PlayStation 4 is not just a gaming console, it is a multi media device than can play Blue-ray and DVDs. But is it really region free for Blu Rays? You’re about to find out.
Blue-ray and DVDs on PS4 are region locked in three different region codes,
| Region Code | Regions |
| Region A | North America, South America, U.S. Territories, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and other areas of Southeast Asia. |
| Region B | Europe, Africa, Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand. |
| Region C | Asia with the exception of Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and other areas of Southeast Asia. |
So if you have an American PS4, you will not be able to play a blu-ray from European region. But don’t worry! It’s not COMPLETELY impossible to do so. There are actually a few hacks that you can use to change the PS4 region and play your desired blu-rays on it.
Keep reading below to find out how you can change the region on your PS4 blu-ray player, what to do if your PS4 blue-ray is out of sync and why is Blue-ray region locked.
To fix your low PS4 blue-ray audio check out my article.
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How Do I Change the Region on My PS4 Blu Ray Player?
PS4 consoles are region-locked to the region of the PSN account. While you cannot change the PSN region of an existing account, you can create a new PSN account with a different region.
- Switch on your PS4 and select “New User” on the welcome screen.
- Select “Create a User” and click “Next” after accepting the User Agreement.
- On the “New to PlayStation Network” screen, create a new PSN account.
- Fill the information with an email address that is currently not associated with a PSN account.
- Select the region of the content of blu-ray that you want to play on PS4.
You can buy a special device that plays all blu-rays and DVDs regardless of their region. This would be your best bet as there is a 4 region limit on PS4 accounts after which it cannot be changed.
Sony BDP-S3700 Region Free Blu-ray Player is exactly what you need, get it for a bargain on Amazon here.
Want the fastest internet speed for your PS4? See my guide on how to set it up here.
PS4 Blu Ray Audio Out of Sync
- Ensure that your TV has the latest firmware installed.
- Ensure that the cables are properly connected to the TV and source device.
- Set the Game Mode setting on TV off when watching blu-rays.
- Manually change the Audio Delay or Audio/Video Sync setting on home theater (if available).
There are a number of reasons why the audio might be out of sync when playing blu-rays; there could be a poor cable connection with the disk, or there is an audio delay when you are using a home theater system with an optical cable. This can be resolved by adjusting the settings manually.
You can also try the following solutions if:
- You are using an Android TV.
- You are using a home theater system, a receiver or a Sound Bar to the HDMI IN (ARC) or HDMI IN (eARC/ARC) port of the TV.
Change Digital Audio Out to PCM
- On your TV’s remote control, press the Home button and select Settings.
- Next, depending on your TV options:
- Select Display & Sound > Audio output > Digital audio out > PCM.
- Select Bravia Settings > Digital audio out > PCM.
- Select Sound > Digital audio out > PCM.
Change A/V Sync Option to Auto/On
- On your TV’s remote control, press the Home button and select Settings.
- Next, depending on your TV options:
- Select Display & Sound > Audio output > A/V sync > Auto or On.
- Select Sound > A/V sync > Auto or On.
Change Pass Through Mode to Auto.
- On your TV’s remote control, press the Home button and select Settings.
- Select Display & Sound > Audio output > Pass through mode >. Auto
When setting TalkBack to On, set it to Off.
- On your TV’s remote control, press the Home button and select Settings.
- Select Device Preference > Accessibility > TalkBack > Off
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Why Are Blu Rays Region Locked?
Blu-rays are region locked to prevent the content from being used in a region where the copyright holders don’t receive any royalties from. Also to ensure that the content is used by the market it is meant for.
Copyright holders do this so that they can license their movies and shows in multiple regions to receive the most money from their digital property, if a movie is licensed is only licensed to Europe but it’s played in North America the copyright holders don’t get any money for this.
The rules are meant to reduce the importing of DVDs from one region to another.
Curious if the PS4 is a multi-region DVD player? See my article to know the answer.
