Playstation
Get US Netflix on Your Playstation with a VPN
Are you a PlayStation user who is sick of the poor range of shows available on the Australian version of Netflix? With a VPN, you can get around the geo-restrictions and access the mountains of glorious content that are available on US Netflix. This guide will help you use a VPN to get US Netflix on PlayStation 3, 4 or Vita.
After years of people talking up The Walking Dead, were you finally ready to watch it, only to discover that it’s not available on Australian Netflix? Unfortunately, due to complicated Australian laws and agreements between media companies, there are a load of shows that are available on the US Netflix, but not in Australia. But you don’t have to despair. There is a solution:
You can use a VPN to work around Netflix’s geo-restrictions.
It may be legal grey area and it is against their terms of use, but it is a solution nonetheless. How is it fair that the Australian version of Netflix costs a similar amount but has a significantly smaller number of shows available? Many users are frustrated by this treatment, so they have taken the matter into their own hands and used ExpressVPN or another VPN provider as a workaround. They still pay for the service, but now they get way more content for their money. Sounds great, doesn’t it?
Netflix are aware that users have been using this trick to get around their restrictions and they have made some effort to block user attempts. Some VPNs have been blocked from accessing the US version of their services, while some ISPs have begun inspecting data packets and restricting the bandwidth of their customers if they see Netflix traffic. The latter is called Netflix throttling and users can get around it by using a VPN to hide their traffic through encryption. This means that users will get faster download speeds without having to wait for buffering.
The VPN that we trust most for this job is ExpressVPN. They are one of the best providers out there for most applications, although their excellent service can come at a slightly higher price than the lower-end providers. ExpressVPN seem more committed to the privacy and security of their users than many other providers, while they also have the scale and technological know-how to adapt if Netflix ever tries to restrict their users from using their service to access US Netflix.
Another benefit of ExpressVPN is that their apps can find the fastest server location and make streaming easier. The apps test the download speed and latency of each VPN server location, ranking them by Speed Index. You can then run the speed test and choose whichever US server location has the highest speed index.
So, do you want to join the ranks of people who are getting all of their favourite shows on US Netflix? If you’re a PlayStation user, keep reading. If you would rather access US Netflix from another device, we have guides here.
Whether you have a 3, 4 or Vita, you can use ExpressVPN to get US Netflix on PlayStation. ExpressVPN can make your IP address appear as though it is in the US. Follow this step-by-step guide to access the US version of Netflix on your PS3 or PS4:
Step 1: Sign Up to ExpressVPN
The first thing you will need to do is sign up for an ExpressVPN account. It’s a simple process that just requires an email address and a payment method. ExpressVPN offer their customers a 30 day refund, so you have nothing to lose if you don’t like their service or can’t figure out how to get it to work.
Step 2: Create a New US PSN Account
Once you have signed up to ExpressVPN, you will need to create a new PSN account to use Netflix. This new account has to be American, so head to the PlayStation USA site to do it.
Step 3: Add a New User to Your PlayStation
The next step is to add a new user to your PlayStation. This is because you can’t assign a new PSN login to an existing PlayStation user. If you want to make things convenient, you can just name it Netflix. That way you or your guests will always know which one to choose when you want to stream shows.
Step 4: Set the PlayStation to Use ExpressVPN’s DNS Servers
Using ExpressVPN’s DNS servers will trick Netflix’s servers into thinking that you are based in the US. If Netflix thinks you are in the US, then they won’t block their content from you. There are several things you will need to do to make this change.
- On your PlayStation, select [Settings] and go into [Network Settings].
- Select [Internet Connection Settings].
- Select [Yes] when the screen says that you will be disconnected from the internet
- Select [Custom]. Keep all of the settings as they are except for [DNS Settings].
- Select [Manual] and insert the ExpressVPN values into the DNS server fields.
- Restart the PlayStation. Once it has loaded, check the connection to save the new settings.
- Get the Netflix app for your PlayStation. The app is easy to use and will allow you to watch all of your favourite US Netflix shows once you have used ExpressVPN to unblock the geo-restricted content.
Netflix PlayStation – Get Overseas Content on Your Netflix PS3 and Netflix PS4
As anyone who owns a PlayStation would know, it is more than just a gaming console. If you own a PlayStation, Netflix is one of the things you would like to use on it. Netflix has apps for both PS3 and PS4. These are easily downloaded and installed, and you can enjoy hours of videos on them.
The app for Netflix PS3 and Netflix PS4 usually comes pre-installed on your device. Just in case it is not there, you can look for it in the PlayStation Store under apps for TV/Movies. Simply click on it and download.
Of course, you will need to have a registered account with Netflix to be able to use the Netflix PlayStation app. This can be easily done on the Netflix website by filling up their registration form. That is pretty much all you need to have all your television needs fulfilled with the Netflix – PlayStation team.
What might be a problem is the fact that Netflix Australia is pretty low on content. With only over 1200 titles, it is an infant compared to the giant adult that is Netflix USA. American viewers enjoy over 9000 titles with Netflix which is a huge let-down for Australian users.
Using ExpressVPN for Greater Viewing Pleasure on Your PlayStation Netflix App
A simple fix for this issue is a DNS redirection service called ExpressVPN. This service is available for both Netflix PS3 and Netflix PS4, and a number of other devices. In order to be able to use this to get American content on your PlayStation Netflix, you will need its help.
The first step towards this is creating an ExpressVPN account. You can do this by going to their website and filling up a simple online form. This form will take your information and also your mode of payment.
There are two payment packages – the annual and the monthly package. Both come with a free week’s trial, so either way you will not be paying for the first seven days of use. The registration process is necessary because otherwise you will not get access to their DNS servers.
Your Internet Service Provider’s DNS servers are what inform Netflix of your location. When you use ExpressVPN, they simply allow you to pass through their DNS servers which convince Netflix that you are in the US.
While registering with ExpressVPN is the first step to getting American content on your Netflix PlayStation app, the second involves changing your PlayStation’s settings. In order to do this, you will need to go into your PlayStation’s Network settings and set the preferred DNS server values.
You can find the ExpressVPN Server addresses on their website, and you need to manually enter these into the DNS settings of your PlayStation. It is advisable to save the original settings just in case you want to revert to them. Once your settings are changed and saved, you will need to restart your PlayStation.
With the new settings in place, your PlayStation Netflix app will automatically start showing you content from the American Netflix library. In fact, you can use ExpressVPN to unblock the contents of any region that Netflix is available in on your Netflix PlayStation user account.