From shimmering and embossed covers to boatloads of bonus features, it’s hard to beat the prestige of owning a physical Blu-ray copy of your favorite films – and that’s before considering the quality increase from DVD, too. While it might feel like all Blu-ray discs should play on all of the best Blu-ray players, there is one key aspect that can get in the way of your home cinema exploits, known as region locks. Certain Blu-ray region codes can stop you from playing certain Blu-rays depending on the specification of your machine. Not to worry, though, as we’ve collated all the important information you’ll need to enjoy the breadth and depth of your movie collection.
What Are Blu-Ray Region Codes?
Before purchasing a Blu-ray disc, it’s important to check that it will work with your chosen player. To find what particular regions are compatible with your player, be sure to check the hardware manual, as it tends to vary from machine to machine. As for the discs, they are split into four region codes:
- Region A – North America, South America, U.S. Territories, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and other areas of Southeast Asia
- Region B – Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Region C – Russia, China, India
- Region A, B, and C – Considered region-free, this includes all regions from A, B and C
To find the specific region for the Blu-ray disc, look at the back of the case or on the disc itself. However, if you’ve scanned the box and disc to no avail, it may be that the copy is ‘region-free,’ as those discs often don’t display any specific regional information.
Those looking to buy Ultra HD Blu-ray discs will be able to enjoy region-free encoding – so you’ll be able to watch them on any machine with Ultra Blu-ray capabilities. So, regardless of your PlayStation 5’s region, for example, you’ll be able to enjoy Oppenheimer in 4K.
How to Play Blu-ray Discs From Any Region
Say you’ve been on holiday and purchased a boatload of limited edition Blu-rays or just accidentally picked up the wrong region. Well, there is an answer for that, too. Not all players can facilitate multiple regions (take, for example, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5), but there are workarounds to consider.
When shopping for a player, be sure to look for the keywords ‘region free’ or ‘multi-region.' Similar to how Blu-rays are categorized as specific region or region-free discs, Blu-ray players follow the same rule. There are tons of options available online, such as the Sony BDPS1700B 2D. However, it’s important to differentiate between third-party and first-party devices to avoid any warranty-busting disappointment down the line.
Can You Change the Region on Your Blu-ray Player?
The ability to change the region on your Blu-ray player depends on the machine, so we recommend reading the manual to see if this is an option for your specific player. It’s also important to note that some machines that do allow you to change the region may only allow you to do so a finite number of times before becoming locked, so make sure you’re absolutely sure before making the switch. You can also potentially find details on the region-switching process via the manufacturer's help center – take, for example, this one from Dell.
Sarah Thwaites is a freelance tech and gaming writer at IGN, with bylines at GameInformer, TrustedReviews, NME and more.
