Microsoft Confirms Xbox Series X and S Comes Without Region Lock

The Redmond company Microsoft has confirmed that the next-gen consoles Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X will be brought onto the market without a region lock. As is already the case with the current Xbox One, titles from other countries can also be played.

That comes from a report from Meristation and MSPoweruser. The upcoming Microsoft consoles will not only be able to play Xbox games purchased in the user’s country. Instead, the Xbox Series X / S can access any optical media containing an Xbox title. Users can also change the region of the console and buy digital versions of games from other countries.

Xbox (360) at that time still with region lock

While the current Microsoft consoles Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X manage without a region lock, the original Xbox and Xbox 360 were still equipped with a country lock. At that time, versions of the games that were only sold in Germany could be played on a European model. So it was not possible to order a US game and run it on a console with a European region lock. In the following generation of consoles, the Redmond-based company has abolished the lock.

Region lock also abolished by other manufacturers

In addition to Microsoft, other console manufacturers also abolished the region lock some time ago. While the Nintendo WiiU was still limited to one region, versions from other countries can be started with the Switch. This is also the case with the PlayStation 4. Sony has not yet announced whether that will change with the PlayStation 5.