How to Play Region-Locked DVDs on PS4 & PS5 (2 Easy Ways)

What if you have a region-1 DVD that you bought in JFK airport during your business trip and your PS5 is a region-2 game console imported from Japan? You might want to play UK or Japan DVDs on a US PS4. You'll likely experience difficulty playing that DVD on your PS5. Why? PlayStation consoles can only play games and videos intended for the region where it was purchased. This is done to comply with copyright laws and prevent the importation of pirated content. Luckily, we can make our DVDs region-free for PS4 and PS5 within simple steps! Keep reading to know.

Note: If you own the PS5 Digital Edition, your console does not have a disc drive. Your only option to watch DVD content is to use a PC to digitize the disc (Method 2) and play it via a USB drive.

Is PS5 or PS4 Region Locked

The PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 are not region-locked. You can play physical game discs from different regions on your console. However, according to PlayStation's official disc compatibility guidelines, the PS4 and PS5 are not region-free for digital content, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Physical game discs: You can play physical game discs from any region.
• Digital games and add-ons are tied to the country/region of your PlayStation Network (PSN) account. So, if you plan to purchase add-on content, ensure the region of your physical game disc matches that of your PSN account.
• DVDs and Blu-ray discs are region-locked. You'll need to ensure your DVD matches the region code of your console.

Luckily, there are workarounds. For region-locked DVDs, you can change the DVD region (for a limited number of times) or use a dedicated DVD ripper, such as VideoProc Converter AI, to convert the DVD to a digital file compatible with your PS4 or PS5.

For games, ensure the region of your physical game disc matches that of your PSN account if you plan to purchase add-on content. We'll discuss this later in the further reading section.

How to Change DVD Region on PS4 or PS5

Important! Sony enforces a strict change region code limit on PS4 and PS5. You can only switch regions up to 4 times. After that, the drive permanently locks to the last selected region. It will be troublesome if the last one isn't the region that you are currently in, or if you have invested mostly in terms of DVD collections. For that reason, instead of changing the DVD region back and forth, a better solution is to unlock region lock to make all region-locked DVDs playable.

Follow the steps below to change DVD region on PlayStation.

1. Insert the disc into the disc slot.
2. Enable the disc playback feature over the Internet for the first time.
3. Select DVD from the content area, and the PS4 will prompt to change the DVD region code.
4. Click Next to select the DVD region code of the PS4.
5. Click Yes to confirm the region change.

The PS4 will highlight the selected area on the map as you scroll through the code. The table below shows the DVD region codes and their geographic scope.

Disclaimer: We do not advocate ripping copy-protected DVDs for commercial purpose. Please refer to the DVD copyright laws in your country before doing so.

Bypass PS4/PS5 DVD Region Locks via Digitization

If the changes permit, changing the DVD region code of your PS4 is undoubtedly the easiest way to play region-locked DVDs. However, if you have a big DVD collection or you've hit your limit, the safest way to bypass the PS4 and PS5 DVD region code is to create a digital copy of your disc. You can play your favorite movies anytime, anywhere on any device, without worrying about the limit on the number of times you can change regions.

VideoProc Converter AI features a dedicated DVD digitalizer for this. This program can convert your DVD into a high-quality region-free video file, allowing for hassle-free playback on your PlayStation and other devices. Check some of its highlight features:

• Decrypt ARccOS, REC, CSS, UOPs, and more DVD protection schemes
• Auto-digitalize your DVDs to any popular video/device format
• 5min to back up a full DVD; shrink DVD to 80%; 1:1 quality ratio
• Output profile for Sony TV/PSP/PS3/PS4/PS5, Microsoft Xbox One, etc
• All-in-one: DVD/video/audio conversion, compression, edits, downloads…
• New! AI upscale and remaster your DVDs to crispy 4K quality

Step 1. Enable the DVD Ripper

Insert your DVD into the DVD drive and launch VideoProc Converter AI until you see its main interface. Click DVD.

Step 2. Add Your Region Locked DVD

Hit the DVD disc button. Then, a new window will pop up to let you select the source DVD.

Step 3. Unlock the Region Lock

Click the Target Format at the bottom left corner, and go to Sony Device and select the target PlayStation model.

Step 4. Click RUN to start making DVD region-free for PS4 or PS5. When it's done, you can copy the digitized DVD content to a USB drive, and play the video via the PS4/PS5 Media Player.

• The USB drive must be formatted to exFAT or FAT32. NTFS will not work on PlayStation.
• The video file must be placed inside a folder (e.g., name the folder "VIDEO" or "Movies"). If the file is just sitting loose on the root of the USB drive, the PlayStation Media Player will not see it.

You might want to know: what's more VideoProc Converter AI can help

FAQs

Is the PlayStation region free for DVDs?

No, the PlayStation is not region-free for film DVDs. It is region-locked, meaning it can only play DVDs that match the console's region code. Unlike 4K UHD discs which are region-free, standard Blu-rays and DVDs are region-locked. However, your PS4 and PS5 are region-free for physical game discs.

Can PlayStation 5 play region 2 DVDs?

Yes. The PS5 can play Region 2 DVDs, provided your PS5 is configured for Region 2 or is region-free.

Can PS4 play region locked DVDs?

The PS4 is region-locked for DVDs, meaning that your PS4 purchased in one region will typically only play DVDs and Blu-rays from that same region. But you can bypass the region restrictions by changing the DVD region code of the PS4 or using a dedicated DVD ripper to convert it to a region-free digital format.

Can You Change the PSN Region on PS4 or PS5

No. You are not allowed to change the country/region once you have created your PSN account. But you can create a new PSN account if you want to access games or add-ons from a different region.

Further Reading: Games

While physical PS4 and PS5 game discs are completely region-free, digital games and downloadable content (DLC) are tied strictly to your PlayStation Network (PSN) account region.

If you purchase a physical game from a different region (e.g., an SCEA disc from the US played on an SCEE European account), the game will play perfectly fine. However, you will not be able to purchase or install any DLC for that game unless you create a secondary PSN account that matches the disc's region.

To check your PSN account region, simply open the PlayStation Store on your console, click the three-dot icon at the top, and select Storefront Country.

PlayStation Regions for Physical Discs & DLC

Below is a list of PlayStation regions for games and its add-on DLC. If your PSN account is tied to SCEA, you won't be able to access games and DLC limited to SCEJ, SCEK, SCEAsia, and SCEE.