online modes from games in other regions, or download said games digitally. Conversely, all other versions of the Nintendo Switch are unable to play cartridge-based games made by Tencent specifically for the Chinese Nintendo Switch.<ref>{{Cite tweet|last=Ahmad|first=Daniel|user=zhugeex|title=PSA for Nintendo Switch owners: Game cartridges released for the Tencent Nintendo Switch will not work on global Nintendo Switch consoles. For example, NSMBU Deluxe will be published on Jan 15th by Tencent in China. This cartridge will ONLY work on the Tencent Nintendo Switch.|number=1214430056233218049|access-date=2021-03-29|date=2020-01-07|language=en}}</ref>
Members of import communities usually need a way to circumvent regional locks. In many countries, region free DVD players are available, and there are ways to make game consoles region free via [[modchips]].


All Nintendo handheld consoles except both [[Nintendo DSi]] models and the [[Nintendo 3DS]] are fully region-free.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ds.ign.com/articles/102/1027349p1.html|title=Yes, DSi Carts are Region Locked|access-date=2011-11-04|author=Craig Harris|date=2009-09-22|work=IGN|publisher=Fox Interactive Media|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101212124255/http://ds.ign.com/articles/102/1027349p1.html|archive-date=2010-12-12 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the case of the former, only the physical and digital games that cannot be played on earlier DS models are region-locked. The latter's region lock strictly applies to all software designed for it, with the only exception being the application ''[[Nintendo 3DS|Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre]]'',<ref name=warr>Wired, [https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-12/02/louvre-3ds-guide Nintendo 3DS Louvre guide escapes region locking] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425111028/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2013-12/02/louvre-3ds-guide |date=April 25, 2016 }}</ref> which by itself, is not a game, but an application that serves as a guide for visitors of the [[Louvre|Louvre Museum]]. Similar to the Wii, the 3DS's regional lockout can be bypassed by third-party software or custom firmware such as Luma3DS.
In certain regions such as Hong Kong and Australia, these technical lockout mechanisms are in conflict with local legislation. The law allows the free sale of imported goods, but technical barriers are put in place by game system and DVD player manufacturers. In Hong Kong, DVD players are usually modified by the distributor and sold region free without extra cost, while buyers of PlayStation or PlayStation 2 consoles have to pay extra for a pre-installed modchip in their game console.


==Economic effects==
=== Sony ===
The [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] and [[PlayStation 2]] are region-locked into three regions: [[NTSC|NTSC U/C]], [[NTSC-J]], and [[PAL]]. However, it is possible to disable region locking on said systems via a [[modchip]] or performing a disk-swap when the console starts. In the case of the PlayStation 2, a Swap Magic disc can be used to bypass regional locks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.se7ensins.com/forums/threads/unlocking-your-ps2s-full-potential.1038913/|title=Unlocking your PS2's Full Potential|date=21 December 2013 }}</ref> [[DVD]] movies on the PlayStation 2 are also region-locked.
Because of Sony's region lockout for [[Universal Media Disc]] (UMD) movies, the Japanese (and die-hard fans with import consoles) have to buy their UMD version of "The Punisher" for about $40 (¥3,990), while the very same film is available in the US for $13.99. It is legal in Japan to import movies and even prohibited by law to restrict imports, but due to region lockout, it is impossible to play a disc from another region without additional technological measures.


All [[PlayStation 3]] games except for ''[[Persona 4 Arena]]'' and ''[[Way of the Samurai 3]]'' are region free.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.wired.com/games/2006/09/sony_execs_talk.html?entry_id=1561160 |title=Sony Execs Talk PS3 |access-date=2008-11-03 |date=2006-09-22 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208071810/http://blog.wired.com/games/2006/09/sony_execs_talk.html?entry_id=1561160 |archive-date=2008-12-08 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1034649/playstation-region-free |title=Playstation 3 will be region free |access-date=2008-11-03 |date=2006-03-23 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110529120824/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1034649/playstation-region-free |archive-date=2011-05-29 }}</ref> Although publishers could choose to region-lock specific games based on a mechanism that allows for the game to query the model of the PS3, none did so during the first three years after the PS3's launch.<ref name="ps3lockoutproof">{{cite web|url=http://edepot.com/playstation3.html#PS3_Model_Differences|title=PlayStation 3 Secrets|website=edepot.com|access-date=7 May 2018}}</ref> In the case of ''Persona 4 Arena'';<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/persona-4-arena-to-be-first-ever-region-locked-ps3-release|title=Persona 4 Arena To Be First Ever Region-Locked PS3 Release|website=egmnow.com|access-date=7 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180125072009/http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/persona-4-arena-to-be-first-ever-region-locked-ps3-release/|archive-date=25 January 2018}}</ref> publisher Atlus declined to reverse its decision despite substantial outcry by some of their fanbase.<ref name="ArenaLocked">{{cite web|url=https://www.engadget.com/2012/07/06/atlus-explains-persona-4-arenas-region-lock-expresses-surprise/|title=Atlus explains Persona 4 Arena's region lock, expresses surprise at 'force' of community disapproval|author=Fletcher, J. C.|publisher=[[Engadget]]|date=2012-07-06|access-date=2019-06-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180415134757/https://www.engadget.com/2012/07/06/atlus-explains-persona-4-arenas-region-lock-expresses-surprise/|archive-date=2018-04-15|url-status=live}}</ref> The decision was made to avoid excessive importing, because all versions of the game share the same features and language support, but have differing price points and release dates in each region.<ref name="ArenaLocked"/> They did, however, decide not to apply region-locking to its sequel (''[[Persona 4 Arena Ultimax]]'').<ref>{{cite web |url=http://shoryuken.com/2014/07/10/persona-4-arena-ultimax-will-not-be-region-locked-for-north-and-south-america/ |title=Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Will Not Be Region Locked for North and South America |access-date=2014-10-21 |date=2014-07-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141102100457/http://shoryuken.com/2014/07/10/persona-4-arena-ultimax-will-not-be-region-locked-for-north-and-south-america/ |archive-date=2014-11-02 }}</ref> Region locking is present for backwards-compatible PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, as well as DVD and [[Blu-ray]] movies. Additionally, some games separate online players per region, such as ''[[Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots]]''.
From the consumer's point of view, the result is products that could be available more cheaply elsewhere, and being questionable restrictions on what they can and cannot buy (and watch).


The [[PlayStation Store]] only contains content for its own country. For example, the EU store will not supply usable map packs for an imported US copy of ''[[Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare]]''. In addition, [[downloadable content]] for the PlayStation 3 systems is region-matched with the game itself. For example, DLC from the US [[PlayStation Store]] must be used in conjunction with a US-region game. More specifically, the PS3's file system includes region-of-origin, so DLC cannot be shared between different region games much like save files cannot. Also, the PSN Store is tied to each user's PSN account, and payment methods for PSN is also region-locked. For example, a user with a Japanese PSN account will only be able to access the Japanese PSN store despite owning a US PS3, and can only pay for a game with a Japanese PSN gift card or Japanese credit card. However, with a few rare exceptions, notably ''Joysound Dive'',<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.psnstores.com/2011/11/the-more-you-know-psn-content-can-be-region-locked/ |title=The More You Know: PSN Content Can Be Region Locked - PSNStores |access-date=2014-01-06 |date=2014-01-06 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016141645/http://www.psnstores.com/2011/11/the-more-you-know-psn-content-can-be-region-locked/ |archive-date=2013-10-16 }}</ref> downloaded content from each PSN store are also region free, as are PSOne and PS2 classics offered on the store.
From the region lockers' point of view, the result is a higher income, less intra-brand competition (because there is no rivalry or free trade between competing territories), and greater control of price in affected markets. It should be noted that these practices directly contradict the principles of [[free market]] [[capitalism]], especially that espoused by [[Adam Smith]]. Many consider that it strays into the realm of [[price fixing]].


The regions include:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/927750-playstation-3/63555611|title=Do Asia store DLCs usually work with the JP version of games? - PlayStation 3}}</ref><ref name="mortalkombatgamessupport.wbgames.com">{{Cite web|url=https://mortalkombatgamessupport.wbgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/1500007714502-PlayStation-Games-Region-Guide|title=PlayStation Games Region Guide &ndash; Mortal Kombat Games}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://support.2k.com/hc/en-us/articles/217296237-What-Region-Is-My-PlayStation-|title=What Region Is My PlayStation? &ndash; 2K Support}}</ref>
==Defeating regional lockout==


{| class="wikitable"
* A region-free label, especially in DVD players, means that the device is shipped by the manufacturer without the ability to enforce regional lockout. In Australia, every DVD-playing unit, excluding PC devices, is shipped modified with a region-free chip installed. This was a result of a landmark [[Australian Competition and Consumer Commission|ACCC]] case in which the High Court of Australia ruled that region lockouts breached fair trade and market competition practices {{Citequote}}.
|+ PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4 regions for physical discs & DLC
* Most handheld video game systems, including all [[Game Boy]] and [[Nintendo DS]] systems, are made region free. The [[Sony]] [[PlayStation Portable]] has regional lockout for UMD movies and games (although it is currently unused for games). The [[Play-Yan]], currently a Japan-exclusive device, can be imported and works on other models.
! Region Code
* Japanese GameCube, Saturn, and Mega Drive consoles can be modified with a simple bridge (jumper) to allow playing of US game discs. Such modifications do not allow the console to play pirated or "backup" games, only legitimate games from another region.
! scope="col" style="width: 250px;" | Region
* Boot discs such as the "Freeloader" or the "Utopia boot disc" can be used to start foreign versions of GameCube and Dreamcast games, respectively.
! scope="col" style="width: 400px;" | Country categorisation<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://portkeygamessupport.wbgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/10726937080851-Supported-Language-Options-in-Hogwarts-Legacy|title=Supported Language Options in Hogwarts Legacy &ndash; Portkey Games}}</ref>
* The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), and the Nintendo 64 all have simple pin-based lockout schemes that are easily converted with a third-party device. In the case of the SNES and N64, plastic tabs which block insertion of Japanese games into North American consoles can be snipped away with a set of pliers.
! Rating
* Devices like regional converters are used to bypass regional lockout without circumventing copy protection.
! SKU Title ID
* A game console or DVD player could be imported from the correct region to play imported, region-encoded games. This approach would likely require voltage and/or video converters to prevent damage to the system, and for the video to display correctly. Sony however have banned the importation of foreign Playstation 3's into the European Union.
|-
* [[Console emulator]]s can ignore region-control hardware, even when emulating consoles that originally had regional lockout. Some consoles use different BIOS ROMs depending on region.
| R1
* DVD computer drives can usually have their firmware reflashed for less-stringent regional control (i.e, RPC-1 instead of RPC-2); See [http://www.rpc1.org/ RPC-1 firmware site].
| America (both North and South)
* A comprehensive source on removing restrictions manually on a number of different DVD Players can also be found on the Internet; See [http://www.dvdexploder.com/ DVDExploder.com]
| <p>('''categorised under SIEA''': Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guina, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay)</p>
* A number of [[Xbox]] and [[Xbox 360]] games are region free.
| [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]]
* The PlayStation 3 does not enforce regional lockout on games developed for the platform itself, however backward compatibility modes are region locked. Blu-ray Disc and DVD region codes are also enforced. [http://www.gamespot.com/pages/profile/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=m-100-24746743&user=James_Yu]
| Number only <br> CUSA + number
|-
| R2
| Europe<br /><br />Australia / New Zealand (for titles that share the same version/compatibility as the Europe release)<br /><br />Japan (special R2, not compatible with Europe DLCs)
| <p>('''categorised under SIEE''': Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Ukraine)</p><p>('''categorised under SIEJ''': Japan)</p>
| [[PEGI]], [[Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle|USK]], [[Computer Entertainment Rating Organization|CERO]]
| CUSA + number
|-
| R3
| Asia (except Japan and South Korea) <br><br> South Korea (special R3)
| <p>('''categorised under SIE Asia''': Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Lao People's Demoncratic Republic, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam)</p><p>('''categorised under SIEK''': South Korea)</p>
| [[Game Software Rating Regulations|TESRI]], [[Game Rating and Administration Committee|GRAC]]
| PLAS + number <br> PCAS + number
|-
| R4
| Australia / New Zealand (for specific titles with censorship/content edits)
| ('''categorised under SIEE''')
| [[Australian Classification Board|ACB]]
| CUSA + number
|}


Although [[PlayStation Portable]] has no region locking for [[Universal Media Disc|UMD]] games,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://psp.ign.com/articles/561/561098p1.html |title=PSP: Region Free Games |access-date=2011-11-03 |date=2004-10-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110321124357/http://psp.ign.com/articles/561/561098p1.html |archive-date=2011-03-21 }}</ref> UMD movies are locked by region.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2005/03/25/psp-games-region-free-after-all-but-umd-movies-locked/ |title=Rumours of PSP region-locking are false - Sony |website=[[Eurogamer]] |access-date=2014-03-08 |date=2005-04-27 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140423053208/http://www.engadget.com/2005/03/25/psp-games-region-free-after-all-but-umd-movies-locked/ |archive-date=2014-04-23 }}</ref> However, Sony has confirmed that it is possible to implement region-locking on the PSP, and the firmware will disable features based on region. For example, Asian region PSPs will not display the "Extras" option on the XMB despite having been upgraded to the US version of Firmware 6.20, preventing owners of such PSPs from installing the Comic Book Viewer and the TV Streaming applications. As the applications are installed through a PC, and users from the region are not blocked from downloading them, it is possible to install them on non-Asian PSPs that have been imported into the region.
===Decrypting software for computer DVD drives===
CSS decrypting software (such as [[DVD Decrypter]], [[AnyDVD]] and [[DVD Shrink]]) allows a region-specific DVD to be copied as an all-region DVD. It also removes [[Macrovision]], [[Content Scrambling System]] (CSS), [[DVD region codes|region codes]], and disabled user operations (UOPs).


While [[PlayStation Vita]] games had the potential to be region-locked, all games released for the system are region-free.
===Codes for home DVD players===
There are a few established websites on the Internet dedicated to defeating DVD regional locks on home DVD players. Many DVD player models have a unique region defeating unlock code that can be tapped into its remote control to make it region-free, allowing the owner to watch DVDs bought from anywhere in the world. Many charge for these codes (or hacks as they are commonly known); however, community-based sites provide a good user base for testing such codes, examples include [http://www.videohelp.com/dvdhacks VideoHelp.com's hack section] which uses a forum type system and the dedicated [http://www.askmerlin.org/ AskMerlin.org] which allows users to request and comment on hacks.


Like with the PlayStation 3, the [[PlayStation 4]] and [[PlayStation 5]] are not region-locked, although it is still possible to develop region-locked games. Sony's official stance is that they discourage developers from region-locking and will only relent in special cases (as with the PS3 ''Persona 4 Arena'').<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.engadget.com/2013/06/11/the-ps4-wont-be-region-locked | title = The PS4 won't be region-locked | access-date = 2013-06-11 | date = 2013-06-11 | publisher = Engadget | first = Mat | last = Smith | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130613064459/http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/11/the-ps4-wont-be-region-locked/ | archive-date = 2013-06-13 }}</ref><ref name="ps5 faq verge">{{cite web | url = https://www.theverge.com/2020/11/9/21556760/ps5-sony-playstation-5-region-free-ps-now-support |title = Sony reveals PS5 games will be region free, and the console will support PS Now |first = Jay | last = Peters | date = November 9, 2020 | access-date = November 9, 2020 | work = [[The Verge]] }}</ref> However, as with the PlayStation 3, digital content such as downloadable content for games still requires a PSN account from the region the content was made for. That said, PSN accounts themselves are not region-locked and an account for one region can be made on a console from another one.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/PS4-General/Is-the-playstation-4-region-free-or-locked/td-p/22118167 | title = Is the playstation 4 region free or locked ? | access-date = 2015-03-10 | date = 2014-08-31 | url-status = live | archive-url = http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/20150310032355/http://community.eu.playstation.com/t5/PS4-General/Is-the-playstation-4-region-free-or-locked/td-p/22118167 | archive-date = 2015-03-10 }}</ref>
==See also==
* [[NTSC]]
* [[NTSC-J]]
* [[NTSC U/C]]
* [[PAL]]


[[PlayStation 5]] game discs no longer have region codes. The region variant of a game can be identified by the rating label and SKU ID on the spine of the disc case.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gameone.ph/blog/post/how-to-identify-ps4-ps5-game-region.html|title=Game One - What is up with PS4/PS5 game region? How do you identify them?}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.psdevwiki.com/ps5/Title_IDs|title=Title IDs - PS5 Developer wiki}}</ref>
* [[Regional converter]]

* [[Copyright misuse]]
{| class="wikitable"
* [[DVD region code]]
|+ PlayStation 5 regions for physical discs & DLC
* [[Fan translation]]
! scope="col" style="width: 250px;" | Region
* [[Fritz-chip]]
! Country categorisation<ref name="mortalkombatgamessupport.wbgames.com"/>
! Rating
! SKU Title ID
|-
| America (both North and South)
| Categorised under '''SIEA'''
| [[Entertainment Software Rating Board|ESRB]] (US), [[Brazilian advisory rating system|DJCTQ]] (Brazil)
| Number only<br />Digital titles only use PPSA, regardless of region.
|-
| Europe (includes Australia)
| Categorised under '''SIEE'''
| [[PEGI]] (most European countries), [[Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle|USK]] (Germany), [[Australian Classification Board|ACB]] (Australia)
| PPSA + number
|-
| Asia (except Japan and South Korea)
| Categorised under '''SIE Asia'''
| [[Game Software Rating Regulations|TESRI]] (Taiwan, Hong Kong)
| ECAS + number<br />ELAS + number
|-
| Japan
| Categorised under '''SIEJ'''
| [[Computer Entertainment Rating Organization|CERO]]
| ELJM + number
|-
| South Korea
| Categorised under '''SIEK'''
| [[Game Rating and Administration Committee|GRAC]]
| ELAS + number
|}

=== Sega ===
The [[SG-1000]] does not have region lockout between Japanese and Australian systems, the same applies with [[SG-1000|SC-3000]] games on cartridge and cassettes, as well [[SG-1000|SF-7000]] disks.

Western [[Master System|Sega Master System]]s have a different shape from the Japanese cartridge connector, meaning Sega Mark III and SG-1000 games are incompatible with it. A BIOS included prevents Japanese cartridges (both Mark III and SG-1000) to be used on Western systems, even with adapters. The [[Sega Card]] slot on these systems has the same pinout from its Japanese counterpart, but they cannot run Japanese and SG-1000 cards due to lack of a certain code in the ROM header. This can be circumvented by removing the BIOS IC from it. However, some European-only games such as ''[[Back to the Future Part III (video game)|Back to the Future Part III]]'' will refuse to boot on NTSC systems. Japanese games can be run on [[Sega Genesis|Power Base Converter]] with use of adapters, but it will not run SG-1000 games, regardless of region.

[[File:Sega-Mega-Drive-regional-lockout-error.png|right|thumb|alt=A screenshot of an error screen with the message "DEVELOPED FOR USE ONLY WITH NTSC GENESIS SYSTEMS."|Error screen indicating that a region-locked Sega Genesis game is incompatible with European or Japanese Mega Drive consoles]] Japanese [[Sega Genesis|Sega Mega Drive]] cartridges have a different shape and will not fit in the Genesis or PAL Mega Drive slot, which have the same shape (although the Genesis 3 in the US will accept Japanese titles due to its wider slot.) Japanese Mega Drive systems have a piece of plastic that slides in a place of the cartridge when the power switch is turned on, thus, inserting an American or European cart will make it impossible to use on a Japanese Mega Drive (though minor modifications to the plastic locks in the systems will bypass this). The console's main board, however, was designed with language and frequency jumper sets which originally activated features in the same ROM for different regions. This feature was later used to enable software-based regional locks that display warning messages that prevent the game from being played. Switches, instead of the jumpers, were used to bypass the locks. In region-locked games, if there is a multiple language feature, it can be changed with the switches after the game has booted-up (as with the case of [[Cosmic Carnage|''Cyber Brawl''/''Cosmic Carnage'']] for the [[32X|Super 32X]]). Despite the console itself being region-locked, most of the games, especially ones made by Sega, were region-free and could be played on any region, unless the cartridge doesn't fit the console.

The [[Game Gear]] is region free, and some games have a dual-language feature depending on which region of the system is used. ''[[Puyo Puyo]]'' (game title changes to ''Puzlow Kids'' on Western systems) and ''Donald no Magical World'' (title changes to ''[[Ronald McDonald#Video games|Ronald McDonald in Magical World]]'' in Western systems), are both Japan-exclusive games, but if run on Western units, they will be fully translated.

[[Sega CD|Sega CD/Mega-CD]] games are region-locked. The region can be changed when making [[CD-R]] copies; however, this method is not completely foolproof (e.g., ''Sengoku Denshou'' in American consoles will freeze on the Sega license screen with a region-swapped CD-R copy). Furthermore, third party accessories exist that can bypass the regional-lockouts of Sega Mega-CD games, inserted into the main console's cartridge slot. [[Flash cartridge|Flashcarts]] such as the Everdrive can also be used to boot any regional Mega-CD BIOS from the SD card.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://krikzz.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50 |title= Home|website=krikzz.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206003102/http://krikzz.com/index.php?route=product%2Fproduct&product_id=50 |archive-date=2015-02-06}}</ref> Different region Mega-CD consoles will also work with different region Mega Drive/Genesis systems; however, they often carry the risk of damaging the add-on if the proper [[voltage converter]]s are not used. The power voltages for the add-on will vary depending on the region, therefore requiring voltage converters to prevent damage to the add-on. For instance, the Japanese Mega-CD will work in the Genesis; however, it does not use the same AC voltage as the Genesis or the American Sega CD. Likewise, the European Mega-CD will work on a Japanese Mega Drive or Genesis, but the differences in AC voltage are more staggering compared to a Japanese Mega-CD in a Genesis. In such cases, using a step-up (or step-down) converter is recommended.

Most American [[Sega Saturn]] discs can be played in Japanese consoles, but most Japanese games are locked for American and European consoles. Like in the Mega Drive/Genesis, the use of a switch will circumvent the region-lock but won't change the language. In addition, the use of certain unlicensed backup/RAM cartridges will also allow a console to play games from different regions, except for games that use proprietary ROM-RAM carts. Games from different [[Broadcast television systems#Analog television systems|television systems]] may have graphical problems.

[[Dreamcast]] [[GD-ROM]] discs are region-locked; however, this could be circumvented with the use of boot discs. [[GD-ROM|MIL-CD]]s and backup CDs are region-free.

=== Microsoft ===
The [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] and the [[Xbox 360]] are region-locked, but some games are region-free and will play in any region. Digital content through Xbox Live on the Xbox 360 and original Xbox are also region-locked, such as DLC, movies, and apps.

The [[Xbox One]] was initially planned to have a region blocking policy that would have prevented its use outside its region in an effort to curb parallel importing. Microsoft later reversed the policy and the final retail version of the console was not region-locked.<ref>{{cite web|last=Goldfarb|first=Andrew|title=Xbox One Will Not Require Internet, Restrict Used Games|url=http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/06/19/microsoft-reversing-xbox-one-internet-used-game-policies|website=IGN|date=19 June 2013 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708012640/http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/06/19/microsoft-reversing-xbox-one-internet-used-game-policies|archive-date=2013-07-08}}</ref> It was reported, though, that the console would be region-locked in [[China]];<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xboxachievements.com/news/news-18862-Report--Chinese-Xbox-One-Will-Be-Region-Locked.html|title=Report: Chinese Xbox One Will Be Region Locked|website=xboxachievements.com|date=22 November 2013 |access-date=7 May 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709094838/http://www.xboxachievements.com/news/news-18862-Report--Chinese-Xbox-One-Will-Be-Region-Locked.html|archive-date=9 July 2016}}</ref> however, this decision has since been reverted as of April 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.techinasia.com/xbox-regionfree-china-report|title = Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Changing Netflix region |url=https://vpnquery.com/how-to-change-netflix-region-on-phone/ |access-date=25 June 2017}}</ref>

The [[Xbox Series X]] is region-free.

=== Other ===
The [[CD-i|Philips CD-i]] and the [[3DO|3DO Interactive Multiplayer]] are region-free. Japanese 3DO units, however, have a [[kanji]] font in ROM, which is required by a few games. When such games can't find the font, they can get locked or rendered unplayable.

The [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo]], [[Neo Geo CD]], and [[Neo Geo Pocket]] line are also region-free.

Amongst [[PC game]]s, regional lockout is more difficult to enforce because both the game application and the operating system can be easily modified. Subscription-based online games often enforce a regional lock by blocking [[IP address]]es (which can often be circumvented through an [[open proxy]]) or by requiring the user to enter a [[Identity document|national ID]] number (which may be impossible to verify). A number of other games using regional lockout are rare but do exist. One of the examples of this is the Windows version of ''[[The Orange Box]]'', which uses [[Steam (service)|Steam]] to enforce the regional lockout.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2007/10/25/valve-locking-out-user-accounts-for-incorrect-territory |title=Valve locking out user accounts for "incorrect territory" |access-date=2008-03-15 |first=Frank |last=Caron |date=2007-10-25 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329061535/http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2007/10/25/valve-locking-out-user-accounts-for-incorrect-territory |archive-date=2008-03-29 }}</ref> Steam also enforces a form of regional lockout in adherence to German law by offering to German users special versions of some games with banned content&nbsp;–&nbsp;most notably swastikas &nbsp;–&nbsp;replaced.<ref>[http://www.gamershell.com/news_151181.html News] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206032537/http://www.gamershell.com/news_151181.html |date=2015-02-06 }} on gamershell.com</ref> Steam is also used to restrict the release of the PC port of ''[[Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance]]'' to US and Europe only due to Sony having an exclusivity deal with Konami in Asia, and to restrict the Asian release of the [[Final Fantasy XIII]] trilogy to Japanese-only versions of the games. Besides the law and licensing issues, there is also a financial reason for Steam to region lock their games, since in [[Russia]] and other [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] countries prices of games on Steam are much lower than in the [[European Union|EU]] or [[North America]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/196079-valve-enables-region-locking-in-steam-to-stop-you-buying-cheap-games-from-russia|title=Valve enables region locking in Steam, to stop you buying cheap games from Russia {{!}} ExtremeTech|website=[[ExtremeTech]]|access-date=2016-10-02|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161003101903/http://www.extremetech.com/gaming/196079-valve-enables-region-locking-in-steam-to-stop-you-buying-cheap-games-from-russia|archive-date=2016-10-03}}</ref>

== Printers ==
[[Hewlett-Packard]] printer cartridges have been regionalised since 2004.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1648662/hp-unlocks-printer-regionalisation |title= HP unlocks printer regionalization |access-date=2014-03-08 |first=Lawrence |last= Latif |date=2010-05-14 |url-status= unfit |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130805140750/http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1648662/hp-unlocks-printer-regionalisation |archive-date=2013-08-05}}</ref> Thus, they do not work in printers with a different region code, unless the user calls technical support for the device to be reassigned to the appropriate region.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02558798 |title=HP Printers - Find and Install Cartridges after Moving to Another Country |access-date=2016-05-12 |publisher= HP |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160513063554/http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02558798 |archive-date=2016-05-13}}</ref>

HP printers have four regions:
# Americas, Greenland, Australia, New Zealand, Koreas, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, East Asia
# Western Europe, Turkey
# CIS, Africa, Near East, Japan
# China (except Hong Kong), Taiwan and India

The region can be changed three times; then, the printer will be locked to a region.

[[Lexmark]] printers use different region-coding systems:

a) e.g. OfficeEdge Pro4000, OfficeEdge Pro4000c, OfficeEdge Pro5500, OfficeEdge Pro5500t, CS310, CS410 Color Laser Printer
# Americas
# Greenland, EU, EFTA
# (in CS310, CS410 Color Laser Printer called Region 8): Former Yugoslavian states, except for EU members Croatia and Slovenia, and rest of world (East Europe, Africa, Near East, Asia, Australia)

b) e.g. MS710, MS810 Monochrome Laser Printer
# USA, Canada
# Greenland, EU, EFTA
# Asia, Australia, New Zealand
# Central and South America
# Former Yugoslavian states (except Croatia and Slovenia), Eastern Europe, Turkey, Near East, Africa

[[Canon Inc.|Canon]] print cartridges for the Pixma MP 480 will not work in printers of that type with a different region code either (even when listed on the packaging of the Canon printer cartridges in question).

[[Epson]] ink cartridges are also use region-coded.

[[Xerox]] also uses region codes. Their printers are shipped with neutral "factory" ink sticks with no region coding. Upon the installation of the first new ink stick after these factory sticks, the machine will set a region code based on the installed ink stick and will only accept ink stick for that region from that point forward. "Officially, " only three starter ink sticks per color can be used; then, the printer will no longer accept them and will want region-coded ink sticks to be inserted, but there are workarounds for that problem.

Common region settings are:
* NA (North America)
* Metered-NA
* DMO (developing markets, such as Asia and South America)
* XE (Europe).

=== Circumvention ===
One method to bypass printer-region-coding is to store empty cartridges from the old region and refill them with the ink of cartridges from the new region, but many modern ink cartridges have chips and sensors to prevent refilling, which makes the process more difficult. On the Internet, one can find refilling instructions for various cartridge models. Another method is have ink cartridges from the old region shipped to the new region.

Some manufacturers of regionalized printers also offer region-free printers specially designed for travelers.

== Smartphones, tablets, and computers ==

=== Samsung devices ===
Starting from the [[Samsung Galaxy Note 3]], Samsung phones and tablets contained a warning label stating that it would only operate with [[SIM card]]s from the region the phone was sold in. A spokesperson clarified the policy, stating that it was intended to prevent grey-market reselling, and that it only applied to the first SIM card inserted.<ref name="verge-samsunglock">{{cite web|title=Samsung region locking the Note 3 to keep out resellers|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/26/4772820/samsung-region-locks-european-galaxy-note-3-within-europe|work=[[The Verge]]|date=26 September 2013|access-date=30 September 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929031612/http://www.theverge.com/2013/9/26/4772820/samsung-region-locks-european-galaxy-note-3-within-europe|archive-date=29 September 2013}}</ref> For devices to use a SIM card from other regions, one of the following actions totaling five minutes or longer in length must first be performed with the SIM card from the local region:

* Make calls on the phone or watch from the Samsung Phone app
* Use the Call and Text on Other Devices feature to make calls

==== Changes for 2017 ====
Samsung has changed the region locking policy completely since it was first introduced in 2013. Previously, the CSC was generally decided based on which region the phone was meant for, and it could be changed by user input. The SIM card now plays a central role in deciding what CSC is active.<ref>{{Cite web |title=CSCs and how Samsung releases updates a.k.a. why everyone else in your country has the update but not you |date=February 2020 |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/GalaxyS9/comments/excvgc/cscs_and_how_samsung_releases_updates_aka_why/}}</ref>

===== South Korea, US, Canada, and China =====
If the phone/tablet was purchased in any of these countries and the SIM card is from a different region, they cannot be used together. Although the restriction can be removed after using a local SIM card to make a call for at least 5 minutes, it only removes the restrictions for that particular country. Furthermore, the device may not work properly in some circumstances, such as Samsung Pay. An unlocked device purchased in these above markets can only work on other service providers within the same market where the device was purchased from, and so on, despite having the bands to work on other networks. For example, if one buys an XAA/OYM device in the United States but one is now living in China and using a Chinese SIM, the active CSC will not be changed to CHC/OYM, because the firmware does not include CHC in the multi-CSC file. As a result, the new SIM card cannot be used in a device made for another market.

====== Phones ======
* N: South Korea
* U/U1: United States of America
* W: Canada
* 0: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao

====== Tablets ======
* N: South Korea
* U/U1: United States
* W: Canada
* C: China mainland

===== All other regions =====
The same rules still apply as usual; however, not all the countries will be unlocked for use. For example, if one buys a DBT/OXM device in Germany but one is now living in Portugal and using a Portuguese SIM, the active CSC is potentially TPH/OXM, which makes the new SIM card usable in the new region.

====== Phones ======
* E: Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, India, Asia Pacific
* B: Europe & CIS

====== Tablets ======
All countries except for South Korea, USA, Canada, and mainland China fall in the B section.

==== Country Specific Codes (CSCs) for Samsung devices ====

===== Wi-Fi only devices =====
As of 2022, Samsung has simplified most CSCs into a larger one. Assume that all service providers are supported for each region. For example, if one buys an XAR/OXM tablet in the United States but one is now living in Taiwan and using a Chinese phone with a Taiwanese SIM card paired to an XAR tablet, the active CSC on both devices is potentially BRI/OXM, which makes the paired phone usable in the new region. However, if the SIM card is from mainland China, it cannot be paired with the tablet, since mainland China (CHN) is not part of the OXM multi-CSC file.

====== OXM ======
With the release of the Galaxy Tab S8 series, Southeast Asia is now Asia Pacific (APAC does not include Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan or China (Mainland China and Hong Kong)).
* KOO: South Korea
* XAR: North America (USA)
* XAC: North America (Canada)
* MXO: Latin America (Mexico)
* ZBR: Latin America (Other)
* EUX: Europe (1)
* EUY: Europe (2)
* SER: CIS (Russia)
* SEK: CIS (Ukraine)
* CAU: CIS (Caucasus)
* ILO: Middle East (Israel)
* TUR: Middle East (Turkey)
* XSG: Middle East (Other, formerly UAE)
* INU: India
* XSP: Asia Pacific (formerly Singapore/Southeast Asia)
* BRI: Taiwan

===== Cellular devices =====
* OKR: South Korea (cellular devices only)
* OYM/OYN: United States (cellular devices only)
* OYA/OYV: Canada (cellular devices only)
* OWB/OWO/OWE: Latin America and the Caribbean (some devices)
* OJM: Middle East (including Israel) and Africa (some devices)
* ODM/ODI: India/South Asia (some devices)
* OLM/OLN/OLO: Southeast Asia (excluding Indonesia) and Oceania (some devices)
* OLE/OLP: Indonesia (all devices, except smartwatches)
* OXE: Post-Soviet states (some devices)
* CHN/CHC: Mainland China (all devices)
* OZS: Taiwan and Hong Kong (smartphones only)
* XJP/SJP: Japan (some devices)
* OXM: Europe/All other countries (including US/Canada/South Korea/Hong Kong/Taiwan Wi-Fi only devices, as well as Hong Kong/Taiwan cellular tablets)
As of the Galaxy Tab S6, Wi-Fi only devices are no longer region locked, and the Call and Text on Other Devices features on those devices can work on SIM cards from most regions (excluding mainland China and Indonesia). All regions (except for mainland China and Indonesia) share the same CSC in their firmware version.

Starting with [[Windows Phone 7]] for mobile devices<ref>{{Cite web|last=Blog|first=Windows Experience|date=2011-07-06|title=Windows Phone around the world: Language support in Mango|url=https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2011/07/06/windows-phone-around-the-world-language-support-in-mango/|access-date=2022-01-10|website=Windows Experience Blog|language=en-US}}</ref> and [[Windows 8]] for computers, not all display languages are preinstalled/available for download on all devices with an OEM license of Windows. Users may not see all the display languages listed as options on the device or as options available for download as separate language packs. These exact options depend on the device manufacturer and country/region of purchase (and the mobile operator, if the device features cellular connectivity). Microsoft believes region locking is necessary because these display languages (which contains additional features like text suggestions, speech languages, and supplementary fonts) can take up a significant amount of storage, which leaves less space for data and media and impacts device performance. For cellular-connected devices, some mobile operators may choose not to support particular languages. For example, a wireless carrier in North America may not feel comfortable supporting European languages.

=== Google Play store ===
Starting from June 2021, Google began enforcing region-locking by preventing users from redeeming [[Google Play#Gift cards|Google Play gift cards]] of other countries, despite user attempts to alter location with usage of [[virtual private network|VPN]]s. Detection is based on location history tracking and [[device fingerprint]] activity data associated with a user's Google account usage history.<ref>{{citation|url=https://piunikaweb.com/2021/08/11/google-play-gift-card-complete-transaction-error-reported-to-google/|title=Google Play Gift card complete transaction error reported to Google - PiunikaWeb|date=11 August 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=https://www.mydigitalbn.com/issue-to-redeem-google-play-card/|title=Issue to redeem Google Play Card – MyDigitalBN}}</ref>

=== Apple devices ===
There are provisions in place to restrict iOS features in specific locations, which include both hard-coding techniques (e.g. device model variants for different countries) and soft-coding techniques. For example, [[FaceTime]] is not available in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia due to government restrictions on VoIP services.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/uae-after-a-decade-of-ban-apples-facetime-video-service-appears-to-be-functioning-again/|title=UAE: After a decade of ban, Apple&#x27;s FaceTime video service appears to be functioning again - Business & Human Rights Resource Centre}}</ref>

An inspection of [[iOS 16|iOS 16.2's]] code showed a new system internally called "countryd" was added to precisely determine the user's location, to enforce restrictions determined by government regulators. The system gathers multiple data sources, such as: current GPS location, country code from the Wi-Fi router, and information obtained from the SIM card to determine the user's current country.<ref>{{citation|url=https://9to5mac.com/2023/04/25/ios-16-restrict-features-based-on-location/|title=iOS 16 has new system to restrict features based on user's location – 9to5Mac|date=25 April 2023 }}</ref>

==== Exclusive features for the European Union ====
In March 2024, Apple released [[iOS 17|iOS 17.4]], introducing a distinct set of additional features for the European Union residents to comply with the [[Digital Markets Act]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Weatherbed | first=Jess | title=iOS 17.4 is here and ready for a whole new Europe | website=The Verge | date=March 5, 2024 | url=https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/5/24090161/ios-17-4-update-released-dma-eu-third-party-app-store-nfc-payments | access-date=March 6, 2024 | archive-date=March 6, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240306034235/https://www.theverge.com/2024/3/5/24090161/ios-17-4-update-released-dma-eu-third-party-app-store-nfc-payments | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Clover | first=Juli | title=Apple Releases iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4 With EU App Changes, New Emoji, Podcast Transcripts and More | website=MacRumors | date=March 5, 2024 | url=https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/05/apple-releases-ios-17-4/ | access-date=March 6, 2024 | archive-date=March 5, 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240305212320/https://www.macrumors.com/2024/03/05/apple-releases-ios-17-4/ | url-status=live }}</ref> The expanded features include: installation of apps from alternative marketplaces, installation of web browsers with alternative engines, management of default web browser settings, utilization of alternative payment methods in the app store.

To prevent non-EU users from accessing the additional features introduced in iOS 17.4, Apple has put in place measures which include: requiring a user's Apple ID region to be set to one of the EU's 27 member states, and performing routine on-device geolocation checks to ensure a user is physically present within the EU's borders. Users who travel out of the EU can continue accessing alternative app marketplaces for a grace period of 30 days. Users who are away from the EU for too long would lose access to these features; they can continue using previously installed apps but are unable to update or install apps from 3rd party app stores.<ref>{{citation|url=https://support.apple.com/en-us/118110|title=About alternative app marketplaces in the European Union - Apple Support}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=https://superchargednews.com/2024/03/05/ios-17-4-dma-geolocation-restricts/|title=Apple details how it&#039;s preventing non-EU users from accessing iOS 17.4&#039;s expanded app ecosystem - Supercharged|date=5 March 2024 }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[CIC (Nintendo)|CIC]] (10NES)
* [[Fan translation]]
* [[Geo-blocking]]
* [[Modchip]]
* [[Modchip]]
* [[NTSC-C]]
* [[NTSC-J]]
* [[NTSC]]
* [[PAL]]
* [[Parallel import]]
* [[Parallel import]]
* [[Parallel importing in video games]]
* [[Trusted Platform Module]]
* [[Vendor lock-in]]


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}
<div class="references-big">

*{{cite web
*
| last = hishmat

| first =-ga
[[Category:Criticism of intellectual property]]
| authorlink =
[[Category:Compact Disc and DVD copy protection]]
| coauthors =
[[Category:Digital rights management]]
| date =
[[Category:DVD]]
| year =
[[Category:Hardware restrictions]]
| month =
| url = http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=765849
| title = how can i legally defeat regional lockout?
| format =
| work =
| pages =
| publisher = Google
| language = English
| accessdate = 2007-05-18
| curly =
}}
<references />
<div class="references-big">
*{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| date =
| year =
| month =
| url = http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:regional+code&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
| title = Definitions of regional code on the Web
| format =
| work =
| pages =
| publisher = Dvd-makers
| language = English
| accessdate = 2007-05-18
| curly =
}}
<references />
<div class="references-big">
*{{cite web
| last =
| first =
| authorlink =
| coauthors =
| date =
| year =
| month =
| url = http://www.dvd-makers.com/public/469.cfm
| title = DVD Terms: RAM -- R-Y
| format =
| work =
| pages =
| publisher = Autery New Media
| language = English
| accessdate = 2007-05-18
| curly =
}}
<references />
[[Category:Video game development]]
[[Category:Video game development]]
[[Category:DVD]]
[[Category:Market segmentation]]
[[Category:Digital Rights Management]]

[[da:Kodefri]]

Latest revision as of 10:01, 17 December 2024

A regional lockout (or region coding) is a class of digital rights management preventing the use of a certain product or service, such as multimedia or a hardware device, outside a certain region or territory. A regional lockout may be enforced through physical means, through technological means such as detecting the user's IP address or using an identifying code, or through unintentional means introduced by devices only supporting certain regional technologies (such as video formats, i.e., NTSC and PAL).

A regional lockout may be enforced for several reasons, such as to stagger the release of a certain product, to avoid losing sales to the product's foreign publisher,[1] to maximize the product's impact in a certain region through localization,[1] to hinder grey market imports by enforcing price discrimination, or to prevent users from accessing certain content in their territory because of legal reasons (either due to censorship laws, or because a distributor does not have the rights to certain intellectual property outside their specified region).

Multimedia

[edit]

Disc regions

[edit]

The DVD, Blu-ray Disc, and UMD media formats all support the use of region coding; DVDs use eight region codes (Region 7 is reserved for future use; Region 8 is used for "international venues", such as airplanes and cruise ships), and Blu-ray Discs use three region codes corresponding to different areas of the world. Most Blu-rays, however, are region-free. Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are also region-free.[2]

On computers, the DVD region can usually be changed five times. Windows uses three region counters: its own one, the one of the DVD drive, and the one of the player software (occasionally, the player software has no region counter of its own, but uses that of Windows). After the fifth region change, the system is locked to that region. In modern DVD drives (type RPC-2), the region lock is saved to its hardware, so that even reinstalling Windows or using the drive with a different computer will not unlock the drive again.

Unlike DVD regions, Blu-ray regions are verified only by the player software, not by the computer system or the drive. The region code is stored in a file or the registry, and there are hacks to reset the region counter of the player software. In stand-alone players, the region code is part of the firmware.

For bypassing region codes, there are software and multi-regional players available.

A new form of Blu-ray region coding tests not only the region of the player/player software, but also its country code, repurposing a user setting intended for localization (PSR19) as a new form of regional lockout. This means, for example, while both the US and Japan are Region A, some American discs will not play on devices/software configured for Japan or vice versa, since the two countries have different country codes. (For example, the United States is "US" (21843 or hex 0x5553), Japan is "JP" (19024 or hex 0x4a50), and Canada is "CA" (17217 or hex 0x4341).) Although there are only three Blu-ray regions, the country code allows much more precise control of the regional distribution of Blu-ray Discs than the six (or eight) DVD regions.

Since Blu-ray discs are cheaper in America than in Japan, American releases of Japanese anime series are often protected in that way to prevent reversal importations. Some discs check whether the country code is US or Canada (sometimes also Mexico) and play only in these countries, others allow all country codes (even those of non-Region-A countries) except the Japanese.

AnyDVD HD (7.5.9.0 and higher) has an option to enforce the US country code. The software developers say users can also change the country code to enforce in the registry value "bdCountryCode" themselves or set "no country code" by using the value 4294967295 or hex 0xFFFFFFFF. (Before the change of the value, AnyDVD must be closed, and after changing, it must be restarted.)

Some stand-alone Blu-ray players and player programs allow to change the country code (e.g. via the parental lock) and can bypass this protection like that.

Software

[edit]

Some features of certain programs are/were disabled if the software is/was installed on a computer in a certain region.

In older versions of the copy software CloneCD, the features "Amplify Weak Sectors", "Protected PC Games," and "Hide CDR Media" were disabled in the United States and Japan. Changing the region and language settings in Windows (e.g., to Canadian English) or patches could unlock these features in the two countries. SlySoft decided to leave these options disabled for the US for legal reasons, but, strangely enough, in the program "AnyDVD", which is also illegal according to US law, no features were disabled. The current version of CloneCD (5.3.1.4) is not region-restricted anymore.

The newer versions of the copy software DVDFab [de] (9.1.5.0 and higher) come in a US version (with no Blu-ray-ripping feature), which is downloaded if the homepage dvdfab.cn identifies a US IP address, and a non-US version (with working Blu-ray-ripping feature). Some webpages allow the download of the non-US version also from the US (they store the non-US version directly and do not use download links to the developer's homepage).

The software CCleaner v5.45.6611 has an added check to prevent the use in embargoed countries.

Some programs (e.g., games) are distributed in different versions for NTSC and PAL computers. In some cases, to avoid grey market imports or international software piracy, they are designed not to run on a computer with the wrong TV system. Other programs can run on computers with both TV systems.

Kaspersky Lab sells its anti-virus products at different prices in different regions and uses regionalized activation codes. A program bought in a country of a region can be activated in another country of the same region. Once activated, the software can also be used in and download updates from other regions as long as the license is valid. Problems may arise when the license must be renewed, or if the software must be reinstalled, in a region other than the one where it was bought. The region is identified by the IP address (there is no activation possible without Internet connection), so the use of VPN or a proxy is recommended to circumvent the restriction.

The Kaspersky regions are:

  • Region 1: Canada, United States, Mexico, and Bermuda
  • Region 2: Western Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, Egypt, and Japan
  • Region 3: Southeast Asia
  • Region 4: Central America, South America (excluding French Guiana), and Oceania; Mexico uses software that uses flags for both regions 1 and 4
  • Region 5: Africa, India, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (also includes Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Serbia)
  • Region 6: Mainland China
  • Region 7: Elsewhere
  • Region 8: Special international area (airplane, steamer, etc.)

The desktop versions of HP Pavilion and Compaq Presario are region-locked, according the build is 91UKV6PRA1, for the A6740uk released in 2009. WildTangent EMEA, Magic Desktop will not work on models in the US.

The HP FlexBuild regions are:

  • USA: United States
  • JAP: Japan
  • KOR: Korean
  • EMEA: Middle East
  • TOUCH: Designed for HP Touchsmart only

Websites

[edit]

On the internet, geo-blocking is used primarily to control access to online media content that is only licensed for playback in a certain region due to territorial licensing arrangements.[3]

Video games

[edit]

Regional lockouts in video games have been achieved by several methods, such as hardware/software authentication, slot pin-out change, differences in cartridge cases, IP blocking and online software patching. Most console video games have region encoding.

The main regions are:

Atari

[edit]

The Atari 2600 does not have regional locking; however, NTSC games can display wrong colors, slow speed and sound on PAL systems, and vice versa.

Atari 7800 has regional locking on NTSC systems, making PAL games unplayable on them. However, the PAL versions of the Atari 7800 can run NTSC games, but still suffering from the same problems the Atari 2600 had.

The Atari 5200, Lynx and Jaguar are region-free.

Nintendo

[edit]

Nintendo was the first console maker to introduce regional locks to its consoles, using them for every one of its home consoles except for the Nintendo Switch.[4] Nintendo has mostly abstained from using them for its handheld consoles.

Games for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) were locked through both physical and technical means; the design of cartridges for the NES differed between Japan and other markets, using a different number of pins. As the Famicom (the Japanese model) used slightly smaller cartridges, Japanese games could not fit into NES consoles without an adapter (and even with that, they could still not use the extra sound functionalities of the Famicom due to their differing hardware). Official adapters existed inside early copies of Gyromite; other Famicom games could be played by disassembling the cartridge and then swapping out the original board of the game with a different Famicom game's board.

Additionally, the NES also contained the 10NES authentication chip; the chip was coded for one of four regions:

A game's region is recognized by the console using the 10NES chip. If the chip inside the cartridge conflicts with the chip inside the console, the game will not boot. The 10NES chip also doubled as a form of digital rights management to prevent loading unlicensed or bootleg games. The redesigned Nintendo Entertainment System (Model NES-101) released in 1993/1994 lacks the 10NES chip, and can play PAL and unlicensed games, although Famicom games still need a converter. The Famicom does not include a 10NES chip, but is still unable to play imports unless an adapter is used, due to the different size of the media.

A photo showing the bottom ends of a PAL SNES / Japanese SFC cartridge and a North American SNES cartridge.
Cases for SFC games in Japan and PAL regions (top) and North American (bottom) regions. Notice the slots in the bottom cartridge to accommodate for plastic tabs in the North American console.

The American Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and the Super Famicom use differences in cartridge cases. A Super NES cartridge will not fit in a Super Famicom/PAL SNES slot due to its different shape and two pieces of plastic in the SNES slot prevent Super Famicom cartridges from being inserted in the SNES. PAL SNES carts can be fully inserted in Japanese consoles, but a similar chip to the 10NES, called the CIC, prevents PAL games from being played in NTSC consoles and vice versa. While physical modification of the cases (either console or cartridges) is needed to play games from the different regions, in order to play games of different TV systems, a hardware modification is also needed. Region locks could be bypassed using special unlicensed cartridge adapters such as Game Genie. The swapping of cartridge shells also bypasses the physical regional lockout.

The Nintendo 64 features similar lockout methods as the Super NES. The GameCube and Wii are both region-locked, as well as the Wii Shop Channel. On the Wii, channels from other regions will refuse to load with the message "This channel can't be used." The coded regions are:

  • NTSC-U (The Americas and Asia)
  • PAL (Europe and Oceania)
  • NTSC-J (Japan)
  • NTSC-K (South Korea)

The GameCube and Wii's regional lockout can be bypassed either by console modification or simply by third-party software. Datel's FreeLoader or Action Replay discs are most notable.

The Wii U is also region-locked,[5] as well as its Gamepads.[6]

The Nintendo Switch is region-free, therefore allowing games from any region to be played, whether through physical cartridges or digital downloads. For instance, games from the Nintendo eShop can be purchased and downloaded regardless of region.[7]

These regions are:

Nintendo Switch regions (affects in-game measurement systems, language, region-specific content, save games, DLCs)[8]
Region Code Country Notes
JPN Japan Japanese-based games and systems are usually released in JPN region first.
USA The Americas (North/South America) American-based games are usually released in USA region first, while Japanese-based games and systems are usually released in USA region second.
EUR Europe Games and systems usually launch in EUR region third.
AUS Oceania (Australia/New Zealand) Many games released in Australia/New Zealand actually share the same version as the EUR region. However, a minority of games released in Australia/New Zealand have a different version from the European release, due to censorship and content edits.
Games from AUS region will work in European systems and vice versa.
ASI, CHT, KOR Asia (China/Hong Kong/Taiwan/South Korea) Applicable for Versions 8.0.0 and later. This region is less common in terms of number of titles, compared to JPN/USA/EUR.
Similar to AUS region, games with ASI region have a different version due to censorship, content edits, or regional language differences.

Before version 8.0.0, most Asian countries belonged to the Americas, just like with the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.

The only exception to this is the Chinese version of the Nintendo Switch distributed by Tencent in mainland China. This version of the console can still play cartridge-based games from any region; however, they can only connect to Chinese servers. Thus, it cannot access any game updates, DLC or online modes from games in other regions, or download said games digitally. Conversely, all other versions of the Nintendo Switch are unable to play cartridge-based games made by Tencent specifically for the Chinese Nintendo Switch.[9]

All Nintendo handheld consoles except both Nintendo DSi models and the Nintendo 3DS are fully region-free.[10] In the case of the former, only the physical and digital games that cannot be played on earlier DS models are region-locked. The latter's region lock strictly applies to all software designed for it, with the only exception being the application Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre,[11] which by itself, is not a game, but an application that serves as a guide for visitors of the Louvre Museum. Similar to the Wii, the 3DS's regional lockout can be bypassed by third-party software or custom firmware such as Luma3DS.

Sony

[edit]

The PlayStation and PlayStation 2 are region-locked into three regions: NTSC U/C, NTSC-J, and PAL. However, it is possible to disable region locking on said systems via a modchip or performing a disk-swap when the console starts. In the case of the PlayStation 2, a Swap Magic disc can be used to bypass regional locks.[12] DVD movies on the PlayStation 2 are also region-locked.

All PlayStation 3 games except for Persona 4 Arena and Way of the Samurai 3 are region free.[13][14] Although publishers could choose to region-lock specific games based on a mechanism that allows for the game to query the model of the PS3, none did so during the first three years after the PS3's launch.[15] In the case of Persona 4 Arena;[16] publisher Atlus declined to reverse its decision despite substantial outcry by some of their fanbase.[17] The decision was made to avoid excessive importing, because all versions of the game share the same features and language support, but have differing price points and release dates in each region.[17] They did, however, decide not to apply region-locking to its sequel (Persona 4 Arena Ultimax).[18] Region locking is present for backwards-compatible PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games, as well as DVD and Blu-ray movies. Additionally, some games separate online players per region, such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

The PlayStation Store only contains content for its own country. For example, the EU store will not supply usable map packs for an imported US copy of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. In addition, downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 systems is region-matched with the game itself. For example, DLC from the US PlayStation Store must be used in conjunction with a US-region game. More specifically, the PS3's file system includes region-of-origin, so DLC cannot be shared between different region games much like save files cannot. Also, the PSN Store is tied to each user's PSN account, and payment methods for PSN is also region-locked. For example, a user with a Japanese PSN account will only be able to access the Japanese PSN store despite owning a US PS3, and can only pay for a game with a Japanese PSN gift card or Japanese credit card. However, with a few rare exceptions, notably Joysound Dive,[19] downloaded content from each PSN store are also region free, as are PSOne and PS2 classics offered on the store.

The regions include:[20][21][22]

PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4 regions for physical discs & DLC
Region Code Region Country categorisation[23] Rating SKU Title ID
R1 America (both North and South)

(categorised under SIEA: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guina, Guam, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States, Uruguay)

ESRB Number only
CUSA + number
R2 Europe

Australia / New Zealand (for titles that share the same version/compatibility as the Europe release)

Japan (special R2, not compatible with Europe DLCs)

(categorised under SIEE: Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Ukraine)

(categorised under SIEJ: Japan)

PEGI, USK, CERO CUSA + number
R3 Asia (except Japan and South Korea)

South Korea (special R3)

(categorised under SIE Asia: Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Lao People's Demoncratic Republic, Macau, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam)

(categorised under SIEK: South Korea)

TESRI, GRAC PLAS + number
PCAS + number
R4 Australia / New Zealand (for specific titles with censorship/content edits) (categorised under SIEE) ACB CUSA + number

Although PlayStation Portable has no region locking for UMD games,[24] UMD movies are locked by region.[25] However, Sony has confirmed that it is possible to implement region-locking on the PSP, and the firmware will disable features based on region. For example, Asian region PSPs will not display the "Extras" option on the XMB despite having been upgraded to the US version of Firmware 6.20, preventing owners of such PSPs from installing the Comic Book Viewer and the TV Streaming applications. As the applications are installed through a PC, and users from the region are not blocked from downloading them, it is possible to install them on non-Asian PSPs that have been imported into the region.

While PlayStation Vita games had the potential to be region-locked, all games released for the system are region-free.

Like with the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 are not region-locked, although it is still possible to develop region-locked games. Sony's official stance is that they discourage developers from region-locking and will only relent in special cases (as with the PS3 Persona 4 Arena).[26][27] However, as with the PlayStation 3, digital content such as downloadable content for games still requires a PSN account from the region the content was made for. That said, PSN accounts themselves are not region-locked and an account for one region can be made on a console from another one.[28]

PlayStation 5 game discs no longer have region codes. The region variant of a game can be identified by the rating label and SKU ID on the spine of the disc case.[29][30]

PlayStation 5 regions for physical discs & DLC
Region Country categorisation[21] Rating SKU Title ID
America (both North and South) Categorised under SIEA ESRB (US), DJCTQ (Brazil) Number only
Digital titles only use PPSA, regardless of region.
Europe (includes Australia) Categorised under SIEE PEGI (most European countries), USK (Germany), ACB (Australia) PPSA + number
Asia (except Japan and South Korea) Categorised under SIE Asia TESRI (Taiwan, Hong Kong) ECAS + number
ELAS + number
Japan Categorised under SIEJ CERO ELJM + number
South Korea Categorised under SIEK GRAC ELAS + number

Sega

[edit]

The SG-1000 does not have region lockout between Japanese and Australian systems, the same applies with SC-3000 games on cartridge and cassettes, as well SF-7000 disks.

Western Sega Master Systems have a different shape from the Japanese cartridge connector, meaning Sega Mark III and SG-1000 games are incompatible with it. A BIOS included prevents Japanese cartridges (both Mark III and SG-1000) to be used on Western systems, even with adapters. The Sega Card slot on these systems has the same pinout from its Japanese counterpart, but they cannot run Japanese and SG-1000 cards due to lack of a certain code in the ROM header. This can be circumvented by removing the BIOS IC from it. However, some European-only games such as Back to the Future Part III will refuse to boot on NTSC systems. Japanese games can be run on Power Base Converter with use of adapters, but it will not run SG-1000 games, regardless of region.

A screenshot of an error screen with the message "DEVELOPED FOR USE ONLY WITH NTSC GENESIS SYSTEMS."
Error screen indicating that a region-locked Sega Genesis game is incompatible with European or Japanese Mega Drive consoles

Japanese Sega Mega Drive cartridges have a different shape and will not fit in the Genesis or PAL Mega Drive slot, which have the same shape (although the Genesis 3 in the US will accept Japanese titles due to its wider slot.) Japanese Mega Drive systems have a piece of plastic that slides in a place of the cartridge when the power switch is turned on, thus, inserting an American or European cart will make it impossible to use on a Japanese Mega Drive (though minor modifications to the plastic locks in the systems will bypass this). The console's main board, however, was designed with language and frequency jumper sets which originally activated features in the same ROM for different regions. This feature was later used to enable software-based regional locks that display warning messages that prevent the game from being played. Switches, instead of the jumpers, were used to bypass the locks. In region-locked games, if there is a multiple language feature, it can be changed with the switches after the game has booted-up (as with the case of Cyber Brawl/Cosmic Carnage for the Super 32X). Despite the console itself being region-locked, most of the games, especially ones made by Sega, were region-free and could be played on any region, unless the cartridge doesn't fit the console.

The Game Gear is region free, and some games have a dual-language feature depending on which region of the system is used. Puyo Puyo (game title changes to Puzlow Kids on Western systems) and Donald no Magical World (title changes to Ronald McDonald in Magical World in Western systems), are both Japan-exclusive games, but if run on Western units, they will be fully translated.

Sega CD/Mega-CD games are region-locked. The region can be changed when making CD-R copies; however, this method is not completely foolproof (e.g., Sengoku Denshou in American consoles will freeze on the Sega license screen with a region-swapped CD-R copy). Furthermore, third party accessories exist that can bypass the regional-lockouts of Sega Mega-CD games, inserted into the main console's cartridge slot. Flashcarts such as the Everdrive can also be used to boot any regional Mega-CD BIOS from the SD card.[31] Different region Mega-CD consoles will also work with different region Mega Drive/Genesis systems; however, they often carry the risk of damaging the add-on if the proper voltage converters are not used. The power voltages for the add-on will vary depending on the region, therefore requiring voltage converters to prevent damage to the add-on. For instance, the Japanese Mega-CD will work in the Genesis; however, it does not use the same AC voltage as the Genesis or the American Sega CD. Likewise, the European Mega-CD will work on a Japanese Mega Drive or Genesis, but the differences in AC voltage are more staggering compared to a Japanese Mega-CD in a Genesis. In such cases, using a step-up (or step-down) converter is recommended.

Most American Sega Saturn discs can be played in Japanese consoles, but most Japanese games are locked for American and European consoles. Like in the Mega Drive/Genesis, the use of a switch will circumvent the region-lock but won't change the language. In addition, the use of certain unlicensed backup/RAM cartridges will also allow a console to play games from different regions, except for games that use proprietary ROM-RAM carts. Games from different television systems may have graphical problems.

Dreamcast GD-ROM discs are region-locked; however, this could be circumvented with the use of boot discs. MIL-CDs and backup CDs are region-free.

Microsoft

[edit]

The Xbox and the Xbox 360 are region-locked, but some games are region-free and will play in any region. Digital content through Xbox Live on the Xbox 360 and original Xbox are also region-locked, such as DLC, movies, and apps.

The Xbox One was initially planned to have a region blocking policy that would have prevented its use outside its region in an effort to curb parallel importing. Microsoft later reversed the policy and the final retail version of the console was not region-locked.[32] It was reported, though, that the console would be region-locked in China;[33] however, this decision has since been reverted as of April 2015.[34][35]

The Xbox Series X is region-free.

Other

[edit]

The Philips CD-i and the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer are region-free. Japanese 3DO units, however, have a kanji font in ROM, which is required by a few games. When such games can't find the font, they can get locked or rendered unplayable.

The Neo Geo, Neo Geo CD, and Neo Geo Pocket line are also region-free.

Amongst PC games, regional lockout is more difficult to enforce because both the game application and the operating system can be easily modified. Subscription-based online games often enforce a regional lock by blocking IP addresses (which can often be circumvented through an open proxy) or by requiring the user to enter a national ID number (which may be impossible to verify). A number of other games using regional lockout are rare but do exist. One of the examples of this is the Windows version of The Orange Box, which uses Steam to enforce the regional lockout.[36] Steam also enforces a form of regional lockout in adherence to German law by offering to German users special versions of some games with banned content – most notably swastikas  – replaced.[37] Steam is also used to restrict the release of the PC port of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance to US and Europe only due to Sony having an exclusivity deal with Konami in Asia, and to restrict the Asian release of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy to Japanese-only versions of the games. Besides the law and licensing issues, there is also a financial reason for Steam to region lock their games, since in Russia and other CIS countries prices of games on Steam are much lower than in the EU or North America.[38]

Printers

[edit]

Hewlett-Packard printer cartridges have been regionalised since 2004.[39] Thus, they do not work in printers with a different region code, unless the user calls technical support for the device to be reassigned to the appropriate region.[40]

HP printers have four regions:

  1. Americas, Greenland, Australia, New Zealand, Koreas, Mongolia, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, East Asia
  2. Western Europe, Turkey
  3. CIS, Africa, Near East, Japan
  4. China (except Hong Kong), Taiwan and India

The region can be changed three times; then, the printer will be locked to a region.

Lexmark printers use different region-coding systems:

a) e.g. OfficeEdge Pro4000, OfficeEdge Pro4000c, OfficeEdge Pro5500, OfficeEdge Pro5500t, CS310, CS410 Color Laser Printer

  1. Americas
  2. Greenland, EU, EFTA
  3. (in CS310, CS410 Color Laser Printer called Region 8): Former Yugoslavian states, except for EU members Croatia and Slovenia, and rest of world (East Europe, Africa, Near East, Asia, Australia)

b) e.g. MS710, MS810 Monochrome Laser Printer

  1. USA, Canada
  2. Greenland, EU, EFTA
  3. Asia, Australia, New Zealand
  4. Central and South America
  5. Former Yugoslavian states (except Croatia and Slovenia), Eastern Europe, Turkey, Near East, Africa

Canon print cartridges for the Pixma MP 480 will not work in printers of that type with a different region code either (even when listed on the packaging of the Canon printer cartridges in question).

Epson ink cartridges are also use region-coded.

Xerox also uses region codes. Their printers are shipped with neutral "factory" ink sticks with no region coding. Upon the installation of the first new ink stick after these factory sticks, the machine will set a region code based on the installed ink stick and will only accept ink stick for that region from that point forward. "Officially, " only three starter ink sticks per color can be used; then, the printer will no longer accept them and will want region-coded ink sticks to be inserted, but there are workarounds for that problem.

Common region settings are:

  • NA (North America)
  • Metered-NA
  • DMO (developing markets, such as Asia and South America)
  • XE (Europe).

Circumvention

[edit]

One method to bypass printer-region-coding is to store empty cartridges from the old region and refill them with the ink of cartridges from the new region, but many modern ink cartridges have chips and sensors to prevent refilling, which makes the process more difficult. On the Internet, one can find refilling instructions for various cartridge models. Another method is have ink cartridges from the old region shipped to the new region.

Some manufacturers of regionalized printers also offer region-free printers specially designed for travelers.

Smartphones, tablets, and computers

[edit]

Samsung devices

[edit]

Starting from the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Samsung phones and tablets contained a warning label stating that it would only operate with SIM cards from the region the phone was sold in. A spokesperson clarified the policy, stating that it was intended to prevent grey-market reselling, and that it only applied to the first SIM card inserted.[41] For devices to use a SIM card from other regions, one of the following actions totaling five minutes or longer in length must first be performed with the SIM card from the local region:

  • Make calls on the phone or watch from the Samsung Phone app
  • Use the Call and Text on Other Devices feature to make calls

Changes for 2017

[edit]

Samsung has changed the region locking policy completely since it was first introduced in 2013. Previously, the CSC was generally decided based on which region the phone was meant for, and it could be changed by user input. The SIM card now plays a central role in deciding what CSC is active.[42]

South Korea, US, Canada, and China
[edit]

If the phone/tablet was purchased in any of these countries and the SIM card is from a different region, they cannot be used together. Although the restriction can be removed after using a local SIM card to make a call for at least 5 minutes, it only removes the restrictions for that particular country. Furthermore, the device may not work properly in some circumstances, such as Samsung Pay. An unlocked device purchased in these above markets can only work on other service providers within the same market where the device was purchased from, and so on, despite having the bands to work on other networks. For example, if one buys an XAA/OYM device in the United States but one is now living in China and using a Chinese SIM, the active CSC will not be changed to CHC/OYM, because the firmware does not include CHC in the multi-CSC file. As a result, the new SIM card cannot be used in a device made for another market.

Phones
[edit]
  • N: South Korea
  • U/U1: United States of America
  • W: Canada
  • 0: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao
Tablets
[edit]
  • N: South Korea
  • U/U1: United States
  • W: Canada
  • C: China mainland
All other regions
[edit]

The same rules still apply as usual; however, not all the countries will be unlocked for use. For example, if one buys a DBT/OXM device in Germany but one is now living in Portugal and using a Portuguese SIM, the active CSC is potentially TPH/OXM, which makes the new SIM card usable in the new region.

Phones
[edit]
  • E: Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East & North Africa, India, Asia Pacific
  • B: Europe & CIS
Tablets
[edit]

All countries except for South Korea, USA, Canada, and mainland China fall in the B section.

Country Specific Codes (CSCs) for Samsung devices

[edit]
Wi-Fi only devices
[edit]

As of 2022, Samsung has simplified most CSCs into a larger one. Assume that all service providers are supported for each region. For example, if one buys an XAR/OXM tablet in the United States but one is now living in Taiwan and using a Chinese phone with a Taiwanese SIM card paired to an XAR tablet, the active CSC on both devices is potentially BRI/OXM, which makes the paired phone usable in the new region. However, if the SIM card is from mainland China, it cannot be paired with the tablet, since mainland China (CHN) is not part of the OXM multi-CSC file.

OXM
[edit]

With the release of the Galaxy Tab S8 series, Southeast Asia is now Asia Pacific (APAC does not include Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan or China (Mainland China and Hong Kong)).

  • KOO: South Korea
  • XAR: North America (USA)
  • XAC: North America (Canada)
  • MXO: Latin America (Mexico)
  • ZBR: Latin America (Other)
  • EUX: Europe (1)
  • EUY: Europe (2)
  • SER: CIS (Russia)
  • SEK: CIS (Ukraine)
  • CAU: CIS (Caucasus)
  • ILO: Middle East (Israel)
  • TUR: Middle East (Turkey)
  • XSG: Middle East (Other, formerly UAE)
  • INU: India
  • XSP: Asia Pacific (formerly Singapore/Southeast Asia)
  • BRI: Taiwan
Cellular devices
[edit]
  • OKR: South Korea (cellular devices only)
  • OYM/OYN: United States (cellular devices only)
  • OYA/OYV: Canada (cellular devices only)
  • OWB/OWO/OWE: Latin America and the Caribbean (some devices)
  • OJM: Middle East (including Israel) and Africa (some devices)
  • ODM/ODI: India/South Asia (some devices)
  • OLM/OLN/OLO: Southeast Asia (excluding Indonesia) and Oceania (some devices)
  • OLE/OLP: Indonesia (all devices, except smartwatches)
  • OXE: Post-Soviet states (some devices)
  • CHN/CHC: Mainland China (all devices)
  • OZS: Taiwan and Hong Kong (smartphones only)
  • XJP/SJP: Japan (some devices)
  • OXM: Europe/All other countries (including US/Canada/South Korea/Hong Kong/Taiwan Wi-Fi only devices, as well as Hong Kong/Taiwan cellular tablets)

As of the Galaxy Tab S6, Wi-Fi only devices are no longer region locked, and the Call and Text on Other Devices features on those devices can work on SIM cards from most regions (excluding mainland China and Indonesia). All regions (except for mainland China and Indonesia) share the same CSC in their firmware version.

Starting with Windows Phone 7 for mobile devices[43] and Windows 8 for computers, not all display languages are preinstalled/available for download on all devices with an OEM license of Windows. Users may not see all the display languages listed as options on the device or as options available for download as separate language packs. These exact options depend on the device manufacturer and country/region of purchase (and the mobile operator, if the device features cellular connectivity). Microsoft believes region locking is necessary because these display languages (which contains additional features like text suggestions, speech languages, and supplementary fonts) can take up a significant amount of storage, which leaves less space for data and media and impacts device performance. For cellular-connected devices, some mobile operators may choose not to support particular languages. For example, a wireless carrier in North America may not feel comfortable supporting European languages.

Google Play store

[edit]

Starting from June 2021, Google began enforcing region-locking by preventing users from redeeming Google Play gift cards of other countries, despite user attempts to alter location with usage of VPNs. Detection is based on location history tracking and device fingerprint activity data associated with a user's Google account usage history.[44][45]

Apple devices

[edit]

There are provisions in place to restrict iOS features in specific locations, which include both hard-coding techniques (e.g. device model variants for different countries) and soft-coding techniques. For example, FaceTime is not available in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia due to government restrictions on VoIP services.[46]

An inspection of iOS 16.2's code showed a new system internally called "countryd" was added to precisely determine the user's location, to enforce restrictions determined by government regulators. The system gathers multiple data sources, such as: current GPS location, country code from the Wi-Fi router, and information obtained from the SIM card to determine the user's current country.[47]

Exclusive features for the European Union

[edit]

In March 2024, Apple released iOS 17.4, introducing a distinct set of additional features for the European Union residents to comply with the Digital Markets Act.[48][49] The expanded features include: installation of apps from alternative marketplaces, installation of web browsers with alternative engines, management of default web browser settings, utilization of alternative payment methods in the app store.

To prevent non-EU users from accessing the additional features introduced in iOS 17.4, Apple has put in place measures which include: requiring a user's Apple ID region to be set to one of the EU's 27 member states, and performing routine on-device geolocation checks to ensure a user is physically present within the EU's borders. Users who travel out of the EU can continue accessing alternative app marketplaces for a grace period of 30 days. Users who are away from the EU for too long would lose access to these features; they can continue using previously installed apps but are unable to update or install apps from 3rd party app stores.[50][51]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Letters". Next Generation. No. 29. Imagine Media. May 1997. p. 166.
  2. ^ "Are Blu-ray/ Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs region coded? | Sony UK". www.sony.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-27.
  3. ^ "Netflix VPN access locked down for overseas users". CNET. Archived from the original on 18 April 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  4. ^ "Nintendo Switch Will Be Region Free - IGN". 2017-01-12. Archived from the original on 2017-01-13. Retrieved 2017-01-13.
  5. ^ "Wii U to be region-locked". 2012-09-24. Archived from the original on 2012-09-27. Retrieved 2012-09-24.
  6. ^ "Looks like Wii U GamePads are region-locked as well". 2012-12-25. Archived from the original on 2012-12-30. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
  7. ^ "How to buy Japanese games from the Nintendo Switch eShop - Polygon". Polygon. 2017-03-02. Archived from the original on 2017-03-27. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  8. ^ "Nintendo Switch - Understanding regions".
  9. ^ Ahmad, Daniel [@zhugeex] (2020-01-07). "PSA for Nintendo Switch owners: Game cartridges released for the Tencent Nintendo Switch will not work on global Nintendo Switch consoles. For example, NSMBU Deluxe will be published on Jan 15th by Tencent in China. This cartridge will ONLY work on the Tencent Nintendo Switch" (Tweet). Retrieved 2021-03-29 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ Craig Harris (2009-09-22). "Yes, DSi Carts are Region Locked". IGN. Fox Interactive Media. Archived from the original on 2010-12-12. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  11. ^ Wired, Nintendo 3DS Louvre guide escapes region locking Archived April 25, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ "Unlocking your PS2's Full Potential". 21 December 2013.
  13. ^ "Sony Execs Talk PS3". 2006-09-22. Archived from the original on 2008-12-08. Retrieved 2008-11-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  14. ^ "Playstation 3 will be region free". 2006-03-23. Archived from the original on 2011-05-29. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
  15. ^ "PlayStation 3 Secrets". edepot.com. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  16. ^ "Persona 4 Arena To Be First Ever Region-Locked PS3 Release". egmnow.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  17. ^ a b Fletcher, J. C. (2012-07-06). "Atlus explains Persona 4 Arena's region lock, expresses surprise at 'force' of community disapproval". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2018-04-15. Retrieved 2019-06-22.
  18. ^ "Persona 4 Arena Ultimax Will Not Be Region Locked for North and South America". 2014-07-10. Archived from the original on 2014-11-02. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
  19. ^ "The More You Know: PSN Content Can Be Region Locked - PSNStores". 2014-01-06. Archived from the original on 2013-10-16. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  20. ^ "Do Asia store DLCs usually work with the JP version of games? - PlayStation 3".
  21. ^ a b "PlayStation Games Region Guide – Mortal Kombat Games".
  22. ^ "What Region Is My PlayStation? – 2K Support".
  23. ^ "Supported Language Options in Hogwarts Legacy – Portkey Games".
  24. ^ "PSP: Region Free Games". 2004-10-27. Archived from the original on 2011-03-21. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
  25. ^ "Rumours of PSP region-locking are false - Sony". Eurogamer. 2005-04-27. Archived from the original on 2014-04-23. Retrieved 2014-03-08.
  26. ^ Smith, Mat (2013-06-11). "The PS4 won't be region-locked". Engadget. Archived from the original on 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
  27. ^ Peters, Jay (November 9, 2020). "Sony reveals PS5 games will be region free, and the console will support PS Now". The Verge. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  28. ^ "Is the playstation 4 region free or locked ?". 2014-08-31. Archived from the original on 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2015-03-10.
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