Electricity Chapterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_power_around_the_worldhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AC_power_plugs_and_socketsPower transformer ratings and power draw for console systemsSony PS3, JapanVoltage/Frequency: 100-240V @ 50/60 Hz, though official released specs are for 100V @ 50/60 Hz.
Typical/Maximum Power Draw: 60-200W / 250-380W, depending on production run(*1).
Plug: Type A.
Sony PS4, JapanVoltage/Frequency: 100-240V @ 50/60 Hz.
Typical/Maximum Power Draw: 140-160W / 250W, depending on production run(*1).
Plug: Type A.
Microsoft XBox360, JapanVoltage/Frequency: 100-127V @ 47-63Hz.
Typical/Maximum Power Draw: 135-210W / 135-254W, depending on production run(*1).
Plug: Type A.
Sony PSP, AsianVoltage/Frequency: 100-240V @ 50-60Hz.
Typical/Maximum Power Draw: Unknown, but probably not much (under 50W).
Plug: Type A.
Sony Vita, JapanTypical/Maximum Power Draw: Unknown, but probably not much (under 50W).
Notes: The PCH-2000 series Vitas charge through micro USB, so all you need is a male USB to male micro USB cable and a USB wall charger
that accepts the voltage and frequency of the country you are in. The ratings of the bundled chargers for previous versions is unknown.
Nintendo DS, JapanVoltage/Frequency: 100-120V @ 50-60Hz
Typical/Maximum Power Draw: Unknown, but probably not much (under 50W).
Plug: Type A.
New Nintendo 3DS, JapanTypical/Maximum Power Draw: Unknown, but probably not much (under 50W).
Notes: The New Nintendo DS charges through a non-standard connector, and you will need a special cable (a male USB to New Nintendo 3DS connector) to charge it. You can still charge it with a USB wall charger
that accepts the voltage and frequency of the country you are in, by connecting the male USB end of the cable to it.
(*1) Typical wattage information is taken from the internet and is for North American hardware, presumably similar to all other versions. Maximum wattage is taken straight from the manuals as the maximum possible wattage the device may ask of the transformer without killing it, though in practice most consoles may never draw near this amount. Older production runs typically draw more power. As this is power draw, you can draw less wattage than your converter is rated for and it will still be fine. Err on the side of caution, though.
There are four things you have to consider when purchasing a console system from abroad: voltage, frequency, wattage (only if you decide you need a power converter), and plug. Above are the ratings for consoles systems we know about, and what sort of electricity it expects.
Voltage, generally, only spans two ranges: 100-120V, and 220-240V. Everyone knows this, it's how much juice your current is giving you.
Frequency is generally only 50 Hz or 60 Hz. Think of electricity as a wave: this is pretty much how much the wave oscillates (in repetitions per second). All the consoles I've seen can handle both frequencies. Even still, electric devices rated for only one of these will usually still run with the other, they'll just run faster or slower.
Wattage is the power draw of your console. Certain converters you can buy are only rated up to certain wattages, and heavy-duty consoles like the PS3 and XBox360 might kill a wimpy converter. Converters rated for 300W or above are recommended for these. I think portable systems might be fine with a 50W converter.
The plug is the actual physical connection to the wall socket you're going to use. Obviously, even if the wall power won't blow up your console, you still gotta be able to fit the plug into the wall!
The wikipedia article contains a very detailed list of voltages and frequencies used around the world, as well as the power outlet plugs. The Mains Power article will tell you the electricity that is coming from your wall for your country. The Plugs and Sockets article will tell you the formal name for the type of plug your wall expects. So, what happens if your console has differing voltage?
What you need is a power converter. There are many names for these things, but generally they take in power of one kind and convert it into a different kind, which is what you need.
Input into the converter, as in what power your converter wants from the wall, must be of the kind given from your wall. Though I imagine most of these would accept voltages and frequencies of any major kind since they're made to be international, it's always good to make sure.
Output from the converter, as in the part that you plug your console into, must be of the same type as your console expects (see the ratings above). This is obvious if you think about it: if your console expects a signal from 100-120V, then your converter has to give it a signal anywhere from 100-120V.
Watch your wattage. If your console draws more power than your converter can handle, you can expect a dead converter, and from that point on, all bets are off.
Keep in mind the plugs. Since this is what you plug into the wall, make sure you can plug the converter into the type of socket in your wall, and make sure you can plug your console into the converter.
If your console comes with a power transformer, you may be able to substitute a transformer for your local region's version of the console rather than your imported version. Be sure to check the ratings - the input to the transformer should be the type your wall provides, and the output of the transformer should be the type that your imported console expects. If you compare both transformers, the output on each should be the same (only input is listed above).
A text schematic of the process would look like this. (<- indicates what's on the right plugs into what's on the left).
Wall <- Power Converter <- Console-Bundled Transformer (if present) <- Console
And to illustrate the power being given, if you were using a Japanese XBox 360 in Thailand...
(Wall) -> 220V @ 50Hz -> (Power Converter) -> 100V @ 50 Hz -> (Console-Bundled Transformer) -> XBox 360
Technically, any transformer bundled with a console further transforms voltage to what the console itself likes, but for the most part, this is a transparent step. Once you convert voltage to the kind the console transformer likes, plug your console into the transformer and it will handle the rest.
If your voltage and frequency are the same for your region, all you may need is a plug adapter, which just changes the physical connection without changing the electricity. These are cheap.
If voltage, frequency, and plug type all match up for your region, well, you don't have to do anything.
