Moving to Australia from the U.S... what should I do?
#1
CAG Veteran
Posted 10 April 2011 - 01:08 PM
I know the voltage and power inputs are different in Australia than in the states. Is it possible to just buy replacement power strips (for the 360, PS3 and/or Wii)? If so, where can I buy them from?
Any other tips are welcome as well... thanks! Excited to be joining you all.
#2
CAGiversary!
Posted 10 April 2011 - 02:15 PM
Your main problem though will be the TV compatibility methinks (NTSC devices on a PAL TV). I think most newer PAL TVs accept both PAL and NTSC inputs though, so it shouldn't be a problem if your tv isn't ancient.
#3
CAGiversary!
Posted 11 April 2011 - 05:50 AM
Easiest thing to bring is a PS3 since the voltage is 120-240V even though it doesn't actually say so (I read a lot online about this before I brought it over) so all you need is a plug converter and you don't have to worry about voltage. Plug in with HDMI and you're good to go. This worked perfectly for me and I'm running a slim US PS3 with just a plug converter (not voltage).
Xbox 360 was trickier so chose to sell my old Xbox 360 and buy a slim from Australia. Problem with bringing a US Xbox 360 is the power supply. You'll need to buy a 240v power brick and given the different types of 360s this can be an issue trying to find in Australia. You could use a voltage converter but I wouldn't recommend it as they don't seem reliable according to a little bit of internet research I did back when I was considering bringing mine.
Wii you're screwed because there is no digital output. So you need PAL Wii if you're coming here. I don't know anything about the voltage. I didn't bring a Wii with me.
Best thing to do is to bring a PC from the US. I did this on my last short trip back to the US. It costs a fraction of what it costs here and you can just download games off of Steam, Direct2drive, EA Download Manager, etc. at US prices assuming you have a US credit card. You'll need to set up a VPN service (I use strongvpn for $55/yr) so the service thinks you are from the US. This also lets you use Hulu and Netflix.
Sorry for the long post but I had to go through the same thing as you. Gaming is an expensive hobby here compared to back home and I understand you trying to bring what you can with you. Just beware of Australian game prices. I either buy on Steam or import from the UK.
Hope this helps!
Edited by rohitman, 11 April 2011 - 06:04 AM.
#4
CAGiversary!
Posted 11 April 2011 - 06:37 AM
While I believe most PS3 titles aren't region locked, Blu-ray movies are region locked, so you might want to note that too. US = Region A, AU = Region B.
I cannot recall if Wii titles are region locked.
edit: btw which state in AU are you planning to stay in?
#5
CAGiversary!
Posted 11 April 2011 - 11:58 PM
Xbox games can be region locked but all my US games work fine on my Australian Xbox 360. A little google searching will get you a list of which games are region free and which are locked. Xbox DLC is region locked though. I couldn't download my old arcade games or the US copy of COD DLC that I bought assuming that because I have a US Xbox Live Account that I would have to buy US DLC. Oh well.
Wii titles are region locked as far as I know and you'll need the correct PAL or NTSC TV.