You can change your PS5 region through account settings, but the process depends on whether you want to change your user account's region or your console's region

The region setting on your PS5 controls which PlayStation Store you access, what games and content are available to you, and which payment methods the system accepts. Your account region and your console region work separately — you can have a US account on a console set to Japan, for example, though this creates complications with game licenses and online play.

Changing your account region is straightforward: you go into your account settings, find the region or country field, and update it. Changing your console region is more involved and usually requires creating a new account in that region, because Sony ties game licenses and online services to the account that purchased them. If you change your account region after buying games, those games may stop working or you may lose access to online features.

The reason to know this before you start: changing region is not reversible without consequences. Games you bought in one region's store may not work in another. Your online multiplayer may be restricted. Payment methods tied to one country may stop working. This guide walks you through what actually happens when you change region and how to do it safely.

Key Takeaways

  • Your account region controls which PlayStation Store you see and which payment methods work, while your console region is a separate setting that affects system language and some game licensing.
  • Changing your account region after you have bought games can lock you out of those games or break online features, so create a new account in the target region instead if you plan to buy new games there.
  • To change your account region, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Region, select your new country, and confirm — you may need to update your payment method afterward.
  • If you change your console region, you must do it through a new account created in that region, because game licenses are tied to the account that purchased them.
  • Games purchased in one region's store often will not work on accounts from a different region, even on the same console.

How to change your account region in settings

Open your PS5 and go to Settings at the top of the home screen. Select Users and Accounts, then choose your user profile. Go to Other and look for Region or Country/Region — the exact label varies by console language. Select your new country from the list and confirm the change.

After you change your region, your PlayStation Store will switch to that region's store when ready. Any payment methods you had on file may no longer work, because credit cards, PayPal accounts, and other payment options are tied to the region they were registered in. You will need to add a payment method that is valid in your new region before you can buy anything.

Your existing games will still be playable if they were purchased by the same account, but you may lose access to online multiplayer, cloud saves, or other online features if the game's publisher restricts those features by region. Some games check your account region when you start them and will refuse to run if you are in a region where the game was not licensed for sale.

What happens to your games when you change region

Games you bought in your original region will remain in your library, but whether you can play them depends on the publisher's licensing agreement with Sony. Most major publishers allow you to play games you own regardless of your account region, but some — particularly games with region-locked online multiplayer or games from smaller publishers — will block access if your account region does not match the region where you bought the game.

The safest approach: before you change your account region, check the game's store page in your new region to see if it is available there. If it is not, the publisher may not allow you to play it after you change region. If it is available, you can usually play your copy, but online features may be restricted.

DLC and add-ons you bought for a game may also stop working if the DLC was region-locked. This is less common but does happen. If you rely on specific DLC, test it after you change region before you buy anything else.

Creating a new account in a different region instead

If you plan to buy games in a different region's store, the safer route is to create a new user account on your PS5 in that region rather than changing your main account's region. This way your original account and all its games stay in your original region, and your new account can buy and play games from the new region's store.

To do this, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other Users > Create User. Choose Create a User on This PS5, then Create a New User. When you are asked for your region, select the new region. You can then sign in with a PlayStation Network account from that region, or create a new PSN account during setup and choose the region at that step.

Once the account is created, you can switch between your original account and your new regional account by pressing the PS button on your controller and selecting the account you want to use. Games purchased by your original account will still be playable on the console if your original account is set as the console's primary account, but online multiplayer will only work when you are signed in to the account that purchased the game.

Changing your console region versus your account region

Your console has its own region setting separate from your account region. The console region controls the system language, the default PlayStation Store that appears on the home screen, and some licensing restrictions. You cannot change your console region directly — instead, you change it by creating a new account in that region and setting that account as your console's primary account.

When you set a new account as your console's primary account, the console adopts that account's region as its default. This affects which store appears first when you open the PlayStation Store app, but it does not prevent other accounts on the console from accessing their own regional stores. Your original account can still access its original region's store even if another account is set as primary.

If you want to change your console's language and system menus to match a new region, you do this through Settings > System > Language and Inputs > Language, regardless of your account region. Changing the system language does not change your account region or your access to stores.

Payment methods and billing after a region change

When you change your account region, your existing payment methods will likely stop working because they are tied to the country where they were issued. A US credit card, for example, will not work on a PlayStation Store account set to Japan. You will need to add a payment method that is valid in your new region.

Before you change region, check what payment options are available in your target region. Some regions accept credit cards, PayPal, and gift cards. Others accept only local payment methods like prepaid cards or regional digital wallets. If you cannot add a valid payment method in your new region, you will not be able to buy anything from that region's store until you do.

PlayStation Store gift cards are region-locked — a gift card bought in the US store will not work on a Japan store account. If you plan to buy games after changing region, you will need to buy gift cards from the target region's store or use a payment method valid in that region.

Reversing a region change

You can change your account region back to your original region at any time through the same Settings menu. However, games you bought while your account was in a different region may not work after you change back, depending on the publisher's licensing terms. The safest assumption is that changing region twice will cause problems with games purchased during either region period.

If you need to access games from multiple regions regularly, the multi-account approach is more reliable than changing your account region back and forth. Create one account per region you need, and switch between them as needed. This keeps each account's games and payment methods in their original region and avoids licensing conflicts.

If you have already changed region and lost access to games, contact PlayStation Support with your purchase receipts. They can sometimes restore access or transfer licenses, but this is not may provide and depends on the publisher's agreement with Sony.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I play games from different regions on the same console?

Yes. If you create multiple accounts on your PS5 in different regions, each account can access its own region's store and play games purchased in that region. Games purchased by one account are playable by other accounts on the console only if that account is set as the console's primary account. Online multiplayer requires you to be signed in to the account that purchased the game.

Will my PlayStation Plus subscription work in a different region?

PlayStation Plus is tied to your account region. If you change your account region, your existing subscription may stop working, and you will need to buy a new subscription valid in your new region. If you keep a separate account in your original region, your Plus subscription will continue to work on that account.

What if a game is not available in my new region's store?

If you already own the game and change region, you may lose the ability to play it, depending on the publisher. If the game is not sold in your new region, the publisher likely has not licensed it there, and access restrictions may explore. Check the game's store page in your new region before you change your account region.

Can I change my region back if I change my mind?

Yes, you can change your account region back through Settings at any time. However, games purchased while your account was in a different region may stop working after you change back. The safest approach is to keep separate accounts for each region rather than switching your main account back and forth.

Do I need to change my console region if I change my account region?

No. Your account region and console region are separate. You can have a US account on a console set to Japan. However, if you want your console's system language and default store to match your new region, you will need to create a new account in that region and set it as your console's primary account.