How to Play Region-Locked Games on Xbox
Similar to Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles, Xbox Series X | The S and its big brother Xbox One do not have regions. This means you can buy, play and play Xbox games released in other countries on your console.
But while Nintendo and Sony require regional accounts to buy and download digital games from another country’s store, or even to play certain games online, Microsoft is far more lenient.
You can easily access the Microsoft Store in another country to buy new games, access geo-blocked content, or even download regional versions of games and apps from your library from any device that has access to the Microsoft Store. And you can do this without creating a new Xbox account or transferring your account to a new region like you did on older Xbox consoles. All you have to do is temporarily change your language and location settings in the Microsoft Store.
How to change the location and language of the Microsoft Store
There are several ways to change the Microsoft Store region: in your Xbox console settings. on your desktop through your Windows PC settings; or the Microsoft Store website in your preferred browser.
On Xbox Series X | S and Xbox One:
- Press the Xbox button on your controller to bring up the guide menu on Xbox Series X | S or Xbox One.
- Go to Profile & System> Settings> System> Language & Location.
- Select the desired location from the Location list.
- Select Restart Now to apply the changes and restart your 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 the Microsoft Store website .
- Scroll down 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.
On your Windows PC:
- Open the Windows Start menu.
- Select Settings> Time & Language> Region.
- Select a new location from the Country or Region list.
- Close the settings menu.
- Open the Microsoft Store and it should open for the store according to your regional settings.
Please note, if you select a country with a different language, it may change the language on your device and in the Microsoft Store. Google Translate can help you navigate these menus, but for the most part, the layouts and options are the same for all regions.
Buying, downloading and playing games from other countries
Once downloaded from the Microsoft Store, you can browse, buy, and download games. However, you will need a valid payment method to complete your transactions. Some banks and credit cards operate internationally, but most do not. And if they do, you will most likely be charged a conversion fee. Instead, you can buy Microsoft Store gift card codes with the currency you want and pay for purchases that way. They are easy to purchase from Play Asia and other online stores.
After downloading new games, you can play with your main account as usual and have access to online modes if you have an active Xbox Live or Game Pass subscription, even if you pay for them in USD.
At least that’s usually the case. In some rare cases, some games and applications may block you even if the correct region is set in your console settings. If this happens, a VPN for your home router can help you look like you are actually connecting from the country you want.