PS4 to PS5 Game Upgrades are Region Locked??

[Mark]

I'm in the US but own an import copy of Borderlands 3 from the UK since the PS4 isn't region locked. I went through the steps on 2K's website on how to upgrade my copy to PS5 (https://support.2k.com/hc/en-us/art...ands-3-PlayStation-4-to-PlayStation-5-Upgrade) but when I insert the disc, there's no upgrade offer to be found and it wants me to purchase the game again.

Anyone else run into this issue? Is it the same for other games?

 

[finalflame]

I mean PS5 isn't out in the UK yet, so it might be related to that?

 

[DarkLordMalik]

Login into a UK account on PSN and it should offer the upgrade. DLCs and upgrades are likely still region locked.

 

[Callibretto]

dlc are region locked, so wouldn't be surprised if it is. you just need to have UK account to redeem the upgrade I guess

 

[Decarb]

I'm guessing this bullshit about PS4 games being region locked for saves and DLC also extends to upgrade offers. So you might need to create a UK account just for that.

 

[mujun]

Yes. I'm in Japan. I have a Japanese PS5 and a Japanese copy of AC: Valhalla for the PS4 and couldn't get the upgrade from the U.S. store (which is the store that I use).

 

[Thomas Puha]

Yes. I'm in Japan. I have a Japanese PS5 and a Japanese copy of AC: Valhalla for the PS4 and couldn't get the upgrade from the U.S. store (which is the store that I use).

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Just got to the Japanese store and download it from there. You have a japanese copy so it should make sense any additional content you get, should match that version.

Digital content is tied to regions. So if you got an USA PSN account, and you buy an Euro version of game, that'll work, but when you try to buy digital content for said game, that does not work, since the region of the store and the game dont match. This is very common for me as I play with an US PSN account, but mostly Euro versions of games. So if I try to buy digital content in Destiny 2 or Modern Warfare, I get an error message for the reasons mentioned above. So, the workaround is to buy digital currency in the right PSN store, like COD points and Silver and then once you log back into the game, that currency does show up and you can use it.

 

[mujun]

Just got to the Japanese store and download it from there. You have a japanese copy so it should make sense any additional content you get, should match that version.

Digital content is tied to regions. So if you got an USA PSN account, and you buy an Euro version of game, that'll work, but when you try to buy digital content for said game, that does not work, since the region of the store and the game dont match. This is very common for me as I play with an US PSN account, but mostly Euro versions of games. So if I try to buy digital content in Destiny 2 or Modern Warfare, I get an error message for the reasons mentioned above. So, the workaround is to buy digital currency in the right PSN store, like COD points and Silver and then once you log back into the game, that currency does show up and you can use it.

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I know what I needed to do, I was just answering the OP's question.

I didn't bother to make a Japanese account as I wanted to get rid of the game anyway.

 

[StraySheep]

Was about to make a thread on this but saw one existed already. I hate this shit so much. Sorry I buy physical games in Germany but have a US PSN account with 10 years of purchases and trophies. Apparently I can't do the Death Stranding upgrade.

Going to look into this PS5 gameshare stuff to see if there is a workaround, will post it if I find one.

 

[whassupbun]

It's annoying but it's not a new issue, same with DLC or pre-order bonuses last gen, all tied to the region of your physical copy. Thankfully it's easy enough to create a PSN account in other regions, I have a Hong Kong, US, and EU account for this reason.

 

[CognitiveAtrophy]

Was about to make a thread on this but saw one existed already. I hate this shit so much. Sorry I buy physical games in Germany but have a US PSN account with 10 years of purchases and trophies. Apparently I can't do the Death Stranding upgrade.

Going to look into this PS5 gameshare stuff to see if there is a workaround, will post it if I find one.

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Just redeem the upgrade on a EU account and play the game on your main.

 

[StraySheep]

Why don't just redeem the upgrade on a EU account and play the game on your main?

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I think that is only possible with the PS5's new game sharing feature. Overall this kind of stuff was a nightmare on PS4, so its actually a nice minor improvement. But it actually it begs the question how will this is all work with this fairly complicated case of having a PS4 game with a save file on a US PSN account for my German disc and then trying the upgrade on a new German PSN account...

 

[giallo]

This issue was presented to me almost immediately after getting a PS5. I have a Canadian account, but live in Korea currently. Korea goes hardcore on your digital fingerprint/identity, so even setting up something simple like a Korean PS account is a massive headache for a foreigner. Luckily, I can use another East Asian account to redeem my PS5 version (Thanks, Taiwan!), but things like DLC/digital codes are still tied to specific countries. None of this would be a problem if I was able to use a Korean credit card on my Canadian account, and buy games digitally, but freaking CC are region-locked as well. I can only use a Canadian credit card on a Canadian PS account.

In an increasingly mobile/international world, region-locking stuff like this seems so unnecessary. Maybe there's some security issue I'm not privy to, but it's definitely frustrating.

 

[mael]

It's annoying but it's not a new issue, same with DLC or pre-order bonuses last gen, all tied to the region of your physical copy. Thankfully it's easy enough to create a PSN account in other regions, I have a Hong Kong, US, and EU account for this reason.

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I own 2 copies of Bloodborn because of this shit!

 

[StraySheep]

This issue was presented to me almost immediately after getting a PS5. I have a Canadian account, but live in Korea currently. Korea goes hardcore on your digital fingerprint/identity, so even setting up something simple like a Korean PS account is a massive headache for a foreigner. Luckily, I can use another East Asian account to redeem my PS5 version (Thanks, Taiwan!), but things like DLC/digital codes are still tied to specific countries. None of this would be a problem if I was able to use a Korean credit card on my Canadian account, and buy games digitally, but freaking CC are region-locked as well. I can only use a Canadian credit card on a Canadian PS account.

In an increasingly mobile/international world, region-locking stuff like this seems so unnecessary. Maybe there's some security issue I'm not privy to, but it's definitely frustrating.

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I'm trying to figure out the exact reasoning for this myself, because it seems like the workaround we are doing is actually far more likely to result in price exploitation than what we want to do which is just continue to buy DLC from your main region.

It could also be solved if they fucking let you change your account region like Nintendo does. Fact is most people don't realize how these frustrating limitations exist.

 

[giallo]

It could also be solved if they fucking let you change your account region like Nintendo does. Fact is most people don't realize how these frustrating limitations exist.

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Indeed. It's a rare instance when Nintendo's online content/payment procedures are easier to use and more customer-friendly than the competition.

Being able to buy DLC region-free and use a credit card that's not tied to the account's country saves me so much time and effort.

 

[Solaire of Astora]

It could also be solved if they fucking let you change your account region like Nintendo does.

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They do.

Honestly, as someone who set up their main account in the UK, spent a year in Canada, ten in Japan and is about to move back to Canada, I've had to use workarounds like this for years and it's not really a big deal.

It honestly seems like you're making a much bigger deal out of this than you need to. Have an account for all regions you've purchased games from and play them all on your main. What's the big deal?

 

[Manta_Breh]

The only way for it to work is use the upgrade on your second region, but play on your main. I bought AC valhalla on my malaysian account, got the upgrade but managed to play it on my ps5 account.

It's kinda annoying and I wish they'd change it, usually I hate pre-order bonuses being tied to that region lol, I wish they'd make it so that items can be used across all accounts as well. Since even though I buy most games on US account, I tend to purchase my hyped up/favorite games on my malaysian account because of the earlier unlock lol.

 

[giallo]

They do.

Honestly, as someone who set up their main account in the UK, spent a year in Canada, ten in Japan and is about to move back to Canada, I've had to use workarounds like this for years and it's not really a big deal.

It honestly seems like you're making a much bigger deal out of this than you need to. Have an account for all regions you've purchased games from and play them all on your main. What's the big deal?

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The big deal is things like access to DLC and other transactions you've made. Bloodborne, for instance, is tied to my HK account, an account I can no longer access. Over the years, after using an American, Canadian, Taiwan and HK account to buy DLC for games (living in China, you get physical copies from various countries at stores), I was signed out of my HK account (Why? I don't know), and when I tried to sign back in, my password didn't work. Unfortunately, it being so long since signing up for the account, I forgot what email I created and registered for it. So now, all of the DLC for the HK games I bought, is lost. I was also signed out of my US account, but managed to figure out the email tied to it, and change the password, so I had access to it again.

Could I have managed my accounts, and all of the information tied to them better? Sure, and it's something I certainly do now, but it still sucks to have to do this in the first place. Why do things like DLC need to be region-locked? Why can't I buy it through my Canadian account for my Korean/HK/American/Taiwanese physical discs?

All this does is make me spend less.

 

[Noisepurge]

This issue was presented to me almost immediately after getting a PS5. I have a Canadian account, but live in Korea currently. Korea goes hardcore on your digital fingerprint/identity, so even setting up something simple like a Korean PS account is a massive headache for a foreigner. Luckily, I can use another East Asian account to redeem my PS5 version (Thanks, Taiwan!), but things like DLC/digital codes are still tied to specific countries. None of this would be a problem if I was able to use a Korean credit card on my Canadian account, and buy games digitally, but freaking CC are region-locked as well. I can only use a Canadian credit card on a Canadian PS account.

In an increasingly mobile/international world, region-locking stuff like this seems so unnecessary. Maybe there's some security issue I'm not privy to, but it's definitely frustrating.

Click to shrink...

I have the same issue between Canada and Finland. Get prepaid vouchers from Eneba to the store you need. You can pay them with paypal from the other country.

https://www.eneba.com/psn-playstation-network-card-50-cad-psn-key-canada

 

[StraySheep]

Unfortunately, it being so long since signing up for the account, I forgot what email I created and registered for it

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Lol I have been attempting to recover my Xbox account I haven't touched in 10 years that belongs to an email I no longer have access to and they really don't want to help me despite me having a ton of personal information to fill their form out with. But that's all a different topic.

 

[ZeroX]

I've had a US, AUS and JP account on my PS3, PS4 and PS5 and never had any issues just swapping between them as necessary. They all share games. Played the Death Stranding US upgrade on my AUS account, including save transfer, no problem.

It's only ever been microtransactions and very rare DLC that are actually region and account locked.

 

[Solaire of Astora]

The big deal is things like access to DLC and other transactions you've made. Bloodborne, for instance, is tied to my HK account, an account I can no longer access. Over the years, after using an American, Canadian, Taiwan and HK account to buy DLC for games (living in China, you get physical copies from various countries at stores), I was signed out of my HK account (Why? I don't know), and when I tried to sign back in, my password didn't work. Unfortunately, it being so long since signing up for the account, I forgot what email I created and registered for it. So now, all of the DLC for the HK games I bought, is lost. I was also signed out of my US account, but managed to figure out the email tied to it, and change the password, so I had access to it again.

Could I have managed my accounts, and all of the information tied to them better? Sure, and it's something I certainly do now, but it still sucks to have to do this in the first place. Why do things like DLC need to be region-locked? Why can't I buy it through my Canadian account for my Korean/HK/American/Taiwanese physical discs?

All this does is make me spend less.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. I almost lost my us account last year. Long story short, after a few too many beers, I dropped my phone into a toilet. I went to get a new phone the next day and must have made a mistake with my Japanese somewhere, because they gave me a new number.

It wasn't until a week later when I had to sign in to my us psn account that I realized it was tied to my old phone's email and the old phone number was also my recovery number. I was looking at losing thousands of dollars of purchases. Fortunately, my wife had a genius idea. She went to the store and asked to change her phone number to my old number. Since it was now available and they knew that we were married, they let her have my old number.

Account and password management in the digital age is up to the end user. Unfortunately, most people (myself included) maybe didn't take that as seriously as they should have until they lost out.

At least let your friends know of your experience. One of them will thank you.

It's only ever been microtransactions and very rare DLC that are actually region and account locked.

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I've been burned a few times with that myself. I wish that could be fixed, but unlikely since 99.9% of people will only make an account for their own country and purchase from their own psn store.

 

[Deleted member 20831]

It's only ever been microtransactions and very rare DLC that are actually region and account locked.

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DLCs are digital purchases and region locked according to the region the account is setup for.

If you don't own the main game disc which matches with your account's region, then you won't be able to access the DLC.

 

[ZeroX]

DLCs are digital purchases and region locked according to the region the account is setup for.

If you don't own the main game disc which matches with your account's region, then you won't be able to access the DLC.

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That's a poor/misleading way to word it. The DLC has to match the game's region, that's all. If you have a US copy of a game, and buy the US DLC, you can still play both on an EU account. Also I buy digitally, so it's very easy to know what the matching store for a game's DLC is.

Keep in mind I said and account locked, meaning only that one account can use the content. Most DLC works on any account on a system if the game matches the region. It's the rare ones that don't, like the only recent issue I had was the pre-order DLC for NEO The World Ends With You was bizarrely account locked. Account locking content is a different thing and usually only exists for microtransactions which are designed as one time, repeatable entitlements to accounts (and even then, stuff like Tales of Arise's boosters still aren't account locked!).