Getting Started

Importing videogames for consoles is not as straightforward as importing PC games, but for dedicated gamers there is often great need to import. By no means fully comprehensive, the following endeavors to explain the reasons behind, and methods used, to play imported console games. For those new to importing, further reading is recommended.

Console games can generally be divided into three distinct categories: NTSC-J for Japan, NTSC-U/C for the USA and Canada, and finally PAL for the UK, Europe, Australia and other countries. Games bought in one region will not work in another due to corporations intentionally adding "regional lockouts". In the current era of modern televisions and Internet-based commerce, the only reason for said lockout is to artificially maintain high prices and an iron-fisted control over the markets. Make no mistake: there is no moral or legal grounds against importing; companies still register sales and generate profits.

Only a few Japanese titles are released in the USA, often months after their local release, and only a small selection from these two regions end up reaching PAL territories. Why should one wait upwards of six months for titles that may not get released locally, and then still have to pay a higher price than other countries? This is especially true for the UK, where it's actually cheaper to purchase NTSC-U/C titles online, rather than from local stores. Legally, you are supposed to pay the required import taxes, but since games rarely reach triple figures in either dollars, GBP or euros, customs seldom invoke charges.

To further worsen matters, PAL titles are nearly always inferior to their NTSC counterparts, due to running in 50Hz, which results in a squashed image and 17.5% slower speed. Importing increases consumer choice and the quality of products, if you buy NTSC. In today's global media world, everyone should be allowed to play games from any country.

There are three main methods used to play foreign games. The first and most expensive is to buy hardware from each region. Many serious players do this, but as well as being prohibitively expensive, there are the additional obstacles of voltage adapters and using the correct method to connect them to TVs. Alternatively, many choose to modify their consoles internally, often via use of a "mod chip", or where possible purchase an import-enabling piece of software. Whatever you do, remember that modifying a system internally invalidates your warranty.