Xbox 360 and PS3 region lock

[TRI Mike]

I've got a doubt about the region lock issue with the Xbox 360 and PS3. I'm from Venezuela so I play on NTSC consoles and games just like the rest of the continent but I'm traveling to Spain tomorrow and plan on buying games. I know the DS and PSP give no problems at all (I have quite a few PSP PAL games) while the 3DS and Wii simply refuse to play european/japanese games on the american consoles.

But I'm not really sure about the Xbox and PS3. People generally say the PS3 is completely region free but I've heard of cases like MGS4 and Uncharted where the PAL version of those games do not work on the american PS3. Same with the Xbox 360. I've heard it's region locked but I have a friend who got Halo 3 and Reach in Portugal and he plays them both just fine in his NTSC console.

So, what's the issue here¿ Can I buy games for the console in Spain or not¿ I don't want to spend 100 euros on a couple of games only for them to not work once I get back home...

 

[grap3fruitman]

I know that 360 games can be region locked, it's up to the publisher to do so however. US games tend to be region free but Asian 360 games are usually region-locked. So the answer is that this is a case-by-case basis, you can find a list of games and their compatibility here: http://gaming.wikia.com/wiki/Region_Free_Xbox_360_Games

In regards to PS3, I don't know specifics. It might be a similar situation but I know that I have a JP Initial D game and it plays just fine on my US PS3s.

 

[TRI Mike]

Awesome, that's very helpful to have. I'm planning on buying a few single player games out there.

 

[d3v]

PS3 isn't region locked. The issues usually stem from trying to play PAL games on an NTSC TV via SD/Component video where you end up getting a black and white screen.

 

[ScattereDreams]

I've heard some PS3 games are region locked but, my NG3 is pal.

 

[TRI Mike]

I'm thinking about buying Rayman Origins, WRC2 and probably another game for the PS3. I'm not gonna take any chances with the 360.

What about the VITA¿ Is it region locked¿