Rumours of PSP region-locking are false - Sony

Following the recent emergence of some strange rumours regarding the PSP's regional coding systems, Sony has stepped up to dismiss them as absolute tosh and nonsense.

Word was that although PSP games are currently region-free - unlike UMD movies - the hardware has some kind of crazy "region lock" capability. In the future, the rumourmongers claim, publishers could code their games to switch this lock on and prevent you playing them on PSPs from other regions.

But Sony told us the PSP will continue to use a 'worldwide' code system for games, "which means that games purchased anywhere in the world will run on any PlayStation Portable".

However, "Due to language and system issues, quality assurance procedures are done in each territory, and therefore we recommend purchasing both hardware and software in the same territory," Sony went on.

In any case, there's a rule against releasing games with region locking on the list of technical requirements Sony hands out to developers - so such a game would never make it onto the shelves. But how come UMD movies have region encoding, then?

"For movies or other UMD video content, it is up to the publishers of the content to decide whether to adopt a region code," says Sony. So don't blame them cos your US copy of Bella Loves Jenna won't work on your UK PSP, in other words.

There have also been rumours floating about regarding whether or not you can wirelessly connect PSPs from different regions, and Sony was also able to clear this up once and for all.

"Yes, wireless capability does work between different regioned PSPs," they told us.

But "To ensure great multiplayer, it is always best to use UMDs from the same territory between users."

Basically, it doesn't matter where your PSP's from, or where your mate bought theirs - what's important is that the games are from the same region. So you could link up a European PSP, a Japanese PSP and a US PSP and enjoy, say, wireless WipEout, providing you'd all bought your copies of the game from the same place.

Phew. Glad that's all sorted then.

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