PS5 will be region-free: Sony confirms that it has eliminated regional limits and that players will have access to many more titles, even exclusive to other countries
The news for PlayStation 5 comes from the FAQ in the official blog of Sony's next-gen console. Regional limits have been removed for PS5, which thus becomes region-free. This means that console owners will have access to a larger number of titles to play.
The first console to eliminate regional blocks was Nintendo Switch three years ago, then Sony followed the same path for PS3 and PS4 and now comes the confirmation that PlayStation 5 will be able to play exclusive titles without geographical area limits. From the FAQ published in the long post on the official blog also comes the confirmation that PS5 games will not be able to be transferred and played on a USB drive. This is bad news for gamers, as the next-gen console has a limited amount of internal memory. However, Sony has announced that it's working on a way to store games on USB drives, similar to the one already used by rival Xbox One X.
PS5 region-free: what's changing
Compatibility between games and consoles from different regions is a topic dear to gamers, especially those who are used to import titles that can't be played in other ways. For this reason Sony, following Nintendo's footsteps, had already removed the regional limit with PS3 and PS4, but until now there was no official confirmation that PS5 was also region-free and now it has arrived.
In this way, you can play any title in both physical and digital format without any kind of limit on a regional basis. This is an important news, since despite the fact that video games are often released simultaneously all over the world, there are some titles that are not released outside of certain geographical areas, such as exclusive editions. Those who want to import these games will be able to do so and enjoy them without any problems on the next-gen console.
PS5, no storage on USB drives
Those who buy a PS5 will not be able to transfer and play games on a USB drive. Given the limited amount of internal storage for the PlayStation 5, users will find themselves struggling to manage the titles in their library, which require excessive amounts of space and bandwidth for downloads. To solve the problem, Sony has announced that it is studying the possibility of at least storing PS5 games on a USB drive, such as you can already do with Microsoft's Xbox One X.
PS5, cloud gaming and backward compatibility
The FAQ published by Sony also resolve some doubts about backward compatibility of games and access to the cloud gaming service. In fact, the PS5 will support the PlayStation Now cloud gaming service, allowing you to play a wide selection of titles. In addition, you will be able to download and play many PS4, PS3 and even PS2 games. For those who are PlayStation Plus subscribers, there will be a chance to access some of PS4's greatest hits thanks to a new exclusive collection designed just for the next-gen console.