How to Buy Games from Other Regions of the Microsoft Store

Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games are not region locked, so you can buy a game from almost any country's Microsoft Store and play it on your console. People do this to grab games that are cheaper in another region (the Turkey and Hong Kong stores are often the lowest), to get titles that are not available in their own region, or to earn a second set of achievements. You cannot change the region of an existing account, but you can create a new one for the country you want — this guide shows how, step by step.

Why would I buy games from another region of the Microsoft Store?

There are a few reasons that you might want to buy games from other regions of the Microsoft Store, with the most common being:

• The game is not available in your region.
• The game is cheaper in another region. For example, the Turkey and Hong Kong Microsoft Stores often sell games a bit cheaper than the stores associated with other regions.
• You can earn achievements in the game multiple times by playing versions of it from multiple regions. For example, some games have a different achievement set for the North American version of the game and the European version of the game, so you can complete it twice (as long as you buy it twice). Note that this does not work for every game – if you are unsure, ask on the forums or check an achievement tracking site like TrueAchievements.

How do I buy games from another region?

In order to buy games from another region, you need to do two things: create an account associated with that region, and buy a Microsoft Store card for that region.

Step 1: Create an account on the other-region store

Simply create an account on the Microsoft Store that is associated with the country that you want to buy games from. Make sure that you select the correct country (the country you want to buy games from, not the country that you actually live in) when you sign up. You will have to enter a physical address when you sign up – this can be anything (just search Google for valid addresses in that country, if you like).

The one exception here is Korea – it is essentially impossible to create a Korean Xbox account unless you actually live there, since you need a Korean i-PIN to register.

Step 2: Buy a Microsoft Store card for the other-region store

You will not be able to use your own credit card on your international Xbox account directly, since Microsoft checks to make sure that the country your credit card was issued in matches the country of your Microsoft Store account (so you can only use a Canadian credit card to buy games in the Canadian Microsoft Store, for example). The simplest way around this is to buy an international pre-paid Microsoft Store card from an external website. There are a few different options for this, depending on the region for which you want to buy a card:

• Germany: Amazon.de (make sure you buy a digital card, not a physical one)
• Japan: Amazon.co.jp (make sure you buy a digital card, not a physical one)
• United Kingdom: Amazon.co.uk (make sure you buy a digital card, not a physical one)
• United States: Amazon.com (make sure you buy a digital card, not a physical one)
• Multiple regions: Playasia (Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States)

Other regions are a bit more difficult to get Microsoft Store cards for due to international region restrictions, but methods for adding money to a Turkish Xbox account, for example, can often be found online.

Step 3: Buy and play games

Once you have added funds to your other-region account's Xbox wallet, you can buy games on that region's Microsoft Store. Make sure that other-region account is activated on your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, and that your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S is set as the primary device for that account. Then any games that you download on that other-region account can be played by any account on that Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S.

Find the cheapest region for any game

Before you buy, it pays to check where a game is actually cheapest right now. XBXprices tracks live Microsoft Store prices across 40+ regions and converts them to your currency, so you can open any game and see the cheapest regional price at a glance — then use the steps above to buy it there. Start from the Xbox Series X|S & Xbox One games on sale list or the full game catalogue.

We also keep a live landing page for every store region — current prices, deals and currency info per country. See all Microsoft Store regions, or jump straight to the historically cheapest ones: the Turkish, Indian and Brazilian Microsoft Store.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games region locked?
No. Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S games are not region locked, so a game bought from another country's Microsoft Store will play on your console. Only the store account and the payment method are tied to a region, which is exactly what this guide works around.

Which Microsoft Store region is the cheapest?
It shifts with exchange rates and local pricing, but the Turkey and Hong Kong stores are often among the cheapest. XBXprices compares the same game across 40+ regions, so you can see where it is cheapest right now before you buy.

How do I change my Microsoft Store region?
You cannot change the region of an existing account, but you can create a new, free Xbox account set to the country you want to buy from, then fund it with a Microsoft Store gift card for that region. The steps below walk through it.

Is it safe to buy games from another region?
Buying from another regional Microsoft Store with a local account and a prepaid Microsoft Store card is a long-standing, widely used practice. Stick to reputable card sellers, and note that a small number of online services may apply region restrictions.