The Japanese PlayStation 5 boxed release, currently advertised in several places in Hungary, comes with significant content changes affecting sexual and violent scenes. While at first glance it may seem identical to the international version, there are in fact several key differences worth knowing before purchasing.

The Japanese PS5 disc edition applies significant censorship to certain violent and sexual content to comply with local CERO rating requirements. The options available in the global version to enable nudity and explicit scenes are completely absent in the Japanese version, as the game is set to censored mode by default. As a result, sexual scenes remain in the story, but they appear in a visually toned-down form.

The most obvious sign of this is that all full nudity in the game is covered with a strategically placed fig leaf over the characters’ groin area. This creative censorship not only hides male and female genitalia but also sparked humorous reactions among Japanese fans, as it references a well-known Japanese meme. The bottom line is that in the Japanese edition, no explicit nudity or erotic content is visible – intimate body parts are always covered, and the “Explicit Content” option has been completely removed from the menu.

There are also some changes regarding violent content. The Japanese version removes or alters graphic elements depicting internal organs or guts – such gory scenes have been toned down or cut. For example, in Act I, in the Goblin camp, there was originally an option for the player to torture a prisoner, but this choice has been completely removed in the Japanese edition. It’s important to note that the general violence of the combat system remains as usual; the censorship mainly affects “excessive” brutality and torture-like interactions rather than the core gameplay. These changes were officially confirmed by the game’s Japanese publisher, Spike Chunsoft, before release.

Language Support in the Japanese Version

The Japanese PS5 edition offers full language support in both Japanese and English. The game’s voice acting is the original English, and there is no Japanese dub in the localized version. However, the interface, menus, and subtitles are fully localized into Japanese, allowing Japanese players to read dialogues and descriptions in their native language. Since the disc edition is multilingual, full English is also available: players can switch to English text while keeping the original English voices. This means that an imported Japanese copy can be played in English, as the Japanese/Asia edition contains multiple languages (including English and Japanese, and for example Chinese subtitles) on PlayStation 5. In short, the Japanese version is flexible in terms of language: the voice is original English, and the text can be set to Japanese or English (etc.), so English availability is guaranteed.

Other Differences and Notes

There are a few other differences with the Japanese release. Baldur’s Gate 3 launched later in Japan, on December 21, 2023, well after the Western release, published by Spike Chunsoft. Due to the delayed and altered release, the Japanese PS5 version is technically a different build, which affects online features. In multiplayer/co-op mode, it is not compatible with the Western (uncensored) versions, meaning Japanese edition players can only play online with each other, and the versions do not mix on global servers. For example, a player cannot join friends if they are using the international (uncensored) version, and vice versa – the Japanese disc release operates in a closed ecosystem for online purposes. The same applies to the cross-save feature: Japanese version saves are not compatible with the global release, so it is not possible to share saves between PC and PS5 if one is Japanese and the other is Western.

It is also worth noting that the Japanese version’s age rating is CERO Z (18+), which is Japan’s strict adult classification. For digital purchases, an extra step is required: a Japanese PSN account and credit card-based age verification are needed to buy the game from the PlayStation Store. The physical edition is likewise age-restricted (recommended for ages 18 and up), but can be purchased in person with proper ID. Aside from the censored scenes, the gameplay and story content are the same as the international version – the only differences between the Japanese disc edition and the global release lie in the above-mentioned content censorship, language settings, and online compatibility.

If you’re looking to purchase, it is better to choose the official Deluxe Edition offered by Larian, which can be found directly in the Larian Store – this version is uncensored and offers a safer, complete experience.