Sony has always been a leader in the home entertainment market, so it’s no surprise that their most popular gaming console, the PS4, comes with features that allow users to enjoy movies and television shows. In addition to playing games, the PS4 can also be used to access streaming content from providers like Netflix and Hulu. But the knowledge about the PS4’s ability to play Blu-ray discs is still not common.
A few days ago, as I was surfing over the internet, I came across a post and a few comments where people were arguing about whether we can play Blu-rays and other discs on PS4 smoothly or if any modifications were required. It was only when I’d jumped in with some detailed info that the air was cleared of that confusion.
Can the PS4 play Blu-ray discs? Yes, PS4 can play Blu-rays. All PS4 models can play HD or 3D Blu-rays, which have a maximum video resolution of 1080p. However, none of the models support the 4K UHD Blu-ray format because it requires a specialized Blu-ray drive that the PS4 doesn’t have.
PS4 is the fourth generation of video game consoles and is among the best machines in the history of console gaming. PS4 supports several disc formats, including the Blu-ray. In fact, PS4 game discs are actually Blu-rays.
This article will tell you all about the Blu-rays and your favorite PS4 so you won’t have to look for a separate Blu-ray player or hook your Blu-ray disc in your PC when you can watch it right on your PS4.
Can The PS4 Play Blu-Ray?
The PlayStation 4 is a powerful machine that is primarily built for gaming purposes. It has many features you can make use of that aren’t directly related to gaming. The one thing that may be the most overlooked feature, however, is its ability to play Blu-Ray discs.
PS4 can play Blu-ray discs. This makes the PS4 an excellent option for those who want to have a Blu-Ray player in their living room without having to hook up another system or buy a new console.
While there are some limitations as far as compatibility with Blu-ray goes, this section will go over everything you need to know about the PS4’s ability to play Blu-Rays and which Blu-ray formats the console actually supports.
Here are the formats your PS4 can play:
Blu-ray Disc Formats
- BD-ROM (Hybrid discs are supported)
- BD-R/RE (BDAV, BDMV)
Hence, all versions of the PS4 can play Blu-ray discs. These supported formats are the same for all PS4 editions (PS4, PS4 Pro, PS4 Slim). Now let’s move on to if and how you can play 4K Blu-ray discs on your PS4.
Can PS4 Play 4K Blu-Rays?
All versions of the PlayStation 4, from the standard to the PS4 Pro, can play Blu-ray discs, but not if they’re 4K UHD Blu-rays.
The PS4 does not support 4K UHD Blu-rays, which offer substantially higher quality video and audio compared to a standard Blu-ray. This is because the console doesn’t have a specialized Blu-ray drive installed for UHD Blu-ray discs as well.
However, the PS4 can still play games and stream media in 4K, and play 1080p Blu-ray discs about which we will learn in the next section.
How To Play Blu-Rays On PS4?
To play any disc on your PS4 for the very first time, the first thing you have to do is ensure that your console is connected to the internet.
If you are trying to play a Blu-ray on your console for the first time without an internet connection (or if the internet connection is not stable), this message will pop up on your screen:
“To play Blu-ray discs or DVD videos, you must enable this PS4’s disc playback feature via the internet. Connect the PS4 to the internet and play the disc again. The disc playback feature will be automatically enabled, and you will be able to play videos. (NW31246-6)”.
The error code “NW31246-6” is for invalid DNS settings which simply means that the internet connection is either unstable, or there’s no internet connection at all.
However, if your console is connected to your wireless router or LAN with a stable internet connection and still this message pops up after you’ve inserted your Blu-ray disc, simply:
- Restart your PS4 system and test your internet connection OR
- Make sure that your Primary DNS and the Secondary DNS settings are correctly configured if your IP settings are set to Manual.
Once your console is connected to the internet, here’s how you can enable the disc playback feature and play the Blu-ray discs.
- Take Out The Disc First
Eject the disc if you have already inserted it without connecting your PS4 to the internet.
- Connect The PS4 To The Internet
Now connect your PS4 to the internet. Make sure that the connection is stable. Go to “Settings” > “Network” > “Set Up Internet Connection,” and then follow the on-screen instructions to configure the network settings.
You can use either Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable (LAN connection) to connect your PS4 to the internet.
- Enable The Disc Playback
The disc playback feature will be automatically enabled when you insert your Blu-ray in the PS4 after connecting the console to the internet.
After this, you can play your Blu-rays automatically without any issues. No need to connect your PS4 to the internet hereafter.
You will have to follow the steps above to ensure the smooth running of your Blu-ray discs. But at times, your PS4 may not even recognize the Blu-ray discs even after you’ve followed the above steps correctly. Let’s go through why it happens.
Why Can’t I Play Blu-rays On My PS4?
There are several reasons you won’t be able to play Blu-ray discs on your PS4. As per the information available on PlayStation’s official website, the reasons may include:
Playback Format Not Supported
Your PS4 does not support the playback of these types of discs.
- CD
- BD-RE version.1.0
- BD-R/RE XL
- DVDs that have not been finalized.
- UHD Blu-ray format
As mentioned, if you are trying to play a 4K UHD Blu-ray disc, your console won’t even recognize it.
Physical Features Not Supported
Do not attempt to play these Blu-ray discs, as doing so may damage your console’s optical drive or laser.
- Circular Blu-ray discs with bigger/smaller diameters.
- Non-circular discs, such as discs in the shape of a card, square, or heart.
- Blu-ray discs that are cracked or deformed, or discs that have been repaired.
Outdated Encryption Keys
For continuous playback of copyright-protected Blu-ray discs, AACS (Advanced Access Content System) encryption key might need renewal every once in a while. The encryption key is automatically renewed when your PS system is connected to the Internet after you have inserted the Blu-ray.
Damaged Discs
Some Blu-ray discs may not be playable due to scratches on the surface, dust, or simply poor recording quality. In case of dust, just take out the disc, clean it and insert it again.
However, if there are scratches or grooves on the plastic surface of the Blu-ray, you’ll have to do more than just clean it. Grind the surface down a little, polish or buff it without tampering with the data to make it good enough to be played on your PS4.
PS4 Optical Drive or Laser Issues
If you have checked and ensured that the issue is not related to any of the ones above, the optical drive of your console may be faulty, or the laser diode may have malfunctioned.
You can confirm this by:
- Noticing the weird sounds of your PS4’s optical drive’s rotation by listening closely when the disc is inserted.
- Look at your Blu-ray, which will have circular scratch marks all over its surface due to the faulty laser of your console.
Get professional help to avoid further damage to the optical drive or laser if you have any doubts that your console is not functioning properly.
Issues In Recording Softwares Or Manufacturing Process
In some rare cases, Blu-rays, and other media may not play properly on your PS4. That may be because of the differences in the manufacturing process of Blu-ray or encoding of the multimedia recording software.
When PS4 does not support the format of multimedia files on your Blu-ray disc, the files will not be played.
Region Code Not Matching
Region coding is a standard for most commercial Blu-rays. And your PS4 is region-locked for multimedia content on Blu-ray discs.
Blu-ray won’t play because of your Blu-ray’s region code, which differs from the region settings on your PS4. There are several workarounds for this issue. The easiest one is to copy your Blu-ray multimedia to a USB stick and then insert it in your PS4 to play the contents of the Blu-ray.
Let’s get to know more in the next section about how you can play Blu-rays from any other region.
Can The PS4 Play Blu-rays From Any Region?
PS4 games are region-free. That means you can play your copy of the game anywhere in the world. However, Blu-rays are copyright-protected discs and have region restrictions as well. And PS4 is region-locked for both DVDs and Blu-ray discs.
Most of the Blu-ray discs have region coding that is quite similar to DVDs. However, instead of eight regions like in DVDs, Blu-ray uses only three.
- Region A: includes North, Central, South America, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.
- Region B: includes Europe (EU), Africa, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
- Region C: includes Russia, India, China, and the rest of the world.
A few select Blu-rays are released as Region ABC, meaning they are playable on the PS4 in all regions.
It is commonly said that the majority of Blu-ray discs are actually not region-locked, even if it is mentioned on their packaging. (I concluded that from the comments of people on Quora and Reddit, you can remove it if you want to.) But here’s how you should still be able to play a region-locked Blu-ray disc on your console:
Change The Default Blu-ray Region On PS4
Insert a Blu-ray (of a foreign region) into your PS4. A message will pop up on the screen saying:
“Unfortunately this disc will not play due to the region code setting of the player.”
Now click on “Next” to go to the following prompt. You will now be given an option to choose the Blu-ray region code of your PS4.
You simply cannot play any foreign Blu-rays and out-of-region content on your PS4. However, you have the option to change the Blu-ray region code of your PS4 4 times only on your PlayStation account. After that, your region code will be locked forever.
Whenever you try to play Blu-rays of another region on your PS4 after consuming the limit (of 4 times), you’ll get the following error:
“Cannot play this disc due to region restriction. (CE-35489-9)”
As per the official PlayStation website, the error code corresponds to the invalid region of the inserted disc, and you won’t be able to change the region settings of your PS4 henceforth.
Create a New User Account
By creating a new PSN account on your PS4, you’ll be able to choose a new region to play your Blu-rays. But before making a new account, make sure that you have logged out from the previous account.
Here’s how you can create a new account.
- Turn on your PS4 console and set up a new account on the welcome screen by selecting New User.
- Select Create a User on the next screen and accept the User Agreement.
- Select Next and then New to PlayStation Network? Create an Account.
- Use an email address here that is not already associated with a PlayStation Network account.
- Once prompted, select the new region of your choice and complete the process.
Now you should be able to play the region-locked Blu-ray on your PS4 using that new account.
Use a Blu-ray Ripper To Remove Region Restrictions
Another option to play a region-restricted Blu-ray on your PS4 is to make it region-free. Good Blu-ray ripper softwares, like Leawo Blu-ray Ripper or DVDFab Blu-Ray Ripper, should be able to remove the region restrictions of all the regions and any other encryptions on the Blu-ray.
RIP your Blu-ray Contents On A Flash Drive
Any easy workaround for region restriction is to copy your Blu-ray multimedia to a USB stick on your PC and then insert it in your PS4 to play the disc’s contents.
So that’s how you’ll be able to play your Blu-ray from any region on your PS4. Now let’s dive into how you can use a PS4 media remote to play your favorite Blu-rays while sitting on the couch, sipping away your coffee.
How To Use The PS4 Media Remote With Blu-rays?
Sony has always excelled in adding more and improved features to its latest PlayStation consoles. The PS3 was not able to run any Blu-rays discs, but the PS4 can not only play Blu-ray discs but can also stream media in 4K UHD.
And just like PS3, PS4 also has a media remote, with more functionality than in PS3, and is manufactured by a company named PDP (Performance Designed Products). It is extremely easy to set up and has great functionality with most apps and Blu-rays.
You can simply sit back and control your multimedia on the discs with ease on your fingertips without even turning your DualShock controller on. In addition to playing your DVDs, Blu-rays, and streaming apps, the PS4 media remote also supports a wide range of media files via the recently added “Media Player App.”
The PS4 media remote connects to the PS4 and works with a Bluetooth connection.
Here’s how you can use it with Blu-rays.
- Start your console and insert your Blu-ray disc.
- Put the batteries in your new remote.
- Once your console is ON, start pairing your new remote by pressing PS and Share button for a few seconds until the LED starts blinking continuously.
- Find your remote on the “Bluetooth devices” menu, select it, and “Register”. Your remote will be paired.
Once the media remote has been paired, you can play and watch the Blu-ray comfortably from a distance of 30 feet.
In case the remote stops working frequently or isn’t responsive enough, you’ll have to pair it again with the PS4 so that you can use it smoothly with Blu-rays and other multimedia.
- Go to Settings> Devices> Bluetooth Devices.
- Select the media remote from the list and choose “Disconnect”.
- Using your PS4 DualShock controller, select the media remote from the devices list again.
- Press “Options” with your PS4 controller.
- Select “Forget Device” and then confirm your selection by pressing “OK”.
- Restart your console and remove your new remote’s batteries and put them back again.
- Pair your remote by registering it again, just like you did the first time.
Now your media remote will start working again, enabling you to enjoy your Blu-rays from your couch even if the batteries of your controllers are dead.