PSVita likely to be region-free

Thu 09 Jun 2011 8:59am GMT / 4:59am EDT / 1:59am PDT
Hardware

Sony VP suggests no per-territory locking for new handheld

Sony

Sony Computer Entertainment

Sony Computer Entertainment is a Japanese videogame company specialising in a variety of areas in the...

playstation.com

The PlayStation Vita may be region free, a senior Sony executive has claimed.

Michael Denny, vice president of Sony Worldwide Studios, revealed to IGN that he was not aware of any region-locking technology for the new handheld's physical game format, NVG cards.

By contrast, Nintendo's 3DS is region-locked - only the second Nintendo handheld to do so, following the DSi. Sony's last handheld, the PSP, was essentially region-free too, as is the PS3 (although the option to use a hardware lock is present in the system).

However, Sony does employ regional restrictions for PSN purchases.

9 Comments

Richard Westmoreland
Game Desginer

Exient Ltd

Great news. Region locks should be resigned to the past.

Posted:A year ago

#1

Klaus Preisinger
Freelance Writing

What good is region free software if the PSN shop employs ip filters to split the online shop into many regions. Having region-free executables carries no meaning in a world where other means protect local differences in pricing structures. Dead Nation Germany anyone?

Posted:A year ago

#2

Tony Johns

I am glad that they are using some sort of NVG cards so I can at least buy the Japanese games though import via online stores.

At least that is some comforting news to my ears.

Or I hope there are those cards that can be sold in retail with the games on them.

Posted:A year ago

#3

Haven Tso
Web-based Game Reviewer

That's the way to do it. I hate it when companies can decide when we can play what when it is the customers who keep them in business

Posted:A year ago

#4

Mark Raymond
Gamer; Consumer; Blogger

Sony need every bullet point they can get their hands on to sell to a public who are losing interest in dedicated portable gaming devices.

Posted:A year ago

#5

Jamie Watson
Studying Bachelor of Games & Interactive Entertainment

Queensland University of Technology

this will be good if its true,i might pick one up and then be able to get cheap from UK imports...

WIN!

Posted:A year ago

#6

Rick Lopez
illustrator, designer, DJ

Please SONY... region free!!!

Posted:A year ago

#7

Nic Z
Director

Zimzala Studios

@Jamie - yep great for Aussie consumers who are always getting ripped off on prices. I'll only buy from UK or US now (1/2 price)

Posted:A year ago

#8

Tony Johns

@Nic Z

Don't forget Aussie gamers who not only miss out on allot of Japanese games, but also the Aussies who are adults who are sick and tired of the government not allowing us to have an R18+ rating for gaming.

I am not holding my breath on the AG's, so I am sure hoping that the federal home affairs minister will try to take the matter to the High Court of Australia so we can stand a chance against all those family groups and Australian Christian Lobby that are obviously sending inaccurate info to the AGs.

It makes their life hard as well as our lives hard knowing that we need ALL of those AGs to say yes just for us to play the games we want.

But to be truthful, the Classification Board can make their own decisions, we don't want them to be held hostage to a single AG who does not want us to be playing a game that is R18+.

We should have an independant system like the ESRB in America that is not controlled by the older generation of politicians who don't know how to turn on a game console.

Posted:A year ago

#9

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