Flying to Hong Kong to buy a PS3 is cheaper than buying one in the UK March 14, 2007
Posted by Al in : gadget,interesting,travel , trackbackThis sounds really stupid, but after a discussion in work today we decided that flying 12,000 miles to buy a Playstation 3 may actually be a cheaper option than buying one in the UK!
PS3 in the UK – £425
4 games @ £40 each – £160
Second controller – £28
Total – £613
When I was in Hong Kong I bought a PS3 which may actually be of better spec than the upcoming UK PS3, as my PS3 has the emotion chip which the European version will lack. I also bought 4 games and a second controller.
PS3 in Hong Kong – $3778 = £250
4 games @ $338 each – $1352 = £89
Second controller – $320 = £21
Total – $5450 = £360
So all we need to do now is to find some flights to Hong Kong for less than £250 to make flying to Hong Kong cheaper than buying in the UK. I have searched and currently the cheapest return flight I can find is £303, which is not good enough, but the airline these cheap flights are with, Oasis Hong Kong, regularly have promotions so signing up for their mailing list would be an option. (It’s also worth noting that this price is for return on the same day as arrival, or for return 2 days later).
However there is another way to make buying your PS3 in Hong Kong cheaper than buying in the UK: buy 2 PS3′s!
2 PS3s, 4 games and a second controller – £720
Flights – £303
Total – £1023
Since an equivalent PS3 package in the UK would be £613 then £1023-£613=£410. So all you need to do is sell the second PS3 package for more than £410 and you’re on a winner. In fact if you could sell the second PS3 package for £550 then you would have £140 for spending a couple of nights in Hong Kong – a quick search on Expedia turned up 2 options for less than £70. The Tatami Hampton is within 2 blocks of the main electronics area of Hong Kong and very close to the markets of Mongkok as well.
So you could have a short holiday with 2 nights stay in a hotel and £70 spending money, AND a PS3 cheaper than buying one in the UK!
And on one final note, and thanks to Alex in work for pointing this out, you could spend a little more (£329) on the return flights and fly with British Airways. The advantage here is that you get free booze on BA flights, so providing you don’t get so drunk you make a nuisance of yourself you can fly in comfort, get fed on the flights, get drunk on the flights and get a PS3 cheaper than buying one in the UK. Now the big deal about getting drunk on the plane is if you travel on a weekend you can save all the money you would have spent in pubs and clubs back here in the UK. This saving would definitely make the trip even more worthwhile – in fact I suggest you all go now.
Comments»
What about the region problem with dvds & the fact UK games don’t work on a Hong Kong machine? As the machines are NTSC and resricted by regions is it still worth it?
As far as I’m aware UK games should play without a problem (See here for example). I already have enough region free DVD players to last me and Hong Kong is in the same BluRay region as the USA – so through the wonder that is the Internet I can buy films on BluRay probably before they come out in the UK and probably cheaper as well.
I don’t see many negatives really.
UK games DO work on a Hong kong machine, in fact, it would be better, because in the european version of the ps3 sony has removed the chip that allows the ps3 to play all previous ps2 games. (Thought they say this will be fixed later…apparantly)
Once again Europe, and especially the UK, gets the royal shafting.
I have to add one thing though: although PS3 games should be OK (and I’ll let you know on Sat once I’ve bought MotorStorm), PS2 games will not play as they are region encoded.
I have tried a few PS2 games on my PS3 now and they all refuse to play stating region encoding as the reason. So I can’t mothball my old PS2 yet as I’ll not be able to enjoy the Nurburgring on Gran Turismo until GT:HD is released for the PS3. So although my PS3 has the Emotion chip, I cannot use it to play any of the PS2 games I currently own; therefore is PS2 compatability is an issue I would recommend you get a UK PS3.
dam is there any way you can change the region
Is there any issues with bringing the Playstation through customs? Did you just hide it in your bag?
yes i have come to the same conclusion that buying a uk ps3 would be in my best interest- where can i get it the cheapest?
Firstly let me just note that I’m writing this on my PS3 – it’s got a really good browser.
Secondly I should note that UK games work fine – I am currently playing Motorstorm & it’s very good.
I carried my PS3 through customs in it’s box, with the words Playstation all over i , and none of the customs officials raised an eyebrow!
HAve you downloaded the Firmware update from the Ps3 site yet? Have u had problems with that? My friend brought an hk ps3 to Aus and his downlaod corrupted his ps3. Warranty doesnt cover it so he has to get an independant repairer to fix it!
Im am on holiday i australia and i am going to Hong Knog on the way back, is it worth buying a ps3 there or spending an extra 3 hundred something on a uk 1?
Phil – Yes, I have downloaded firmware update 1.6 and my PS3 is working fine. Motorstorm is very good.
Jack – I can’t really answer that for you. Depends on your finances, you baggage and whether you trust Sony products to last or whather you would prefer a UK warranty.
Hi, a friend of mine has told me that online play is very limited of even doesnt work atall when using an imported PS3, is this the case, it would be very sad to get a shiney new PS3, and find i have to play alown!
also, does the HK ps3 have the same bits with it as the UK one?
Al- Did u download the update from the asian site or the Uk site?
The games from HK, are they in english?
The games from HK are in Chinese. I had to wait for the launch of the UK Playstation Store to redownload Gran Tursimo HD so that I could understand the options.
I re-registered my PS3 account in the UK and got access to the UK Playstation Store. I still have access to my HK profile with it’s Ridge Racer and Genji saves. I also had to set the browser homepage to http://uk.playstation.com/ps3/
With the way the PS3 is going it would not be good press for Sony if they penalised people who had moved country.
John – Online play is absolutely fine. I have played Ridge Racer and Motorstorm online and found them very responsive. I understand that Motorstorm didn’t have capability when it launched in the US and Japan but it has now.
Also the Hong Kong version comes with the standard UK power plug for a 3 pin socket and works on 220-240V. Everything else is the same as far as I can tell.
Al – Could you suggest a website where they would ship to the uk?
So is the only disadvantage of getting a HK ps3; the fact that i cannot play UK DVDs or Blue Ray disks?
thanks
Richard – I’m sorry but I can’t. When I wrote this article my intention was as much to show how cheap flights to Hong Kong were as to show how expensive a PS3 was in Europe. I never intended it to be a guide on how to import a PS3. If you’re really interested in buying a PS3 from Hong Kong then I really suggest that you go there – it’s a fantastic city that’s worth a visit.
John – it might be worth considering the need for a warranty. I have family in Hong Kong & will probably be going back, so I could claim on my warranty if anything went wrong in the first year. You would need to decide whether you feel a warranty is worth the extra money.
al – is the hong kong ps3 completely compatible with uk games???
if so can i update the firmware of a hong kong ps3 in UK with no problems??? just making sure before i go buy one
cheers
Si – all I can say is that I have bought one UK game, Motorstorm, which runs without any problem at all. It has also updated itself over the Internet and is still working OK, as is my PS3 which has had the latest firmware 1.6 updated onto it as well. I wouldn’t like to offer you any cast iron guarantees, as I don’t know if Sony may suddenly decide to change something to stop all this working. But as I mentioned before they really don’t want to alienate any more PS3 fans as their launch didn’t go as planned in Europe.
All I can say is that I as in Hong Kong and couldn’t resist buying a PS3, especially as it was so cheap. I was willing to take the risk that it may not work when I rturned to the UK, and that has paid off and I’m very happy with my PS3. Whether you feel there is a risk, and if so whether you want to take it, is entirely up to you. But I will say that a PS3 is definitely worth owning.
What type of rubber lips should I get for my PS3?
Depends on what, and/or where, you want to be kissed. But if you want that kind of action from a console then a Wii might be better.
I’d feel like a cheap whore.
Guys, this has all been very useful. I am not a computer minded person and am going to Hong Kong with some naivety, so I have a few questions.
1. Is it legal to bring a PS3 back?
2. What is the deal with PAL / NSTC (will it work on my TV)?
3. Are the games in English etc?
McFly – as far as I am aware it is perfectly legal to bring back electronic deviceds for your own use. If you bought a camera abroad there would be no issue, and since the PS3 is around the same value as a decent camera in Hong Kong then I cannot see a problem. I would suggest you carry your receipt with the PS3 to show how much you paid and where you bought it.
The Hong Kong PS3 is a Japanese machine with a British plug, so it’s NTSC. All modern TVs should be able to display NTSC pictues without a problem, and if you connect it to a HD TV using the HDMI port then you it won’t matter what format it’s TV picture is as it will hen just be HD.
Almost all games are multilingual these days as it is far cheaper than producing different disks for different regions. You may find some uniquely Japanese games without English, but these would be very rare and probably not a game you would buy. Just ask the shop assistant to see the back of the game case to check.
I bought my PS3 in Broadway on Sei Yung Choi St in Mongkok, which is full of electronic shops. There are severla Broadways and Fortresses along this street – I bought mine in the Broadway next door to McDonalds and has a big basement floor. The assisants there were very helpful and spoke good English.
Pop in for a Big Mac AL?
Al, thanks very much for your advice. Roughly how much did it cost you (in British pounds)?
McFly – have you read the first few lines of my post? If not then scroll up.
Bishop – no Big Mac for me. In Hong Kong they have far more interesting options in McDonalds, such as Spicy Curried Pork Burger, or Korean Beef in a Black Pepper Sauce. You can also choose between wheat buns or a toasted rice bun, and the best of all is that the breakfast menu is available all day long.
GOT ONE TODAY FROMA A RELATIVE, FROM HONG KONG PS3 GAMES DO NOT WORK PS2 GAMES DO NOT WORK ! DO NOT BUY BERY ANNOYED
Ok, so most fot he games have Eng options and manuals etc….
I wld prolly download the firmware from the asian ps3 site, if u buy it from hk; rather than your local site. It says in fine print that the update might not work or even corrupt your ps3 if u dl from the wrong site.
MMmmmmmmm All Day Breakfast – Double Sausage and Egg McMuffins…………….
)
Over here in Holland they dont even do a breakfast (Having to suppliment my lack of McD’s with extra Guiness
Tom – I had alrady mentioned that UK PS2 games would not work, they will give the region encoding error. However I have been playing Motorstorm without any problems. Which PS3 games did you try and what errors did they give?
Phil – I have downloaded one HK and one UK update so far and both have worked OK. I can’t really see Sony regionalising updates – that would take a lot of work.
By the way, PS3′s are already falling in price – you can get one for £399.99 on Aria.
This is almost turning into a saga. I think you all should buy what you want, from wherever you want and I”m sure Al feels the same. It’ll all work itself out somehow.
And all because of a harmless post on an entertaining blog. However, I find the tone of the ongoing issue very entertaining, especially ‘BERY ANNOYED’. Keep it up lads…
I agree with Authur. You should all stop grilling Al about buying a PS3 in HK, i think that all questions are now fully answered except one.
Why buy a PS3 when you can get an Xbox 360?
For those who still have more questions try this number – 08457 90 90 90, for the cost of a local call (UK only number).
Hi Guys
Im a bit confused as I have been looking to import a playstation 3 from china and been told that they are UK spec and PAL
Can anyone help as dont want to get ripped off plus I would like to be able to play UK bluray movies if poss
Thanks
hi i am going hong kong and i am going to buy a ps3 from there if i buy it and i took it back to uk and download a asian update and then i download a uk update at the same day and just keep downloading uk updates and no more of asian updates will that corrupt my ps3!
1.when i try the online play will it be connected to chinese servers or uk servers. and the playstation store language be in chinease can you change the whole ps3 configuratuion thankx in to english.
thankx when i first turn the ps3 on will ask me to update.
and when i first turn it on will ask me about the language settings thankx.
i am going to buy 2 psps to white and black will they play uk games on it thankx anyway please help me!
Darren – as noted above the Hong Kong PS3 that I bought is NTSC and DVD region 3. As for BluRay the Hong Kong PS3 is region 1 – which is the same as America and Japan, but definitely not the UK. If you want a UK and PAL compatable PS3 then you’d better pay UK prices for one.
Tommy – I can’t answer the first question about updates as I haven’t tried what you suggested. I downloaded a Chinese update on mine first, then a UK one when the European site opened. My PS3 still works correctly. As long as you register your user as living in the UK then you will be directed to the UK site and the Playstation Store will be in English.
When you first turn your PS3 on you can update it using the Update option, and it will ask you for your preferred language settings as you initially set it up – you can choose English then. And as far as I am aware a HK machine will play UK games as my PS3 is playing Motorstorm without any problems. I cannot speak for other games, but games are supposed to be region free – it’s only the DVDs and BluRay movies that are region encoded.
Al-When you bought the ps3 back to uk did you encounter any problems at the airport when they check your luaggage? Such as tax or somthing on the ps3 cause its a expensive electronic good?
eNvY` – as I mentioned before I walked through customs with my PS3 in it’s packaging box: this has poctures of the PS3 all over it and also the words Playstation 3 in big lettering. The customs officials at Gatwick just nodded to me as I showed them this as I walked towards them. I can’t guarantee this would be the same for you.
If you did have to pay VAT then this should be calculated against the price you paid, so keep your HK receipt with you, as I did.
I’ve just bought a playstation 3 from hong kong thanks to this sight and its great!!!!!!!!!! ok i can’t play my region 2 dvds but who cares, you can pick up a dvd player these days for 20 quid. The only problem now is i have to buy a hd tv to make the most of the stunning graphics!!!
Or you could buy one with a Virgin Credit Card which gives you 10% off at Virgin Megastores, saving £42.50
My Mate is off to visit his girlfriend’s family in China and they are stopping over in in Hong Kong. He has offered to bring me one back…. so we will see what happens. Planning on getting a 22″ LCD monitor for my PC as well to plug it into as my telly’s not up to much.
AL- I really want to get a ps3 as i am going to US, but i’m not to sure if I will have problems getting it back to the UK with customs at the airport.. What is the best thing to do with the ps3 with customs..? is it just to carry the ps3 in the original box?
I’m looking forward to flying my PS3 Kite this weekend.
Jake – I wouldn’t advise you to try concealing the PS3 to bring it through customs. All I can say is I carried mine through in it’s box and the customs officials just nodded to me. At the end of the day it’s only a few quid, and nothing compared to people bringing back video cameras that cost twice as much, or 20,000 cigarettes, or other illegal goods.
Arthur – did your kite cost a lot? I so, can it be bought cheaper elsewhere?
It nearly cost my life. And I managed to get it through customs by taking it apart and shoving it up my ass. I paid for the lot with pennies.
AL- Thanks man, still not sure if i should take the risk of buying one out there.. I was thinking about buying the ps3 out there and shipping it back but I think that will cost loads…
Does anyone know if they can use msn and other chat programs on the ps3?
What about filesharing programs?
Im trying to find English PS3 games in HK. I got someone to look in Mongkok, but they said Resistance is the only game with English manual. Does anyone know any other shops in Hk?
Al, I am currently in Hong Kong (exciting eh?) and I’ve bought a ps3 which is in my hotel room as i type this. I have plugged it into my tv in my room which has a scart connection (17 pins or whatever it is). This creates a really really poor picture though the ps3 seems to be working ok. I know the ps3 come with the standard 3 wire av connections (red white and yellow leads). Can any lay my mind to rest and confirm that this may be the problem and everything will be wonderful when i get home and even better when i go HD next week???
Phil, if you want english language games in HK region go to Toys R us in central (or HMV though they have less selection), I bought call of duty there about 4 hours ago
Just came back from HK and bought a PS3 – had no problems setting it up or transporting it through customs
I’m currently playing resistance (ntsc) version and so far so good – hopefully will try out a few PAL games sometime in the near future
however the seller (fortress) did advise the system will only play ntsc format games so we’ll see….
Hope you all enjoy Hong Kong – I certainly do.
Phil – even if the game doesn’t have an English manual it will normally have English instructions included in-game.
McFly – have fun whilst you’re out there and all I can confirm is that my PS3 runs through the S-Video leads you described and works fine, and I’m sure that HD should be even better. If you are concerned then you could ask the store you bought it in to test it on one of their TVs, as it may be the hotel TV’s SCART connection that is at fault.
I’ve recently came back from Hong Kong and whilst i was there the exchange rate was great and the temptation in buying a PS3 was greater, so I brought one even though I knew that UK movies won’t work on it
I work in Game so me and few of my work buddies decide to borrow 5 ps3 games and a HD cable and try out the machine, WOW, it was worth buying one, all of them worked perfectly
Hopefully in the future, PS2 games will work on the machine.
I’m planning to go to Hong Kong in september, if anyone can help me with answering below concerns that I have about buying a PS3 from there, I would be most greatful:
1. Best place in Hong Kong to buy a PS3
2. Is it heavy to bring back?
3. Do games, Blue-ray movies from the UK play on the PS3 or will I need to buy games and blue-ray movies from hong kong?
4. Most Important, this is my first trip to Hong Kong, I don’t know where to go for best places to buy it, any recommendations? (this is similar to question 1)
5. Duty, if i do get stopped by customs and they ask me to pay duty, does anyone know how much it is?
6. Can I have to accounts, I mean if i connect it to the network in Hong kong and create an account, then I come back and create an account in the UK, am I allowed to do that? to keep both accounts?
Again, thank you very much for anyone who will spare the time to answer these questions.
Bob – you should find most of the answers in the post and comments above, but here goes:
1 & 4 – Broadway (which is an electronics store) on Sei Yung Choi Street in Mongkok. It’s next to McDonalds and you can find it here.
2 – around 14Kg
3 – UK games will play, but not PAL (UK) PS2 games. Also Blu-Ray movies from the UK will not play, but those from the US will.
5 – the PS3 costs around £250 in Hong Kong. So if duty was levied it should come to around £45, however it might be worth reading up on the customs and excise website if you want to be 100% on this.
6 – Yes. I have a Hong Kong account from when I was out there, and a UK account from when I came back again. I can log into either now and get different Playstation Stores when I do so. I have recently downloaded and watched the Devil May Cry videos from the HK store, these are not available on the UK store.
hi i bought a ps3 from hk well via ebay in january and its great and plays english games fine apart from choking on £50 a game ill stick to getting games from hk or america
Hi there, I’ve just bought a ps3 from Hong Kong and was told that it would be compatable with uk games… However I tried to play Call Of Duty 3 and it failed to work! Do you know of any specific restrictions to this title as it came up “GAME NOT SUPPORTED”! It isn’t playing any of our playstation 2 games either, is there anyway this can be modified or have I been ripped off? Please HELP!!!!!!!!!
Sheraleigh – I haven’t tried Call Of Duty 3, so I cannot really comment. All I can say is that Motorstorm works fine, and other people have reported other UK games working as well. I don’t know if anyone lese reading this post has tried Call Of Duty 3 yet – if so maybe they can tell us whether it works or not.
As for the PS2 games not working, that was already explained in a number of comments above. PS2 games are region encoded and so will not work.
Hey does anyone know if NTSC (US, Canada) format games will work on my 60GB Hong Kong version Playstation 3? Also does anyone know the release date for Metal gear solid 4 and Final Fantasy 13?
Hey Al,
I’m back from HK. Thanks for the tip on Broadway, I got my PS3 and it works fine on my new HD TV with the AV connection. However, when I try the HDMI cable, all I get is sound and no pibture which sucks. Anybody got any ideas?
I got Call of Duty 3 and resistance out there and both work fine. Hoping to buy a UK game today adn have ordered a US blu-ray (best site I could find is http://www.playusa.com ) as it has free delivery.
Thanks again for the advice on getting a HK PS3 and any help with the HD issue would be appreciated.
Sirijunga – as far as I am aware those games should work fine. As for the release dates – this is what Google is for.
McFly – hope you enjoyed your time in Hong Kong, and glad you found Broadway. The staff there were very helpful to me. As for the HDMI issue, are you using the optical audio out? If you are then there is a known issue. If not, then try looking here. Apparently, holding down the power button for 5 seconds can fix the problem.
hey,
I’m from New Zealand and have been planning to go to Hong Kong to buy one ever since it was released there as it costs NZ$1200 ( ). I just remembered that hwen i modded my old playstation years ago, my tv had a problem with playing NTSC games and only played these in Black and White until i added a colour mod to it, as my tv can only display PAL in colour.
Will this happen to the HK PS3 as it is NTSC.
Cheers
^^^That’s 446 pounds btw
Al, thanks for the help. It turned out I didn’t have the correct output settings but now my PS3 is fully working in high definition!!!
Thanks for all the help!
Zoop Zoop i got a HK ps3 for 300£ and then got 2 games with it for a further £40!! Now all I need is a second controller as a HDMI cable came free with it!
I got this from a mate but people who want a PS3 cheaper, check out SuccessHK (google them their URL is different to the store name).
Motorstorm HD IS FRICKINNN AWESOME…
RESISTANCE ONLINE ROX MY SOX!
Only problem is I can’t play old DVD’s and Ps2 games because there mostly Region 2 (region free DVD’s work ofc).
At least I can buy American Blu-Ray which works out cheaper and I can get them before release date over here xD
HAPPY GAMING :
Vyper91 – add me
—–
160GB Hard Drive
Fedora Core 5
Myth TV
= Ultimate Home Entertainment system.
Alongside my 46″ HD Sony Bravia
The 360 is up for sale now…but i’ll NEVER flog the Wii.
Nick – I would imagine that you’d have the same problem, as it sounds as though the issue is with the TV. Get a new TV first, preferably a HD-TV with HDMI, and then it won’t be an issue. And by the time you’ve then saved up for a PS3 they might have come down in price.
McFly – glad to know it’s all sorted.
Hi Al
Thank you very much for answering my questions in (question 56). I am going for 2 weeks in Hong Kong in September, look forward to seeing it.
Just need to decide now whether to wait another 5 months and pick the PS3 from there, or buy one now, that’s my dilemma right now. Not sure if I can wait 5 months, what do u think? Is it worth waiting until September?
I bourght HK PS3 and updated to 1.70 today with no problem. Does not play any of my son’s PS2 games or any of my UK DVD’s. Does play any PS3 game by the look of it and plays UK casino royal from play on blue-ray with no problems. Keep seeing items on downloading software to run PS2 games from playstation store but nothing on there, anybody else have any ideas on that
I’m also from New Zealand. My partner’s going to HK in a couple of weeks and she’s offered to buy me a PS3 while she’s there. Couple of quick questions though:
1) Is the weight REALLY 14kg? (as mentioned in a post above) I had a look online and so far the weight has been around the 5kg mark.
2) Would the price of a PS3 bought at the Duty Free Store (which I’m assuming exists in HK airport) be the same as in Broadway (where you recommend to get the PS3)?
Bob – in the 5 months the price of the PS3 may well come down again (although the exchange rate may get even better over the same period). If the price comes down to your price range then get one here, if not then wait.
Killerdad – I also upgraded to version 1.70 without a hitch. I’ll have to get a BluRay film and test my playback to see if I can play UK films too. I doubt whether there will be a software hack to bypass the region encoding of PS2 games – I’m just keeping my PS2 running alongside my PS3.
Richard – I can’t remember the weight, sorry. If you work on around 10Kg then you can’t go far wrong. Shouldn’t count as baggage allowance as I’d recommend you carry on the PS3 rather than consigning it to the hold.
I seem to remember the Duty Free stores were around the same price, relatively. But I think they were only selling the PS3 as a package with a couple of games – you might need to be talking to your partner whilst they were at the store to make sure they got the right games you want.
Al – Thanks for the information. I think maybe you meant 14 pounds instead of Kilo’s (I’ve seen similar numbers in pounds floating around the net) I’m a bit concerned about the packaging with games, hopefully we can choose our own games to put in the package. I’ll just give her a list of the games which are on my “buy list” and hope for the best. ^_^ Though it would be nice if they didn’t force a package deal. Did you have to buy it as a package? I recall seeing somewhere that Sony Computer Entertainment HK mandates that you must buy at least 2 games with the PS3.
Does anyone know if region 3 dvd’s will work on my Hong Kong ps3?
I’m assuming it will because its the correct region (DVD wise) It would be counter-intuitive for Sony to not support the DVDs for the HK region on the HK PS3 don’t you think? ^_^
Here’s an update for some of you going through HK airport for transit (and won’t be able to get into the city to get your PS3). I’ve managed to contact one of the electronic shops in the airport (terminal 2 to be exact), DG Lifestyle and they are selling the PS3 as a package of Console, 2 games and extra controller for HK $4980. I’m considering whether or not I should get this package or the other one (there’s 2 Fortress stores in HK airport as well)… will update as news hits. ~_~
Had my Hong Kong 60G PS3 since last September 06, wow wow wow wow wow wow wow wow, others think it’s funny that i can’t buy english blue-ray disk’s! I laugh at how much they have to pay for them and laugh even harder when i show them a shelf full of movies not even released here yet!
So what if i can’t play old PS2 games on my shiney new toy, i will be too busy playing new PS3 games that are cheaper and released earlier in HK and USA!
Havn’t tried any UK PS3 games yet but will go hire one from blockbusters to try out and will let u know!
But even if it doesn’t who cares i’ll just pick up the phone and get my girlfriends parents in HK to send over what ever i need! Plus thier next door neighbour works for HK airlines, she just brings it over! No posting required! ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
One smug very happy PS3 owner!
Hey guys and gals, just to let you know that i went out and bought an English version of Call of Duty III for my Jap PS3, works just fine! YEEEEEE HAAAAAA
hi
i want to know i have ps3 ntsc hk version but we cannot play uk ps3 games like call of duty & full auto can you sugges what should i do for use those pal games.
Imran: There’s no such thing as PAL for PS3… (well there is, but only for display output, not region coding) It should work. See, the guy who posted before you got his Call of Duty 3 to work on his Jap PS3 (HK and Jap are essentially the same model) Try it again, maybe you just need to update the firmware?
hi,
on my ps3 it works but theres no colour what wrong.
Kev – a friend of mine in work has just had the same issue. Turned out that the PS3 wasn’t auto-sensing the TV type correctly. Go into the display settings and make sure you have the correct output and TV type selected.
By the way, I’ve just had my copy of Casino Royale on Blu-Ray, from Sony. Thanks Sony.
Also, I have had an email from Sony confirming that there will be new content for Motorstorm and Resistance coming out this month. Looking forward to new tracks and maps – but will probably end up being new vehicles (or paint jobs) and new uniforms. Still, it’s good to see the Playstation Store getting better and better.
can you buy the NTSC with your PS3 in hong kong
wats PAL
out of curiosity, will my uk ps3 have full effect in australia (new job woohoo) or am i best to sell it and get another over there?
after reading most of the messages people have left, im stil a bit confused.
So ps2 games wount work on Hong Kongs PS3?
and UK dvds wount play on it either?
if this is true then shall i just buy a load of ps3 games over there n dvds or what?
Im going to Hong Kong in 2weeks and wana make sure i get everything i need.
i want to buy a ps3 from hong kong i had my relative in hong kong can my relative parcel it to uk with out any problems please someone tell me
The HK PS3 has a lack of the suitable output frequency for PAL games in its display setttings. This means that PS3 UK Games do work on the machine albeit currently only in HD outputs properly. Until Sony resolves this issue (hopefully in an update an makes a PAL output an option for its display settings. Games such as F.E.A.R and I’m presuming Call of Duty and downloads such as Tekken DR wont run as this output method is unsupported by the machine as its only SCART output option is NTSC.
hi, just got a ps3 frm hk, it works perfectly well and have managed to update firmware to 1.70, but have not yet tried an english ps3 game. is sony likely to release an update so that you can play ps2 games on hk ps3′s? also, what are the 5 recommended games to buy?
Alex – PS2 games were region encoded. Region free PS2 games, or PS2 games for the correct region for your PS3 will work – any others won’t. Also UK DVDs are region encoded – so the same goes for these.
PS3 games are not currently region encoded and so should work without a problem.
Shoumail – best to check with the carrier for their view on this.
HKFooney – I haven’t had any issues as my TV will display NTSC and PAL (I still haven’t got around to buying a HDTV yet!). Most TV’s will cope with NTSC or PAl and will normally auto-sense and switch automatically – all my TVs do this, and I would expect almost all modern TVs to do this as well.
Harshill – the PS2 issue is due to region encoding, so unlikely to be fixed by Sony. The 5 games I would buy are:
– Motorstorm
– Resistance Fall Of Man
– Genji: Day Of The Blade
– Ridge Racer 7
– Tekken (from the PS3 store)
does the hong kong PS3 have NTSSC on it
Kev – yes, the HK PS3 is NTSC, and not PAL. If your TV is NTSC compatable, or a HDTV, then you will have no problems. if your TV is PAL only, then you might want to think about buying your PS3 in the UK.
Why don’t you people read whats written above!!!!
The HK machine is just a Jap machine with an english plug!
Which is in NTSC (USA, HK and Japan)
This mashine comes with the chip to allow you to play ‘SOME’ old PS2 games….
The Eurpean version (PAL) does not have this chip, instead it has been updated with software which won’t let you play ‘MOST’ old PS2 games yet.
All PS3 games are region free, (PS2 Games are not) which means u can buy them from anywhere around the world and they will work, this does not include Blu-Ray movies! Unfortunatly u will have to buy Blu-Ray disk’s from the SAME country (or region) as the machine was bought from!
And what the hell are you people doing buying a PS3 without a High Def Television???? If u can’t afford it all then don’t buy one, cause u are missing out on a huge amount of visual performance!!!!!!!!
One more rant, if you don’t know what NTSC and PAL is, you don’t deserve a PS3! Go and buy an X-BOX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One more Bonus!
If like me you live in the U.K. and have a HK/Jap PS3, you may be a little dissapointed to know that we have to buy our dvd’s and blu-ray disc’s from the corresponding country, which can suck a little if your impatient!
So, i thought you might be happy to know that the PS3 will quite happily play any ripped dvd’s!
One point worth noting, for anyone who has an address in Hong Kong they can use. If you register an account in Hong Kong, then you have access to the Hong Kong Playstation Store – which means you can get a whole load of stuff before it comes out in the UK.
I have just downloaded the trial version of Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Everybody’s Golf. Both are good – Ninja looks a lot like Genji DOTB. I also have downloaded the Devil May Cry 4 videos, and that looks stunning.
u no ridge racer, can u play use the controll like a wheel cuz my mate said you can
al where did you download it from
u no ridge racers, can you use the control as a wheel cuz it might be control sensitive my mate said it
and where did you download it from Q95
No you can’t use the control for stearing in ridge racer!
wot about othere games, on the PS3 site it says its control senstive
As I have a Hong Kong profile, I could download Ninja Gaiden Sigma from the HK Playstation Store. I have since discovered, thanks to Gareth in work, that you don’t even need to set up an alternative profile if you have a PC connected to your network – you just need a nifty program called PS3 Proxy, and an ability to follow instructions (because it’s a little bit complicated to set up)
Hey hey! I wonder if anyone can offer some much needed advice. I plan to buy a PS3 from Hong Kong as a birthday prezzie for my wee brother when I go in two weeks..HOWEVER, I haven’t TOUCHED a computer console since Nintendo’s ‘All Stars’ – Can anyone PLEASE advise me as to what I need to look out for so I buy the right system compatible with UK games – Also, does anyone know if there’s a popular area in Hong Kong selling PS3s??? I know the little’n would be chuffed if I bought one back with me but if it turned out to be the wrong type I’d kick myself!! Thanks in advance
Hi there, can any one have a look at this link to a shop selling the PS3. I think this place is in Indonesia.
http://www.distaspoint.com/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=199
Has anyone bought from them before. I am looking to get a PS3 and am shopping around. Having read the posts related to imports of PS3′s, i don’t see there being much of a problem using this machine in the U.K., especially at the price they are offering.
Carlene – as discussed above the HK PS3 is compatable with the UK power supply, but outputs in NTSC if you’re not using HD. Almost all modern TVs will be able to display this without a problem, so as long as your little brother doesn’t have an ancient TV you should be OK. However, you need to be aware that the HK PS3 will not play UK PS2 games, or UK DVDs, or UK encoded Blu-Ray movies. However it will play any region free games, DVDs or Blu-Ray disks. If you want to buy a PS3 then look at comment 63. Whether you buy one, or not, is up to you – but please enjoy your stay in Hong Kong.
Sen – a PS3 for approximately £150 is very cheap. However, I’m not sure how much shipping would be. If anyone finds out, let us know.
Hi all,
I recently got a friend to buy me a PS3 from Hong Kong when he was over there. It worked fine up until a few days ago when it over heated and shut down. Now I can’t get it fixed coz for some reason in New Zealand they don’t have the right gear to fix HK PS3′s.
Very anoying. Would recommend only buying a PS3 from HK only if you are like Al and have realtives in HK which you can get to help out.
does anyone know of any good online retailers in hong kong that will allow me to buy a hk ps3 over net
tom- ebay
goto http://www.renchi.com there reputeable and offer marked down invoices to avoid customs charges
Al – Spoke to the guy over the net, the shipping on the PS3 is $45, the whole deal comes to $345.00 around £175.00. The only snag is, as you can see from the web site, payment by overseas customers can only be made by Western Union money Transfers. If this place is genuine then the stuff he has got on the site could be got for bargain prices. – That’s a big “IF”. I did manage to get his contact details though, which is not displayed on the site any where. So if there is any one out there from Indonesia let me know. I will pass on his details to you for verification. – Cheers.
sen, found a thread about indonesian companies http://www.topix.net/forum/world/indonesia/TIHAGB2HA9SL69B4Q
dru – Cheers ! Looks like the best deal is to keep away.
Any one dealing with only Money Transfers (WU) for goods over the net is probably out there to rip you off. So please beware.
Kimdon – Its possible that they may not be able to fix NTSC PS3s because PAL PS3s are slightly different hardware wise (no Emotion Engine) but I don’ think that is the case. I am guessing that they are just unwilling to fix it (since it isn’t NZ bought as well) Where in NZ are you? I’m thinkin that around Auckland, it wouldn’t be such a big problem. If they don’t have the parts they can always make an order for them – it’ll cost you a bit more but hey, its your PS3 on the line. Also, how did you manage to make it overheat?
hi
my dads ordered a ps3 frm his client hu went HK
cnt wait
hes cumin nxt week
ill keep u lot updated if it works or not
thnx for all the adviced frm the above
Richard – Yeah I’m in Auckland but haven’t had any luck so far with finding a place to get it fixed. I keep getting bumped over to the same company “Fixtronics”. They are something like the official PS3 repairers…I don’t know.
Also I don’t know if it overheated just assuming coz the manual said if the red light flashes then its overheated. The thing is its always flashing now, and won’t turn on.
Anyways, I’ve written to Sony NZ to see if something can be done, otherwise I’ll wait for someone I know to go to HK.
does HK not have the 20gb version anymore? Also that Renchi.com website isnt really cheaper than the US.
Kimdon – I tried sending the Sony repair center a query which mimicked your situation, but I haven’t got a reply yet. Did “Fixtronics” tell you that they didn’t have the equipment for HK PS3s or was that Sony? Hopefully you can figure something out. I’m gettin mine soon and I don’t want to be stuck if it breaks down (god forbid)… Good luck to you, keep us posted.
Richard – Hi, yeah I haven’t got a reply from Sony yet either! They are taking their sweet time, but I have found a friend of a friend who is going to HK and will hopefully be able to get it repaired for me.
But yeah to answer your question, Fixtronics said that they couldn’t fix HK ps3′s, Sony is’nt replying at all.
I was talking to a mate of mine and he said that mine is the first he’s heard of a HK PS3 stuffing up so hopefully its not too common and you should be sweet with the one you’re getting.
Hi people i live in the UK, im going dubai to get a ps3 but thing is im shook about customs. All these confusing views about unpacking it or carrying it in the box. Will customs stop me if i carry it through in its box SEALED onto the plane? Please anyone who has brought it through dubai or heathrow tell me how i can bring it back on my person.
bring it back however you want, mine came over from Hong Kong unboxed and carried by a beautiful flight attendant! Does help if your GF’s parents work for Sony and have a next door neighbour who work’s for Hong Kong airlines! hehe…………
Its just a console, what’s to be scared about?! Just do it!
‘Run, Luke run’, may the force be with you!!!!!!!!
Ice: The problem is being imposed a tax for “importing” the console. I don’t know if it all applies to all countries, but I know that if you come to New Zealand, if you bring NEW items with a total value of over $700, they can tax you at their discretion. Thats why taking it out of the box is a suggestion. It makes it look “used”.
Kimdon: I’ve gotten a reply from the Playstation centre and it doesn’t look too good for us (and any other people from New Zealand who want to get a PS3 from HK or overseas) Basically they said
” Unfortunately you will need to contact the support centre in Hong Kong as the we can not bring in a console from overseas into our service centre. They have different parts and connections. ”
I am guessing that the Emotion Engine chip is the big thing (but thats one of my main draws to the HK PS3)… We may end up having to rely on other repair service centres for NTSC PS3s in the future.
Well in that case i would suggest anyone importing a HK PS3 to leave the box behind, at the end of the day its just a box!
Hi.
Do NTSC-US ENGLISH VERSION games work on an English PS3 and will there be any problems considering i bought it from hongkong. The game is Spiderman 3 btw.
hi, i live in India and my friend is coming back from hk in couple of weeks.i m plannig to get my ps3 from there can anyone help me with the following questons:
1 Is India in the same region as that of hk? if so then wil the hk ps3 be able to play ps2 games&Blu-Ray dvd’s puchased from India?
2 Wat about the 1 yr warranty,wil it still be valid?
your help is highly appreciated>>>>>>>
Is it better to buy a ps3 from us or from hk if i hav to use it in India?
IceBlue: I kept my box. Yes its just a box but its handy if you’re going to move house or even take it over to a party or 2. No problems with customs on my end. Thank god…
Alex James: Yes they do work. Your PS3 isn’t English, its Asian version (Since you got it from HK) Its Region is NTSC-J for PS1 and PS2 games, as well as PS3 games if you are using the standard AV-MULTI cable. You need a HDMI cable to be playing PS3 games from other regions.
Simar: I am not too sure about the PS3 being able to play Indian PS2 games/Bluray, but I can tell you this. There is no 1 year international warranty. If it breaks, you have to go back to HK to sort it out. Thats my main worry for my PS3 really… as not only is it not covered by warranty, NZ’s technicians aren’t even trained to fix PS3s with the Emotion Engine. >_
thanks for helping.also do the ps3′s of US hav a emotion engine cause i can also get a ps3 from US.
if not and i import my ps3 from US,India is in a diffrent region how wil it effect me??
thank u again for taking the time to solve my problem.
Both HK and US PS3s SHOULD have the emotion engine. Though that is being phased out gradually so you’re taking your chances as to when its going out (I am pretty sure mine has it cos its FW 1.31 out of the box)
I don’t know what region code India is in, but I’m pretty sure that its not what the US has, and therefore anything you buy in India (region wise) other than PS3 games won’t work. And PS3 games will only work if you have a HDTV and have your PS3 hooked up via HDMI anyway.
I Bought a ps3 from Hk the other week and it had a number 3 in a box on it, know if i bought a ps3 game from Hmv or somewhere like that in the uk would it still play on my Hong Kong Machine????
Also….
Dose anyone now of any “chips” or things to Unlock my ps3 so it will play (UK) PAL dvds on it???? or do i just need a HD Tv???
Is there any way of getting my ps3 to play PAL dvds? (ps3 is from HK)
Hey – I live in uk – where do i buy PS3 from – UK or HK ?and based on the machine where do i buy my games, movies etc and what do i do with my old PS2 and PS1 Games.
So HK(ps3) – Any PS3 Games, NTSC Movies, NTSC or HD TV
and UK(ps3) – Any PS3 Games, PAL Movies, PAL or HD TV – is this correct and what about PS1 and PS2 Games ?
Any finally – what cost in UK or HK for 60GB PS3
Being shafted by Sony is a norm and we seem to like that – there should be a protest in terms of taking to streets.
Alex: As of currently there is no way of getting your HK region PS3 to play PAL dvds. No chips, no software, nothing. Be patient and wait. I’m sure you have a DVD player hiding somewhere so it shouldn’t bother you too much. As for blu-ray, usually Region A (US/Japan) has the best/earliest releases anyway.
cheers Richard.
Have anyone with a HK region PS3 tried to play a region 0 PAL dvd after the different software updates this spring? According to the faq on the official asian playstation site specifically the HK PS3 is supposed to get patched to enable PAL dvd playback “during the spring”. I’ve found one reference to it being in the 1.60 update, but haven’t been able to verify it.
If anyone with a HK region PS3 would be able to test, it’d be great! I’ll pass through HK in a couple of weeks will probably be picking up a total of 4 PS3s, so this information would really help out (not that it’ll stop me from shopping my heart out anyways… but… you know…
)
hey, i wonder if the HK ps3 will wrk on my Watson TV (UK). i’ve tried playing HK DVDS (Region ‘All’ NTSC) on my UK ps2 and it came out black and white, but when i played on the xbox360 (someone gave me the xbox, and it sucks…i wanna ps3) it wrks fine. does it mean if i got the HK ps3, it shoud wrk on my TV? and does it mean my TV do support NTSC signal? plz relpy coz i only got 8 days until i go to HK
I just come back from HK this morning, my PS3 was bought from the Sony shop £245 (£1=HK$15.48), it worked overthere but the screen is now blank when I tried to use it today. I have tried it on 2 TV’s both have AV and composite inputs and can run at 50/60mhz so I don’t know what the problem could be, any suggestions please?
Yo, Dudes… I Was thinking of getting a PS3 in HK.. u think console will work on TV screen etc? or would it work on UK.
any idea any1?
Danny: yes your TV should support NTSC signal. Best to get it to work on a HDTV though. Then there won’t be a problem.
Ace71: your TV is probably PAL only, if it has HDMI inputs, try using those instead. Thats the only way to get around the whole NTSC/PAL thing….
Will: Depends on your TV screen. If its a new one (best to get a HDTV for PS3 anyway… otherwise its not really an improvement from PS2) and it supports both NTSC and PAL inputs, then yes it will be fine. If its old, you may be out of luck.
Guys, I got my PS3 to work. I needed to hold down the on/off switch for more than the suggested 5 seconds.
Now which store should I set up my account with HK or UK?
Ace71: You mean you didn’t even turn it on?!?
Has anyone in the UK with a HK PS3 updated to firmware v1.81 yet? I’m thinking of getting a HK PS3 but want to make sure the firmware available here will work and not cause any problems as its a uk download!
http://uk.playstation.com/help-support/ps3/guides/detail/item67879/
any info would be a great help!
My PS3 is a HK version. I live in England and recently bought virtua tennis 3. It said that i needed to update the system and even though there was an update with the disc it didnt update and said that “no applicable data could be found”. Does this mean that as soon as i install the HK update to 1.81 the console shoulp be able to play UK games?
Speedy: Yes dude! you will get the updates fine. You can get the updates from either the H.K. or U.K. server!
Cool cheers Ice Blue, the Mrs has got me a japanese one for my birthday off ebay. I picked it cos I didnt want her spending too much for one that comes with no extras and one joypad! Rather have a second hand one with a few games and extras, and no its not just cos I’m a tight jock
Only problem is she wont let me use it until the 24th of July…..It’ll arrive next week!
I’ve had my HK PS3 since march, i’m now ready to take it online, can i play my friends ? or do i have to update something……..everyones telling me i can’t, any help please….
Hi Folks.
I too have the Hong Kong PS3 and live in the UK.
I can play everything ONLINE except for Resistance.
I thought when the servers were all linked together last Friday that this would allow all of us to eventually get online with this game.
Just wondering if anyone can shed any more light on this and if everyone else is still getting the network connection error message too??
I think I read that someone bought the HK version of resistance and managed to get online in the UK with his HK PS3???
Any imput would be greatly appreciated.
I’ve downloaded the latest update to the PS3 and to Resistance tonight, and I now can play decent online games against the rest of the world.
I’m busy downloading the latest multiplayer maps as I type this, and I’m looking forward to playing lots of online games from now on.
If you fancy adding me to your buddies list – I’m Alonline in most games.
dose anyone know if its possiable to change the setting of the controllers? see the thing is my ps3 is from HK AND it appears that the O button is the one for like enter, ok (the main button like X ysaly is) and i wounded if i could change it so X could be the main one like on ps2 in uk?
any idea how much they’re priced now in hongkong?
Hey guys I wonder if anyone can help me I have recently brought back a PS3 form Hong Kong. I have just tried out call of duty 3 which I bought in the U.k. and everytime I load the game I get the message “this game is not supported. (80028F10)”
Is there anyway in which I will be able to play this game as I have read a few comments on this website that people have done exactly the same as me but they have been able to get their games to work.
Hey Al, so it’s true that you can get an account in the HK store, and in the country where you live?
would the HK PS3 be good to sell on ebay or not as it wont run uk blue ray dvds or ps2 games?
i have a hk ps3 which i bought from someone who bought a few hk ps3 from hong kong. i got mine for 300 pounds. i have been able to play all the uk games. the good thing about hk ps3 is that the it can read any ps3 game as its region free. only problem is i cant play pal resistance online but can only play the hk version online.
Do you know if you can use the Playstation 3 without an internet connection? Or is it required so that it can set up properly?
you dont have to have a internet connection but it will be easier than downloading it from your pc then putting it on a sd card or flash memory then instaling it from there so it doesn not relly on internet connection all the time.
Do you need to have an HDMI cable with a PS3? Are there any places you can order them from HK on the internet?
you dont need a hdmi cable im playing it on my old tv but looks much better on my hd tv.
Anyone know where there are ps3 games on the cheap?
ali: if you aren’t playin your PS3 on a HDTV, its really a waste of its hardware don’t u think? ^_^ Before I got my HDMI cable, I thought – the graphics’s arent’ too good (I was using the included RCA plugs), then i got my HDMI cables and WHOA… much crisper graphics… ^.^
Charlie: Look out on your local online auction sites for HDMI cables, you should be able to find cheap ones – and I really can’t tell the diff between a $30 cable and a $200 one… Same deal for games. It depends on where you live and what’s considered to be “cheap”. I get my games 2nd hand usually… Though I did buy some off Play-asia.com during their summer sale. ^_^
I will be getting a HDTV sometime soon, I just need so many other things more at the moment (car insurance, a new exhaust, a new PC, etc) that I can’t afford one yet.
What’s worse is that I went over my sister’s house yesterday, to take a birthday card over for my niece, and she’s just bought exactly the TV I want (a Samsung LE37R88BD), and it’s fantastic. Now, if I buy one it will look as though I’m copying her!
what about warranty? if something happens do we need to send it to japan or will sont fix it here?
I’ve just read the post and all its 161 comments and can frankly say this is one of the most useful bits of information I’ve found on importing a Playstation 3 from the US/CH/HK/JP to the UK. Thank you very much Al for sharing the information and replying to everyone’s comments.
As most of the previous people that commented I’m also really keen on getting a PS3 but will probably get it from the US solely because it’s easier for me to do so. For what I gather it’s all the same as getting it from HK the only difference being it’ll need a new cable lead because of the UK 3 pin socket. I believe the PS3 has a Universal Power Supply that automatically switches between 110v and 220-240v.
I still have some questions and have sent private messages to forum users who have claimed to have a US PS3 working in the UK but to no avail. I then decided to post on Sony’s official forum [1] looking for answers to some of my concerns. Again, no love.
This post and comments answered most of my questions but I still have a couple I’d like to leave for you to answer if possible:
a) can the region encoding for both BD and DVD be changed even if just once (this can normally be done for computer DVD drives)
b) From what I gather NTSC vs PAL isn’t as much of an issue as it used to be because of HD TV. Nonetheless it still raises some issues [2] but most new HD-ready TVs are capable of supporting 50Hz and 60Hz frequencies as well as the different screen-sizes. Fortunately, my TV – Samsung LE26R88BDX – does [3]. Assuming it is possible to change the region encoding would the PS3 then successfully play games and region 2 encoded DVDs and BDs seeing as it’s an NTSC device?
Thanks,
AD
1. http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&thread.id=1902982
2. http://hometheater.about.com/od/televisionbasics/qt/ntscpalframes.htm
3. http://users.adrianocastro.net/public/help/misc/Samsung_LE26R88BD_DVI_IN_supported_modes.png
Answering my own questions here. I’ve heard from Sony’s Customer Services who have confirmed:
a) it’s not possible to change the region encoding
b) any TV will do just as long as it supports video playback at 60Hz
c) the PS3 does not have a Universal Power Supply
d) North American games and assorted software won’t/might not work on European consoles and vice-versa
I find c) and d) to be a bit strange because it contradicts what many of you and others from forums and other weblogs have already confirmed.
Also I’ve just found out “the current NTSC territory models won’t play any PAL discs – which is almost certainly an intentional limitation to try and deter imports rather than a lack of capability.” [1] This means that even if you have a region-free PAL DVD or BD you won’t be able to play it on your US/HK console. Can someone confirm this?
1. http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=63973
Al just wanted to thank you for your oringinal post…ive looked at loads of different sites and until stumbling across this tonight i was left with several questions.
After reading all the questions and answers here im very pleased too say all of my doubts/concerns and questions have been answerd.
Im going to Hong Kong in November and will certainly be picking up a PS3 thanks too the helpfull posts here,so a big thanks to yourself and the people who ask/answerd all the questions.
Dudes! Don’t you guys get the idea? Xbox kicks PS3′s big fat heavy arse!!! Xbox live is fantastic and only beggars who can’t afford £3.50 per month buy a PS3 for free online play. Get a life and buy a Xbox360 and Halo 3!! simple as! Xbox graphics are just the same as PS3′s and xbox costs less and has better features like custom soundtracks, better online play, better backwards combatibility, and better online service. I heard the PS3′s store only gets update once a few weeks. what’s the point? Xbox live gets updates every few days! Xbox forever!!!!!
AD – I have a region free copy of Ong Bak that I bought here in New Zealand so I’ll give it a shot once finals are over and update you. Doesn’t really bother me regarding DVDs as everyone has a DVD player (don’t they?)
Alex Sochowski – Thanks for your words of “wisdom” but most of us dont’ care about your fanboyish opinion. I don’t see how you have much of a life if you feel the need to troll post in an article helping people who want to buy PS3s. Does Microsoft pay you for every time you say that PS3 sucks/Xbox forever etc? Does it REALLY help the sales of your beloved console?
Hi,
Ive seen a site called vendi-piu offering a hong kong ps3 plus 10 games and delivery to UK for 250 euros.Their payment method involves a delivery company called TNT Third party services. Can anyone advise as to whether this is a scam or genuine?
Hi,
I was wondering if I buy a PS3 from HK would I experience lag (unresponisve gameplay) when I want to play online with my friends who have PS3′s here in the UK
Hi,
I have owned a PS3 which was purchased in Hong Kong in March. Everything has worked fine until yesterday (blu ray movies and games). I bought FIFA 08 and inserted the disc. It carried out the auto update and then I was able to play the game. After approx 1 hour the game crashed and now the machine won’t recognise any disc (blu-ray or games). I’ve loaded update 1.93 with still no success. Then I’ve done a full system restore, which took 3.5 hours!! Still no success. I’ve now spoke to Sony Customer Services who have said ‘any warraty is invalid as I’ve done a UK update on a HK machine. Does anyone have this problem or know of any way to solve it. My advice for what it’s worth is DO NOT BUY A PS3 from outside your home region!! Even if it does cost 200 pounds more!!
Ive just come back from HK and got my 80GB PS3 with 1 game and 2 controllers for $3400HKD and then I went out and bought a further 5 games for $1500HKD, so thats 80GB PS3 with wireless inet and 6 games for under $5000HKD (Just under £320).
I have applied 4 system updates since returning and it is working perfectly fine and have been gaming online with Ridge Racer 7, WSOP 08, GRAW2 perfectly fine. Only had problems connecting to the EA servers for Tiger08 but i think it maybe just a port forwarding problem.
Anyway I am delighted with my purchase and luckily my mate lives there, so I will be getting him to send me over games on a regular basis!
Hi Taklun,
glad to hear that you’ve got such a good deal (even better than the one I had – damn it all!). Also good to see that you’ve confirmed everything is working OK.
A PS3, 2 controllers and 6 games for under £320 is amazing, and just goes to show how hight the prices are in the UK. Have you worked out if the saving you made covered your travel yet?
Hope you enjoyed Hong Kong. I was looking at it on Google Earth today, and thinking that I’d love to of back out there again. Just waiting for my lottery numbers to come in.
Hey guys, i brought resistance fall of man recently frm UK, n mine is an HK PS3, it wrks fine, but when i tried to go online, it said ‘fail to connect, diconnecting from server’. Ive tried it loads of time, but it still doesn’t wrk. Any suggestion why this happened? n any tips to make it wrk……?
Also, i am planning to get a UK Call of Duty 4 and Pro evolution soccer 7 for my HK ps3 (for free online multiplayer), n i want to know will it wrk?
Is the price of the 80GB PS3 (with 1 game and 2 controllers) generally $3400HKD in HK or are there specific shops that do this kind of deal?
will a ps3 bought in dubai work in the uk and will it also play ps2 games
Barry – yes it will work in the UK, but no it won’t play Uk PS2 games
Gajan – don’t know, sorry
Mammy – COD4 and PES7 should work, as PS3 games are not region encoded. As for resistance, you need to download the update.
I have been looking for the PS3 in Hong Kong to take back to the UK and the price quoted everywhere seems to be HK$3780 (about 240 quid), which again is for the 80 gb version. To save me scrawling through the hundreds of post, could anyone clarify the following:
1. Where can I get it cheaper, I am staying in Central HK and it seems overpriced here
2. Can I buy UK games and Blue-Ray DVD’s back home safe in the knowledge they will work?
3. Will I have a warranty of any kind if anything happens when I take it back to the UK?
thanks in advance
i have bought the 80gig PS3 in HK, but I cannot play Lara Corft-Tomb Raider-Legend-for PS2 on the machin, is comes up with wrong region…..can anything been done about this..pls help and guys thanks for your helpin advance
mutley09
games in uk will work on hong kong ps3 no probsa at all.
not sure about the warranty
Broadway or Fortress in hong kong are probly a good a place as any (there like the Currys we have over here)
ADOLF
UK PS2 GAMES will not play on a hong kong ps3 because of the region coding on the machine and game don’t match. Nothing at the moment can be done about that right know but i am sure someone will hack it so keep an eye out for hacks on internet for it.
Anyone know where i can pick up a cheap bluetooth keyboard for ps3??
ok guys just bught my HK PS3 from the bay and need to know the following without having to scroll through loads of stuff I dont understand.
How do I get it online and do I need to reigter it?
What software/ firmware updates do I need to install and from where?
Where can I get Blue ray movies from that will play on it without problems?
I want to run it through a 5.1 sound system can I?
I went to hong kong from the uk got 2 ps3s, from a shop where they said they could modify them, so I paid an extra £75 cuz they told me I could down load games very cheep, and play any region dvds, and copy ps2 games. When I got back to the uk I tried a dvd and it would not play due to the region code thing. am I missing some thing or is that nice bloke in that nice shop on Nathan rd hong kong full of shit? please only answer if you know the answer to this question.
ps I hope that I have got this all wrong and all I need to do is set the region code or some thing on it.
If u guys dunno yet PS3 Games and only PS3 Games are region free. Which means an American PS3 can play a UK Game Etc Etc. But ur PS2 Games, PS1 Games, DVD and Blu-Ray remain region coded unless u happen to have a region free copy or happen to own a PS3 with the same region coding. It seems that the only reason some games arent playing are cause by the NTSC and PAL TV but that itself shouldnt be a problem. If u guys are wondering where i get this from then check out Gamestop’s PS3 forum.
Clint – Personally i never heard of a modded PS3 that unlocks the region. I have heard of a Hardware mod that allows u to flash the BIOS. IMO u got ripped off but i mite be totaly wrong. It might be worth checking up what he modify in ur PS3.
I’m personally quite excited myself, since im goin to hong kong this Feb and hopefully il get a PS3 while im there. The comments here helped a lot
So thanks a lot guys.
Now to save up those cash!!
P.S. Blu-Ray Compatiblity check this out http://bluray.liesinc.net/
tells you which Blu-ray Disc is playable
Clint, you can’t set region codes on it. u can play pal dvds that have /4 /3 / 6 on them and you can get that if you upate your ps3 firmware from the internet. (ill give you the link if u want it). What was the name of the shop by the way??
hey guys i bought a jap ps3 i no you have probalbly said it over and over again it is a 60gb console it plays black and white on my tv but my tv is pretty old?? and if i go and buy a ps3 game from the shops in britain it will work with out a problem???i have got a power converter on that.
and one other thing it wont let me connect to the internet it is ethernetted into my desktop as we speak
Has anyone have any problems playing online with the HK PS3 in the UK? Previous posts say Resistance had a few problems but did the patch fix this? Also wheres best to buy Region A/1 Blu Rays? Cheers.
im off to hong kong end of feb. would like to know the best places to buy and waht kind of deals people have had recently.
Looking at the prices of regiona blurays on amazon.com makes it all the more worthwhile. $15 for some classics!
Al – Where about in Hong Kong do you buy them from?
Any electrical store or high street ??? Or are there certain cheaper shops over there?
Cheers
well eveything works now but i bought heanvly sword and it wont play on my t.v so i dunno does it need to be hd?
Kev – have a look at comment 57
al-do i need a HD t.v to play heavenly sword?
rd
xbox is shit mine broke and the postage slips have still not come 5 time trying so going to hk to get one
Hi, Got quite a few questions to ask, so here goes. I know someone who is in hong kong at the moment she is only there until fri 7th , basicaly i know nothing about the ps3 but im interested to know if she brought one out there for me
would it work over here in the uk?
would i be able to play uk games?
would i be able to play uk dvds/blueray?
would i be able to play online/connect to the internet?
also will she get stung at customs , whats the rules on bringing a ps3 into the uk?
more importantly is it worth it?
i look forward to any quick replys as i said she is only there till fri !
many thanks.
Just got back from Hong Kong. It was hard to find one, most places were sold out. Found a white 40gb model in Mong Kok at official price 2680 HK Dollar, which is about £170. Had to buy two games with it which were about £35 each. So ps3 white, with two games was about £240.
Got it back through customs no hassle and am very happy. Thanks to everyone on this site for advice, am very grateful and it made the trip even more worthwhile.
mike – mine works over here fine, it will play games from the uk, the us, hong kong wherever, games are multi region. blu rays from asia and the us work fine as they are region ‘a’ same as the player. about 10% of uk ones are locked to region ‘b’, see here for a list: http://bluray.liesinc.net/
Mine connects to the internet fine, I hhave updated the system and brought games on the psn store.
Customs is the only stich I had a flight that arrived Heathrow at 5:00 ama nd no one was there so walked through. Look at customs website for the official word.
Visiting hong kong ariport on the 29 march 2 hour stop over.
would like to buy ps3 in the airport would anyone know the name of shops which stock ps3.
A list of names would be good .
Also has anyone had any problems re bording an air craft with such items thanks.
To be honest Danny its not worth it. the cost at the airport was close to UK prices even duty free you are looking at £275.
You don’t know anyone in Hong Kong that could come meet you?!?
If you do decide to purchase in duty free I don’t imagine there will be a problem boarding.
So true, UK prices are dropping. And on ebay you can get a brand new ps3 for as little as 250 quid.
I got a brand new ps3 a hd cable docking stand for controller, official blu-ray control, assasins creed and uncharted all still sealed for 200 quid !!!!!!!!!!!!
The guy listing the packages must be a whole saler. Only problem being he lists 10 of these packages at a time and they go in around 10 minutes so there really hard to pick up. I had to check every damn minute of every day lol
Im currently trying to get 1 more, but alas my luck is failing. I would give you the name of the seller but I really dont need more competion at the moment lol
Hope someone can help!!
I’m off to HK tomorrow and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about the Wii?
Will one bought from HK work in UK and what about games? buy them there or UK?
Are there any adaptors needed??
Cheers
Nick
Nick Glover – yea, it will wrk in UK (games will wrk aswell), plus it is much cheaper in HK, no adaptors needed (just use the cable they provided, n u need to hav a TV that support NTSC) trust me
Thanks for the info here.
BallSak – what is the name of the store you went to in Mong Kok??
I’m heading to HK next friday for 9 days, from Australia.
I’ll pick up a PS3 for sure, since their still around $600 here for 40gig version. I’ll also get GTA4, which is main reason I’m getting the console.
If anyone is interested, you can bring back up to $900AUS of electronics back into the country without paying any tax on it.
does system update from us compatible with asian version of ps3?
So out of interest, still not clear to me after reading all the posts.
Does the firmware work if I purchased it from HK and then updated straight to an EU firmware etc?
As I’ve read, AL has downloaded the HK update THEN downloaded the UK update.
So I’m kinda worried that what if a game in future, has an auto-update through a game and it updates to the EU firmware. Will there be problems?
Cause I’ve read from previous posts that some people have encountered the firmware issue (not many, but some).
I don’t want my PS3 to screw up after updating, as I’ll definitely be hooking it up online^^
Hello mate.
Was just wandering how exactly you download the new english audio for GT?
I have the HK version and have been on to the PS online store but have not found were to get the english setup from for the game.
Any advice?
Hi, I am going to Hong Kong next week, and want to buy a ps3. Although many of these questions have been answered, i want to know:
1. Will the HK ps3 work with ALL Uk games, including Call of Duty.
2. Is it worth it, now that the UK price has dropped a lot?
3. What games should i buy there? NSTC or PAL?
4. Will these games have menus etc in English or all in chinese?
Thanks for any help!
Stan.
Hi Stan,
1 – at the moment games are not region encoded, so a HK PS3 will play any PS3 games from anywhere around the world, including the UK. They might start encoding games in the future, who knows?
2 – the price in Hong Kong is HK$2,880 for a 40GB model and HK$3,780 for an 80GB model (click here to see the price in Fortress in Hong Kong). That works out as approximately £185 and £240 respectively.
3 – buy PAL games if you want to use a non-HD TV set from the UK. Hong Kong is primarily PAL so all games there should be in that format – but do check before buying.
4 – Most games should have menus in both Chinese and English, but check the back cover before buying to make sure English is listed there.
The English/Chinese issue is not normally a problem for bought games, as there is plenty of room on a Blu-Ray disk to support alternate languages. However, as Nick appears to have found out in the comment before Stan’s, it can be an issue if you download a game from the wrong store, as downloads don’t always come with this option. I would assume that Nick had registered his PS3 in Hong Kong, and not in the UK, meaning that he bought his Gran Turismo game from the Hong Kong Playstation store – and their version only has Chinese language. I know this because I downloaded the demo from the Hong Kong store as it was released there before the UK, and it was only in Chinese so my partner had to translate things for me.
Anyway, enjoy Hong Kong – I’m hoping to be going there again in the autumn., and I’m looking forward to that.
Al
Hi again Stan,
sorry, but I deleted your follow up comments by accident.
It doesn’t matter whether you buy PAL or NTSC if you’re using a HD-TV, as HD is its own format. You need to buy PAL to use on UK SD-TVs because that’s the format we use.
In Hong Kong they use PAL as well, as it was a British colony, so most systems and games will be PAL.
hi, sorry to bother you AGAIN, but should i get a Japanese one or a Hong Kong ps3, for the UK?
Please bear in mind all compatability issues with blu ray + ps2 games.
Thanks, Stan.
HK PS3′s are PAL and have a 3 pin plug that will plug into a UK wall socket, whereas Japanese PS3′s are NTSC and use a different power plug. So you would need a HK PS3 for both the above reasons.
However, if you want compatability with UK Blu-Ray disks and PS2 games then buy a PS3 in the UK. Hong Kong’s Blu-Ray region is the same as Japan and America, which means that if you are willing to import Blu-Ray’s from the US, Japan or Hong Kong then you can get them cheaper, but you won’t be able to walk into HMV and buy a Blu-Ray in this country for either Japan or Hong Kong PS3′s.
PS2 games were region encoded using DVD regions, so once again if you import a PS3 from Japan or Hong Kong then you will not be able to play UK PS2 games.
If backward of future compatability with UK disks is required then I would suggest you buy a PS3 in the UK. If you are willing to import disks, either by buying online or have people regularly coming and going between suitable places, then buying abroad is still cheaper.
I hope that answers all your questions,
Al
Thanks a lot, where would be the cheapest place to get a white ps3? Also, please recommend more than one place so i can see them all when i arrive!
Thanks again, Stan.
See comment 57 above for a map.
Just wander up and down Sei Yung Choi Street to see loads of electrical stores.
yes but what about the price of the plane ticket to fly to hong kong!!! lol
tan – didn’t you read the actual post?
hey Al thanks for such a great info bank
i want to buy a ps3 and i live in uk
my relatives live in hong kong
so i want to ask that can they buy it for me and send me through courier or mail something like that,if i do so will i have to pay custom duty?
also i came to hear from someone that if they use it for 2-3 times that is it becomes used and then send it
will there still be custom duty?
hey i posted something here yesterday and when i visited it today it has been deleted
why so..?
but when i posted last message then it is showing my both post the one on 9th august and one that i did today that is 10th augst?
??
hi
hey i need to know if i buy PS3 4m the US cn i stil use it in Indonesia??and what about the voltage indonesia has a 220V and US uses 120V so will it be a problem?
Hey Kavish, it’s no problem man. I bought one form the USA last month and it’s working fine so far. I’m loving it…
Hey Al. I am from India and I am thinking of buying a PS3 when I visit Dubai next month. I think this is a good option because Dubai and India are both PAL and use the same 220-240 V. Also Dubai and UK being a region 2, I can buy Blu-Rays on the internet from UK sites before even they are released in India (we still have to discover the wonders of blu-ray in my country).The games being region free, I can get them anywhere. Does this sound like a good idea? Will I have any problems when registering? Also since I would be traveling to Dubai within the next year after purchasing the PS3, I don’t think warranty is an isuue. Do you think I will have any problems?
-Nav
I’m sure there will be no problems Nav.
I’ve read all 225 posts and searched the internet for hours and still haven’t found an conclusive answer.. Everyone here are from the UK so here it goes. I’m planning to buy a white HK PS3 to use in the US. Does it have univsersal power? If so, do I just have to buy a different power cord? HK is 220v and US uses 110v. I’m not very knowledable about converters and such. Any suggestions would be great.
hEY I HEARD YOUR STORY ABOVE AND THATS SWEET! IM ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO THE SAME THING, BUT WHAT MY SITUATION IS THAT I LIVE IN MICHIGAN IN THE U.S., AND I BOUGHT A GOOD PRICED PS3 4O GB HK 220V VERSION.
WAHT MY HUGE QUESTION IS IF THE PS3 IM BUYING WILL WORK FOR ME IN THE U.S., AND IF I CAN PLAY GAMES ON IT FROM THE UNITED STATES???
yeah i have the exact QUESTION as TAM, above me!
i need to know! lol but rlly i do!
thanks for anything you can tell us!
Anthony and Tam, I’m sorry it took so long to reply, but you might have noticed this site hasn’t been updated for a while as I’m just too busy to blog. Hopefully the new year will see things ease up a little.
Anyway, in answer to your questions I just don’t know. I do know that the HK PS3 comes with a UK style 3-pin plug, and operates on the UK’s 220-240V. I can’t see any switch on the back of mine to swap to 110V, so unless it’s auto switching then I’m guessing that it won’t work for you folks in America – sorry.
Hi, Gonna Go Hong Kong in 2 Months or so…
So if i come back with a new 120GB PS3 SLIM (FROM HONG KONG and in (UNITED KINGDOM) I brought a Copy of Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2, will I be able to play online without lag?
I understand Blu-Ray and DVD Reigons won’t work but Gaming is all i care.
Hi Damien.
Whilst the price difference isn’t that great now you can still make savings in Hong Kong, and it’s a place worth visting anyway. In answer to your question: yes, you can play any PS3 game as they are not region encoded. If you don’t already have a Blu-Ray player then I’d advise thinking about whether you want to own one in future. If you do then buy your PS3 in the UK, so that you can buy Blu-Rays here and not have to import them. If you have no intention of buying a Blu-Ray player in the next few years, or you’d prefer to buy a dedicated unit when you do decide to buy one, then carry on and buy your PS3 in Hong Kong, safe in the knowledeg that for games at least it’s region free.
Thanks AL, All I need to know is how much a PS3 will cost in Golden Arcade in Sham Shui Po, nowadays I’m hoping just under $2000 HKD.
Mate Careful around those places.. you’ll never know when the acid man might strike again.
It’s been a while since i posted my last comment here, so yeah i’m in Hong kong now, great place oh and jester1968 i heard about those acid attacks, they freak me out!
Hi all,
Just wanted to know does the NTSC or PAL matter if you are using the HDMI cable? i am thinking that the NTSC and PAL are analog whereas the HDMI is totally different technology…digital. Planning to buy a PS3 from hong kong and using it in India on a Sony Bravia LCD. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.
hello guys,
i am going to Hong Kong after few days and i want to buy PS3 from there ,
i would like to know it would be normal to use it in dubai and egypt or not ?
also i want to know it would make any diffrent if i will use it with HDMI cable or not ?
how much it cost to buy PS3 with 2 wireless controler along with bag from Hong Kong?
looking forward for your comments guys since i am leaving in 72 hours to hong kong