Xbox One locales FAQ

How do I set the language and location on my Xbox One?

During the initial setup of your new Xbox console, you select your language and location. With the August 2016 update, location is no longer dependent on the language you choose.

After setup, can I change language and location later?

After setup of your new Xbox One console, you can change your language and location through Settings. A system restart will be required. For more information, see Xbox One system settings.

Is the Xbox One console location different than the Xbox Store location?

No. Xbox One will always use your chosen console location. This information gets passed to the Xbox Live service to show the correct marketplace, offers, recommendations, and so on.

For example, if you select France when you set up your console, this gets passed to Xbox Live, and you will see offers and information specific to France.

Note Some content and apps may not be available or accessible in some locations. If your console is set to a different location than the one you live in, you may be able to download and install an app from a different market, but you may not be able to use it. That app may be geo-fenced (restricted by physical location, not the console setting) and may prevent you from playing content from another country or region.

Will I see the Store in two languages?

Possibly. With language and location being separated with the August 2016 update, it's possible to choose a language that is not available in your chosen location. The result will be a mix of languages: your chosen console language for things like headings and buttons, and a "fallback" store language for the names and descriptions of items in the Store.

For example, if you choose a location of France and a language of French (France), you'll see everything in French. But, if you choose a location of France and a language of Japanese, you'll see most of the screens in Japanese, but some of the Store information in French.

What happens if I set my Xbox One console location differently than my Xbox account?

You will be shown information for the location and language set on your console. Your Xbox account locale is not used to show Store information.

Do I need to migrate my account when moving to a different country or region?

No. You can simply change your console language and location anytime you want. Account migration is not required with Xbox One.

For example: You move from Germany to France. If you change your console location to France and your language to French (France), your entire experience will change from German to French, even though your Xbox account locale was originally Germany. As long as you have a French billing account and a valid payment option, you will be able to purchase content from the French Store.

Note It is important to keep in mind that if you have local currency stored in your account when you switch console locales, you will lose access to that currency.

How is the voice model selected and enabled in Xbox One?

When you select a supported language during setup of your new Xbox One console, an appropriate voice model will be enabled.

For example, if you select French (France) during initial setup, a French (France) voice model will be enabled. For a list of voice-supported locales, see Xbox One Feature Availability.

You can change your spoken language in Settings. For more information, see Xbox One system settings.

What about Cortana?

When Cortana is enabled, Kinect voice commands that start with "Xbox" become "Hey Cortana" instead. The Spoken language setting isn't available when Cortana is on—Cortana depends on language and location and doesn't use this setting.

I can only sign in to my console if my Xbox account locale is for one of the officially supported countries or regions, correct?

Not correct. You can sign in to your Xbox One console if you have an Xbox account from any country or region where Xbox account creation is supported.

For example, customers in Egypt can sign in to their consoles using their Egypt Xbox accounts.

Note It is important to keep in mind that Xbox Support and warranties are only available in Xbox One-supported countries and regions.

How is the locale set in the Xbox App for Xbox One?

The Xbox App uses the locale (country/region and language) that you set on your device.

For example, if you set the locale of your Windows Phone 10 and your iPad to the French language and the country of France, the Xbox App will be French. When connected to your console, the Xbox App switches to use whatever language your console is set to use.

Does the Xbox One console have to physically be in an officially supported country or region to get system updates?

No. Your Xbox One console can get system updates anywhere in the world, as long as it's connected to the Internet.

Note It is important to keep in mind that Xbox Support and warranties are only available in Xbox One-supported countries and regions.

What happens if my billing address doesn't match my console's locale?

In that case, you will not be able to purchase content. You must have a valid billing address and payment option that matches your console locale.

For example, if you are in France and set your console location to France, you will see French Store information. However, if your billing address is in Germany, you will not be able to purchase content because you must have a valid payment option connected to a French billing address.

If I purchase a game in one country or region, can I play it in another country or region?

Yes. There is no playback restriction on games purchased and downloaded.

For example, if you purchase and download a game in one country and then move to another country where the game isn’t available, you can still play the game that you downloaded. However, you would not be able to redownload the game you purchased, as it would not be available for you to download in the Store.

What happens if I buy a Microsoft gift card in Germany in euros and add it to my account, and then move to the United Kingdom? Does it convert from euros to British pounds?

Balances are not converted from one currency to another. You must spend the value of the currency in which it was purchased. You will have to buy another Microsoft gift card when you move to another country or region, because the balance you have in one currency will not work in another marketplace.