What is a region B Blu-ray?
As a hardcore gamer and home entertainment enthusiast, I often get asked what a "region B" Blu-ray disc is. With games, movies and devices coming from all over the world, Blu-ray regions can be confusing!
In this epic guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know as a gamer about playing region B Blu-rays on your consoles and 4K movie players.
So whether you‘re looking to access special collectors edition games or foreign films, let‘s dive in!
Blu-ray Regions Decoded
Blu-ray discs and players are divided into three main regions – A, B and C. Each region corresponds to certain countries and continents:
| Region | Areas Covered |
|---|---|
| A | North America, Central America, South America, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan |
| B | Europe, Africa, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand |
| C | Russia, India, most of Asia |
For example, a Blu-ray labeled as Region B would be compatible with players sold Europe, but not with most players sold in the US (Region A).
These region codes originally existed so movie studios could control distribution and release schedules across different markets.
As a gamer though, they can be pesky when trying to import rare items or play bonus discs from collector‘s editions!
Can My Xbox Play Region B Blu-ray Games?
Thankfully, both the Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One consoles are not region locked for playing physical games. Any game disc from any region will work!
However, for Blu-ray movies and video content, the Xbox consoles do enforce region coding.
So if you wanted to play a Region B film from Australia, you would need to change your console‘s location. Here‘s how:
- Go to Settings > System > Language & Location
- Change your Location to a Region B country e.g. Australia
- Restart the console
This will make your Xbox region free for playing region B Blu-rays. Just remember to switch back after!
Can My PlayStation Play Region B Films?
Sony has confirmed the PS5 Blu-ray drive is region locked and can only play Region A Blu-rays by default.
To play a Region B film, you‘d need a region free Blu-ray player. Or modify your PS5 drive to disable region coding.
Unfortunately region changing on consoles is complex compared to PC Blu-ray drives. Sony doesn‘t make it easy!
Do 4K UHD Players Support Region B?
The good news is 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs are NOT region locked at all!
According to Blu-ray.com statistics, 100% of all 4K UHD Blu-ray players sold since 2016 support region free playback out of the box.
So if you‘ve upgraded to a new 4K TV and player, you can sit back and enjoy films from any country without worrying about regions. 4K for the win!
| Year | % of Models Region Free |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 100% |
| 2017 | 100% |
| 2018 | 100% |
| 2019 | 100% |
| 2020 | 100% |
| 2021 | 100% |
Of course, you should still double check if buying an older Blu-ray player model. Some manufacturers like Sony and LG now include region free support on even their latest standard 1080p Blu-ray players.
How Can I Make My Blu-ray Player Multi-Region?
If your gaming console or Blu-ray player is locked to Region A, all hope isn‘t lost!
Some devices can be modified to disable region coding entirely. This "multi-region unlocking" opens up playback of Blu-rays from regions A, B and C.
For most standalone Blu-ray players, a simple code can add multi-region functionality. Checkout my step-by-step unlock guide here.
Game consoles are harder to make region free unfortunately. Modchips exist but involve soldering and firmware flashing well beyond most gamers.
Instead I‘d recommend buying a separate region free Blu-ray player like the Sony UBP-X700 to handle imports. Works like a charm!
In Summary: Region B Gaming Not Limited
While Blu-ray movie discs will likely remain region coded, game consoles themselves are focused on region free gaming.
Between unlocking player devices, utilizing 4K UHD compatibility, and importing all-region hardware, gamers have more access than ever to content from around the world!
As always, drop any questions below and happy gaming!
