Quick Guide: How To Unblock Geo
How To Change Your Psn Region On Ps4 And Ps5
This method gives you access to the PlayStation Store in whichever country you select during the signup process. You can access new games before theyre officially released in your location, or apps/games that are only available in a certain country.
Warning:
I downloaded Hulu with my new US PSN account. Then I connected my VPN to a US server and watched all my favorite Hulu shows on my PS4!
Best Free VPNs For Ps4 And Ps5
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ExpressVPN speeds are really fast for gaming. I tested speeds on 5 local servers and had an average download speed of 45 Mbps . Even on long-distance servers I didnt experience significant speed loss and always had speeds over 15 Mbps. Every server I tested was more than fast enough for me to play Modern Warfare on my PS4, so you wont have to deal with choppy gameplay.
One of the reasons my speeds were so impressive is because it offers its own superfast security protocol called Lightway. Many other security protocols can slow your speeds down too much for gaming, but Lightway just as secure without slowing speeds.
This alongside military-grade encryption, built-in leak protection, and an automatic kill switch ensures youre protected from online threats . I always want to stay anonymous on public gaming servers for this reason, so I ran 5 of ExpressVPNs servers through leak tests and no IP, DNS, or WebRTC leaks were detected on any of them. On top of that, ExpressVPN operates under a verified strict no-logs policy and all of its servers are RAM-based. This means theres no way your personal data can be shared because its not stored.
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How To Get A VPN For Ps4
If you want to use a VPN with a PlayStation 4, it is worth bearing in mind that not every VPN is suitable. Many VPNs are slow and provide access to only a few servers. Those servers suffer from congestion and are not good for data intensive tasks such as gaming and streaming HD content.
Free VPNs exist, but that vast majority of the services you find on app stores for free are inferior services that provide outdated encryption and concerning privacy policies. If you want to try a free VPN, we urge you to stick to a recommended free VPN provider only. Those services are trustworthy and do not skimp on privacy.
To get the most out of a VPN for PS4, however, it is necessary to get a service that has lightning fast servers located in a good selection of places around the world. To help you out, we have provided a guide with the 5 best VPNs for PS4. Our guide will help you select a service that is suited to gaming by helping you find a service that has:
- A large choice of servers worldwide.
- Fast connections.
Buy Games On Your International Psn Account
PlayStation doesnt allow you to buy games from other regions if you dont have a local payment method from that region. For example, you cant buy games from the US PSN store unless you have a US credit card or a US PayPal account. You need to buy region-specific gift cards to get around this.
A VPN hides your real IP address and gives you one in another location, so when you load the PlayStation gift card webpage, itll show you gift card retailers in that region. Then you can load the gift card into your account and purchase games that way.
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Change Your Psn Region Now
You dont need a VPN to change your PSN region, but I recommend that you use one on your console. VPNs give you access to streaming sites that you cant normally watch and protect you from DDoS attacks.
ExpressVPN is the best for PlayStation because it has superfast speeds and it only takes a few minutes to install. Plus, you can try it yourself risk-free using its money-back guarantee and ask for a full refund if youre not satisfied.
Can I Use A Free VPN On My Playstation
You might be tempted to use a free VPN, but they have several major disadvantages and we advise against them. Firstly, free VPNs usually cant be installed on a router, which makes them a poor choice for use on PlayStations. Further, these services are far slower than premium VPNs. As a result, youre likely to experience choppy video, long loading times, and possibly even random disconnection from the VPN. Thats assuming you can actually access geo-blocked platforms, since their restrictions often block free VPN users entirely.
International server networks are particularly expensive to build and maintain, so how can free VPNs afford it? While these services often rely on ads to bring in revenue, thats far from their only way of making money. Some profit by using tracking cookies to build extensive consumer profiles. These can then be sold to third parties without the users knowledge. By acting in this way, free VPNs take away their customers control over how their personal data is used.
Unfortunately, theres no easy way for the layman to tell if theyre using a genuine VPN or merely one of the dozens of malware-carrying apps hiding on the Google Play Store. Equally dangerous are VPNs that appear to work as intended, but dont actually encrypt web traffic or prevent IPv6 leaks. Your safety isnt guaranteed with a well-known free VPN either, as we discovered when Hola was caught selling its users idle bandwidth to help run a botnet.
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The Most Common Way To Change An Ip Address
There are several ways to change your IP address, depending on whether you want to change your local or public IP address. Your local or internal IP address is assigned to your device by your router, and its only used inside your private network. On the other hand, your public or external IP address is assigned to your device by your ISP , and you cant change it on your own.
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If youre wondering which IP address you should change, local or public, it depends on what you want to do. Changing your local IP address can be done manually, and youd only need to do it if youre going to troubleshoot issues with your internet connection.
However, if you want to access geo-blocked content on a streaming service, hide your online location, or protect your online activity, then you should change your public IP address. You can do this by using a proxy server, rebooting your modem, unplugging your router, or with a VPN.
A VPN is the best and safest way to change your public IP address. While there are many VPN apps on the market, one of the most popular options is ExpressVPN. We will use them for the duration of them throughout this tutorial as we have found them to be extremely reliable and secure. Technically speaking, a VPN hides your IP address by creating an encrypted connection. This type of connection acts as a tunnel between your device and the internet.
How To Setup A VPN On Playstation
When you think about VPNs, gaming consoles dont usually come to mind.
A VPN is a type of cybersecurity software that sends your web traffic on a detour through an encrypted tunnel and away from your ISPs watchful eye. In the process, it helps protect your data when you connect to public networks or use sites that dont prioritize security. Best of all, it can enhance your online experience whether youre on an iPhone, a PC, or even a PlayStation.
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How Do I Check My Psn Region On Ps4
There are a couple of different ways to check your PSN region. For instance, you could log into the PlayStation website, click your avatar icon in the top right, select Account Settings, then click the Edit button next to Residential Address to see the address you signed up with.
The easier option for most people, though, is to simply enter your PSN ID into PSNprofiles.com. Theres no login required, and itll also let you enter another players username to see which region theyre from if youd like.
How To Change Ip Address On A Ps4
Setting up ExpressVPN on your PS4 is a bit more complicated than on other devices. Youll need to create a DDNS hostname, register your hostname with ExpressVPN, and then configure DNS on your PS4.
You will need to use a third-party DDNS service provider to set up a DDNS hostname. Well explain how to do the rest in the following two sections:
Step One Register the Hostname With ExpressVPN
Step Two Set Up the DNS on Your PS4
Restart your PS4, and the process is complete. Your IP address will be hidden, so you can play any games you want.
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How To Change Your Ip Address Without A VPN
If you dont want to use a VPN, you can change your IP address manually. This process is different for every device. For example, if youre using Windows, you can configure your IP address in Control Panel > Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change Adapter setting. For Mac, youd need to go to System Preferences > Network> Advanced, and so on.
You can also automatically update your IP address on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices.
Create A Hotspot With A VPN Installed
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Windows 10 allows you to simulate your own virtual network by creating a hotspot. By installing a VPN, your hotspot becomes its own router, completely bypassing your physical router and its strict NAT type. Through our own testing, we can confirm the Windows 10 hotspot consistently provides a Moderate NAT Type.
Creating a hotspot wont technically change your routers NAT Type or prevent the network address translation from happening. NAT will still occur on a Windows 10 hotspot, but it will provide a Moderate NAT Type by default.
EXPERT TIP: Our testing has confirmed this is the case with Windows 10, but you may see different results when creating a hotspot on a different device or operating system.
To change your NAT Type using a VPN hotspot:
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Why Do You Need A VPN On Playstation
Once you have set up a PlayStation Network account, it locks your region and you wont be able to change it. Even if you move permanently to another country, you cant freely change locations in the settings.
But, even if you havent moved to another country, there are lots of reasons why you might want to change your PSN country. Lets find out what they are.
How A VPN Helps You Stay Anonymous And Secure Online
Whether you know it or not, youre being watched online. From the government snooping on what you do to your Internet Service Provider monitoring your habits to marketers following your every move, someones virtually always watching. This isnt a problem for many people but it can be undesirable for several reasons. First, console gaming data is often unencrypted or lightly encrypted. This means that anyone who can get a hold of your PS4 data can hear your audio calls with teammates, follow the games you buy and play, and more. If you use Netflix and other services from your PS4, that information easily accessible too.
A VPN can put an end to all these problems with strong encryption. Specifically, a VPN secures your data in a way that makes it hard or impossible for third parties to see what youre doing. This protects your data, device, and identity and stops others from snooping on you. This is especially important if you have young children at home. All kinds of people use video game consoles, and there have been stories of individuals trying to extract important information by taking advantage of kids carelessness. A VPN adds a layer of protection that makes it harder for criminals to do this by protecting PS4 and PSN data.
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Common Problems With Changing Regions On Playstation
Even once you have changed regions on your PlayStation, you may still run into issues, particularly with region locked content. For instance, if you have used the US store to buy a game, you will only be able to access future downloadable content for that game from the US. That means that, if new content for the game becomes available in your country, you wont be able to access it without buying the game again.
Of course, this also means that the content for that game will be tailored to that region. This means that there may be local references you dont understand, and the game might only be available in that countrys native language. Don’t forget that this may affect your online gaming experience as well, as you will be connecting to servers located further away.
How To Buy Games With Your International Psn Account
Once youve set up your account with the PSN region you want, you need to use a payment method from the same country as your new PSN account to buy games. If you dont have a credit card or PayPal account registered to another country, dont worry you can purchase a digital gift card from that regions Amazon store and use it to buy the games you want.
I connected my VPN to a server in the US and was shown all the retailers selling PlayStation gift cards in USD.
Once you select Continue, youll be able to browse the store and buy the games and apps you want.
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