Overview
Your Japanese cartridge won’t fit. Region locking divided the world into territories—games and consoles from one region couldn’t work together. Physical cartridge shapes differed. Lockout chips checked region codes. The result: import culture, mod chips, and frustration when desired games never received local releases.
Fast facts
- Purpose: Territorial market control.
- Methods: Physical shape, lockout chips.
- Result: Import culture, modifications.
- Modern trend: Decreasing restrictions.
Reasons for region locking
| Reason |
Explanation |
| Pricing control |
Different prices per region |
| Release timing |
Staggered launches |
| Content licensing |
Territorial rights |
| Localisation |
Force local versions |
| Parallel imports |
Prevent grey market |
Implementation methods
| Method |
Platforms |
| Cartridge shape |
SNES, Mega Drive |
| Lockout chip |
NES (10NES) |
| Disc region code |
PlayStation, Saturn |
| Console settings |
Later systems |
Regional cartridge differences
Super Nintendo/Famicom
| Region |
Cartridge shape |
| Japan |
Rounded, smaller |
| USA |
Rectangular, larger |
| Europe |
Same as USA |
Mega Drive/Genesis
| Region |
Physical difference |
| Japan |
Smaller cartridge |
| USA |
Larger shell |
| Europe |
Same as USA |
Circumvention methods
| Method |
Application |
| Adapters |
Physical converters |
| Mod chips |
Bypass lockout |
| Console modification |
Remove region check |
| Import consoles |
Buy foreign hardware |
Import gaming culture
| Aspect |
Detail |
| Specialist shops |
Import retailers |
| Magazines |
Coverage of imports |
| Premium prices |
Higher cost for imports |
| Language barrier |
Japanese-only games |
PAL vs NTSC
| Difference |
Impact |
| Refresh rate |
50Hz vs 60Hz |
| Speed |
PAL often slower |
| Borders |
Black bars common |
| Optimisation |
Few properly converted |
Modern evolution
| Trend |
Status |
| Physical media |
Declining use |
| Digital stores |
Often region-free |
| Nintendo Switch |
Region-free hardware |
| PlayStation 4+ |
Games mostly region-free |
See also