Like the Nintendo Switch and the PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles from Sony, the Xbox Series X | S and its older brother, the Xbox One, are region-free devices. This means you can buy and play Xbox games published in other countries and play them on your console.
But during Nintendo and Sony needed regional accounts to buy and download digital games from another country’s storefront, or even play certain games online, Microsoft is much more forgiving.
You can easily access another country’s Microsoft Store to buy new games, access geoblocked content, or even download regional versions of the games and apps in your library from any device that accesses the Microsoft Store. And you can do this without creating a new Xbox account or migrating your account to a new region like you had to do with older Xbox consoles. All you need to do is temporarily change the Microsoft Store language and location settings.
How to change the Microsoft Store location and language
There are several ways to change the Microsoft Store region: Using your Xbox console’s settings; on the desktop via the settings of your Windows PC; or on the Microsoft Store website in your preferred browser.
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On Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One:
- Press the Xbox Button on your controller to access the Guide menu on your Xbox Series X | S or Xbox One
- Go to Profile & System> Settings> System> Language & Location.
- Select your desired location from the “Location” perform.
- Choose “Restart now” to apply the changes and restart the console.
- After the console restarts, open the Microsoft Store page and it should load the store based on the new location of your console.
On the Microsoft Store website:
- Open that Microsoft Store website.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the language next to the globe icon.
- Select a location from the list.
- The website will reload with the new settings activated.
On your Windows PC:
- Open the Windows start menu.
- Go to Settings> Time & Language> Region.
- Choose a new location from the “Country or region” perform.
- Close the settings menu.
- Open the Microsoft Store and it should open based on your regional settings for the store.
Note that if you select a country with a different language, the language on your device and in the Microsoft Store may change. Google Translate can help you navigate these menus, but the layouts and options are largely the same for all regions.
Buy, download and play games from other countries
After you’ve downloaded the Microsoft Store, you can browse, buy, and download games. However, you will need a valid payment option to complete transactions. Some banks and credit cards work internationally, but most don’t. And if so, you will likely be charged a conversion fee. Instead, you can buy Microsoft Store gift card codes for the currency you want and check out that way. These are easily available from Play Asia and other online retailers.
After you’ve downloaded your new games, you can still play with your master account and access online modes as long as you have an active Xbox Live or Game Pass subscription, even if you pay for it in US dollars.
At least that’s mostly how it is. In some rare cases, some games and apps can lock you down even if your console’s settings are set to the correct region. If that happens a VPN for your home router can help you create the impression that you are really connecting from the country you want.