Gaming boffins claim to have found a way to play American DVDs on PlayStation 2 consoles.

Three codes have surfaced which make it possible to play Region 1 (North America) DVDs on the PlayStation 2 -- a Region 2 (Europe, Japan and Asia) DVD player.

Like console video games, DVDs are usually fixed by vendors so they can only operate within specific world markets. It was previously believed the PlayStation 2, launched solely in Japan, could play only Region 2 DVDs.

But the Gaming Intelligence Agency's Web site this week claimed to have found the codes needed to overcome this inconvenience. These codes do not work every time -- a hitch believed to be linked to how hard the Dual Shock 2' buttons are pressed.

"All three codes should be entered when the PlayStation 2 DVD bootup sequence begins fading to black... If you get a region failed message, don't despair; just try again. The same disc will work some times and not others," it reports.

"While these codes certainly leave room for improvement, the advent of any region bypass is good news for system importers and DVD fans," thegia.com adds.

Sony Computer Entertainment in the UK chose not to comment.?