Like Sony’s Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles, the Xbox Series X |S and his big brother Xbox One are devices without regions. This means you can buy and play Xbox games released in other countries and play them on your console.
But while Nintendo i Sony requires regional accounts to buy and download digital games from the storefront of another country, or even play certain games online, Microsoft is much more lenient.
You can easily access the Microsoft Store in another country to purchase new games, access geographically locked content, or even download regional versions of games and library applications from any device that accesses the Microsoft Store. And you can do this without creating a new Xbox account or migrating the account to a new region, just as you should on previous Xbox consoles. All you have to do is temporarily change your Microsoft Store language and location settings.
How to change the location and language of the Microsoft Store
There are several ways to change the Microsoft Store region: from the Xbox console settings; on the desktop by configuring your Windows PC; or on the Microsoft Store website in your favorite browser.
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The Xbox Series X | On the Xbox One:
- Press the button Xbox of the driver to access the Xbox Series X guide menuOn the Xbox One
- Go to Profile and system> Settings> System> Language and location.
- Select the location you want on the page “Location” list.
- Select “Restart now” to apply the changes and restart the console.
- After restarting the console, open the Microsoft Store page, and should load Store according to the new location of the console.
On the Microsoft Store website:
- Open the file Microsoft Store website.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the language next to the balloon icon.
- Select a location from the list.
- The website will reload with the new one settings enabled.
On your Windows PC:
- Open the Windows Start menu.
- Go to Settings> Time and language> Region.
- Select a new location from “Country or Region” list.
- Close the Settings menu.
- Open the Microsoft Store and it should open in the store according to your locale.
Note that if you select a country with a different language, you can 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.
Buy, download and play games from other countries
Once uploaded to the Microsoft Store, you can do so browse, buy and download games. However, you will need a valid payment option to complete the transactions. Some banks and credit cards work internationally, but most don’t. And if they do, you’re likely to be charged a conversion fee. Instead, you can purchase Microsoft Store gift card codes for the currency you need and check this way. These are readily available on Play Asia and other online retailers.
After downloading your new games, you can play with your main account in the normal way and access online modes as long as you have an active subscription to Xbox Live or Game Pass, even if you pay for them with a U.S. dollars.
At least that’s how it is generally the case. In some rare cases, some games and applications may block you, even if your console settings are set to the correct region. If this happens, a VPN for your home router it can help you appear as if you are actually connected from the required country.