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»
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
I’m not sure how many people will read this or how relevant the information is but I will give a round up of information I have gleaned since owning a Hong Kong PS3 since 2007.
Blue Ray disks are region encoded but not all disks are region locked, so care must be taken when buying BR films. This site is very good for this information: http://bluray.liesinc.net/index.php?regionDVDsVD's must be region 1 if you wish to play them on your HK PS3 in the UK.
UK PS2/PS1 games generally do not play on a HK PS3. So if you want this you need to have a ready supple of American / Asian games.
The biggest problem and iannoys annoyes me to this day is that in Asia the X and O are reversed. You get used to it if you only play on your machine but if you go round a mates house and try to play on a UK machine it can be very confusing and annoying.
I know this is an old thread but hay I just used it.
The link should read
http://bluray.liesinc.net/index.php?region=b
That was actually good! Looking for info about repairs in UK then
Game console repairs