How To Change PSN Region on PS4 & PS5 (Full Guide 2025)

There’s nothing worse than not being able to play a game due to a delayed release in your PSN region, while everyone else gets to have fun (and give away spoilers). Equally bad is buying a DLC, only to find out it’s not compatible with your base game region on your console. Luckily, there are some easy ways to get around this.

While PlayStation doesn’t allow changing an existing account’s region, you can create up to 16 user profiles, each of which can be linked to a PSN account¹. Just keep in mind that the region you pick at sign-up locks that account to a specific store and payment options. Some sources also point out that a console tops out at around 64 PSN accounts in total — a figure that came out during the PS3 days.²

By using PlayStation’s built-in sharing tools, you can buy a game once and play it across all account regions. Read on to learn how to change your PSN region on PS4 and PS5 and get some tips on how to fully utilize your new account.

How To Change Your PSN Region on PS4 and PS5

Your PlayStation locks your region once it is set up and doesn’t let you change it. The only way to change your PSN region is to create a new user account on your console. Your PSN account determines which region’s PlayStation Store you see, so this method allows you to buy and download the games, DLCs, and apps in whichever country you select during sign-up.

Is PlayStation region-locked? PSN doesn’t care in what country or region you bought or use your PlayStation console — you can choose whatever you want. However, you may only be able to buy games from the store using a payment method registered in the country you chose (we provide a workaround for this later). So, it’s best to select a US account if you have a US credit card, for example.

Below, we’ve included the steps for both PS4 and PS5 — the process is pretty much the same. Just make sure you have your console connected to the internet before starting this process.

Here’s how to create a new PSN account on your PS5:

1. Turn on your PS5. Press the PS button on your controller to open the Control Center. Select your profile icon in the bottom-right corner and select Log Out from the pop-up menu.
2. Add a user. Choose Add User from the profile selection screen, then press Get Started under Add a User to this PS5.
3. Accept the License Agreement. Just check the Agree option to the right and then click Confirm.
4. Create a new account. Press the Create an Account button and select an avatar on the next page.
5. Follow the wizard. You’ll be asked to provide a user name and date of birth.
6. Select your region. Eventually, you’ll get to a page where you can choose the Country or Region from the dropdown. You can also choose your preferred language separately if you want to keep it the same as your other accounts.
7. Confirm your new PSN account. Just continue pressing the Next button until the process completes.
8. Go to the PlayStation Store. You can immediately log in to the new account to start playing or buying games with your new PSN region.

Here’s how to create a new PSN account on your PS4:

1. Sign out of your PSN account. Open the Quick Menu and go to Power > Switch User/Log Out.
2. Create a new user. Select the New User tile and then choose Create a User on the following page.
3. Accept the License Agreement. Just click Accept.
4. Create a PSN account. On the next page, select the Next button to immediately create a PSN account. Skip past the option to sign in and press the New to PlayStation^TM Network button.
5. Choose your preferred PSN region. Make sure to choose the region that relates to the version of the PlayStation Store that you want to access, such as Japan or the US. Use Google Translate to navigate pages in a foreign language.
6. Enter your location details. PSN will ask you to fill in the city, province, and postcode of your newly chosen region. After that, click Next.
7. Enter your email ID and create a password. You’ll need to use a new email that hasn’t been used on PSN before.
8. Create your profile. Select an avatar, create an ID, and choose your privacy and communication settings.
9. Click Accept on the Terms of Service and User Agreement page.
10. Use your new PSN account. Log in to your PSN account, and you should now be able to access the PS Store from the new country you selected.

Common Issues With Changing Your PSN Region

PlayStation’s content licensing and account restrictions can be a bit complicated. So, it’s vital that you understand the limitations of sharing content across accounts before you spend any of your money. Otherwise, you may find that you’re unexpectedly locked out of games you legally bought or fragmenting your trophy progress across multiple accounts.

• DLC and game compatibility. You can buy a physical disc anywhere and play it on a PSN account registered in a different country. However, any DLCs you buy have to match the region of the base game (not your PSN account). So, let’s say you bought a game in the US and played it on your Japan account. You then have to create a US PSN account to buy the DLC but can continue playing the game on your Japan account.
• Game, app, and content access. Some games, DLCs, streaming apps, and media cannot be shared across accounts in different regions on the same console due to licensing restrictions, even if you enable sharing. Others’ availability is based on your IP location and not your account region.
• Cloud saves and trophies. Game saves and trophy progress are also tied to your original account and cannot be transferred.
• Mismatched payment methods. The PlayStation Store typically only accepts credit cards, PayPal, gift cards, or billing addresses that match the region of your PSN account.
• PS Plus subscription. Not all existing PlayStation Plus membership benefits transfer between accounts or regions. You’ll need to repurchase a subscription on any new accounts you make (even in the same region).
• Wallet funds. Any unspent balance in your PSN wallet is locked to that account and cannot be transferred or used on any other account’s PS Store.
• Language and localization. Switching PSN regions may introduce language barriers. Change console language settings and search for language packs or patches for specific games to switch to your preferred language.

How To Buy Games With Your International PSN Account

With few exceptions, PlayStation games have been region-free since the PS3. So, unlike the PS1 and PS2, you can buy games from almost anywhere and play them on a console bought in a different country without modchips, swap-disks, or other risky workarounds. The PS Store will always show games available in your PSN account region, regardless of your physical location.

Can I change my PlayStation Store region? The PS Store country you see is always tied to your PSN account, so you can’t change it. That means you may not be able to buy international PS games if you don’t have a payment method that matches your account region.

Luckily, there are legal workarounds for this as well, by using gift cards registered in your PSN country and by enabling cross-account sharing.

Buy PlayStation Games Using a Gift Card

Most major PlayStation markets, like the US, UK, EU countries, Japan, and Australia, offer gift cards in their local currencies. You can only use a gift card in the same currency as your PSN account country. So, you need a USD gift card if you have a US-linked PSN account, for example, or one in GBP for a UK profile.

You can buy physical gift cards from stores like Walmart or GameStop (US) or online redemption codes from sites like Amazon or the PS Store. Usually, you can just visit the country-specific version of the PS Store. But if you keep getting redirected to your local site, a VPN can help connect to a server in the country where you want to buy the code.

Here’s how to buy games in different account regions using a digital gift card:

1. Buy the gift card. Make sure that the gift card is in the right target currency and complete the purchase.
   You don't need a region-specific payment method to buy a gift card
2. Redeem the gift card on your PS5. Open the PlayStation Store while logged into the correct PSN account, press the “…” (More) button in the top-right corner, and choose Redeem Code. On PS4, select Redeem Codes from the left-hand menu in the PS Store.
3. Enter the 12-digit code. Type the code exactly as shown and confirm. You should see the balance reflected in your wallet immediately.
4. Buy a game. Browse the PS Store and select the game you want to buy. At checkout, make sure that your wallet is selected as the payment method and click Confirm Purchase.
5. Download and play. If the payment is successful, you can install the game with your PSN account.

These steps are for a PS5, but the process is similar on a PS4. Also, if you don’t have enough funds in your wallet, the PS Store will automatically try to charge the remaining funds to your linked payment method. The purchase will fail if this payment method (credit card/PayPal) is not from the same country as your PSN account.

How To Enable Cross-Account Sharing on Your PS Console

By enabling sharing on your PS5, all console users will be able to play all installed games, irrespective of who bought them. Everyone can access the full games, DLCs, and add-ons; online multiplayer; PS Now/Plus subscriptions; and PS Plus monthly free games or Collection titles. Only wallet funds, PSN credits, and cloud saves aren’t shared.

On PS4, it works a bit differently, where you set one console as your “Primary” PS4. Any player logged in on the primary console box can enjoy the main account’s games or PS Plus benefits. However, only the purchasing account holder can launch its games on non-primary consoles. This makes sharing simpler on one console but limited if you own multiple systems.

Either way, this will allow all users to play games bought with different account regions. The most important thing is that you keep track of which account you bought a game with, as you have to use the same account/region to buy the DLC in order for it to work.

Here are the steps to enable Console Sharing and Offline Play on your PS5:

1. From the home screen, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other.
2. Select Console Sharing and Offline Play.
3. Choose Enable.

This is how you can activate a console as your primary PS4:

1. Make sure that you’re logged into your “primary” PSN account. This should be the one that you will buy most of your games on.
2. From the home screen, go to Settings > Account Management.
3. Select Activate as Your Primary PS4.
4. Choose Activate.

Do I Need a VPN To Change My PlayStation Region?

In most cases, no. The country tied to your PSN account is fixed when you create it, and this can’t be changed by switching your IP address or account settings. Modern consoles (PS4 and PS5) also aren’t region-coded on the OS/firmware level for games, so you can usually play discs from anywhere — meaning a VPN won’t help. The only limits apply to Blu-Ray/DVD discs.

A VPN works by routing your traffic through a server to change your IP location. On PlayStation, only access to streaming apps and their libraries is based on your IP. For example, you’ll only see Hulu on the PS Store if you’re physically in the US or BBC iPlayer in the UK. Below is a brief table explaining what a VPN can and can’t do on your PlayStation.

FAQs on Changing Your PSN Region

Can I buy games from other countries on my PlayStation?

Yes, but you need to create a PSN account and use a payment method from that country. You can’t buy games from other countries other than the one your current PSN account was created. If you want to buy games internationally, you’ll need to create a new PSN account in your desired country. After that, purchase and use PlayStation gift cards from the same region.

What are the best countries for PSN?

The US, UK, and Japan usually have the widest catalogs, fastest first releases, and most streaming options. The US store, in particular, often has the best exclusive sales and range of gift cards. However, you should choose the country where you can easily pay since payment methods and gift cards must match your account region.

Will I lose access to my PlayStation games if I change my region?

No, PS4 and PS5 games are no longer region-locked like previous generations. Also, since you can’t change your PSN account region, any game you buy on that version of the PS Store will always work. You can also enable Console Sharing and Offline Play to play these games on other PSN accounts registered in different countries.

In the rare case that a game can’t be shared due to regional licensing, just switch back to the original account.

Can I keep my trophies and achievements when changing PSN region?

In-game purchases, trophies, DLCs, friends’ lists, and store credit are locked to one account. They cannot be transferred if you create a new account to change your PSN region. The best option is to create a “master” PSN account in a popular country, like the US, Japan, or the UK, that you use to play most games and collect trophies.

Use other country-specific accounts to buy early releases, get deals, or play exclusive games. By enabling cross-account play, most of these games will work on the primary PSN account as well.

How do I check my PSN region?

There are 3 ways to check your PSN region:

1. Go to PSNprofiles.com and enter your PSN ID to check your region. There’s no login required, and you can do this on any device.
2. On a desktop, you can also log into the PlayStation website > click on your Avatar on the top-right > select Account Settings > click Edit next to the Residential Address, and view the country.
3. On your PS4/PS5, open the PlayStation Store > click on the Menu button (3 dots) > choose Storefront Country, and you can view your account’s location.

Can I change the Blu-Ray or DVD region on my PlayStation?

No, region coding is enforced at the system level and cannot be changed. Out-of-region discs won’t play, and changing your PSN account or using a VPN won’t work for Blu-Ray or DVDs. However, a high-quality VPN can make it possible to use streaming apps on PS4/5 to stream content safely.

There aren’t really any reliable workarounds for PS4/5 like modchips or disk swaps. Anyone advertising this is highly likely a scam or trying to give you malware that could brick your console. Unfortunately, the PS Store also no longer sells/rents movies or series for direct streaming.

If I change my email on PS4, will I lose everything?

No, changing your email on PS4 will not cause you to lose everything. Your game progress, purchased content, trophies, and other account information are tied to your PlayStation Network (PSN) account, not your email address. Most issues revolve around managing games, content, and payments across different accounts. By changing your email, you are simply updating the contact information associated with your account.

Is it legal to change my PS region?

Yes, there’s nothing illegal about creating an account with a new PSN region. The catch is that most regions require a valid local payment method and billing address to buy games on the PS Store. Many players make secondary accounts in countries like the US or Japan to access different stores, but you should be aware that purchases, wallet funds, and subscriptions remain locked to the original account region.

Will my PS Plus subscription work in a new PSN region?

Yes, as long as you’ve activated Console Sharing and Offline Play on your PS5. This allows sharing most PS Plus benefits, such as free-to-play games, on all the accounts on your PS5, regardless of their region. On PS4, simply assign the console as your Primary PS4. Game saves, PS Store credits, and wallet funds do not transfer.

Can I use a free VPN with my PlayStation?

Not really. Free VPNs often fall short regarding PS compatibility, speed, network coverage, data limits, and privacy. Plus, most won’t work with streaming apps at all. If you do need a VPN for your PlayStation, you should choose a premium option with a reliable refund policy instead.

Even the best free VPNs for gaming can rarely be installed on PS or routers, leading to a long or impossible setup. Their slower speeds can result in lag during gaming and streaming. Plus, free VPNs struggle to support secure streaming from anywhere, impose strict data limits, and may interrupt gaming and other online activities with ads while potentially misusing or selling user data.

Conclusion

While physical games are no longer region-coded (thankfully), PlayStation has found other ways to control distribution. Different regions offer different access to games, deals, apps, and streaming libraries. This may disadvantage you if your PSN account is not registered in one of the few privileged countries.

You can use the above methods to get around these PSN restrictions without risking your PS console or existing games. At the same time, you can build an impressive trophy and achievements collection while using different accounts to not miss out on anything.

References

1. https://forum.psnprofiles.com/topic/137538-question-about-multiple-accounts-on-one-ps5/
2. https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/psn-accounts-limit-reached.237840/