How to change your Xbox and Microsoft account region
Two different settings control what you see and pay in the Xbox ecosystem: the console’s system region and the Microsoft account’s country. Changing them is free and reversible, and this guide walks through both — plus the important question of which one actually matters for purchases.
Console region vs account region
The console region (Settings → System → Language & location) controls the storefront your Xbox shows you. The Microsoft account country (set at account.microsoft.com) controls billing, balance currency and which gift cards you can redeem. For an Argentine purchase, the account country is the critical one.
Step-by-step: account country
- Sign in at account.microsoft.com and open “Your info”.
- Edit the country/region field and set it to Argentina, then save.
- Add an Argentine address — a real hotel or public building address is what people commonly use; the field is not verified against your IP at this stage.
- Restart the console or re-login so the store picks up the new billing country.
Step-by-step: console region
- On the Xbox, open Settings → System → Language & location.
- Set Location to Argentina and choose a language you can read — Spanish is default, but English stays available.
- Select “Restart now” when prompted; the store reloads with Argentine pricing in ARS.
What changes and what does not
| Item | Affected by region change? |
|---|---|
| Store prices and currency | Yes — shown in ARS after restart |
| Owned games and saves | No — your library travels with the account |
| Gamerscore and friends | No |
| Existing balance | Balance is per-currency; old-currency credit does not convert |
| Game Pass catalog | Partially — catalog follows the store region |
Common pitfalls
Unspent balance in your old currency stays locked to that currency — spend it or accept it will not follow you. Some subscriptions bill in the old region until renewed. And if the store shows an error after switching, a full power cycle (hold the power button ten seconds) fixes it more often than any setting does.
Many buyers keep a second, Argentina-dedicated account and use the console’s game-sharing feature so the main account can play the purchases. That setup is described in the risks article, since it also affects enforcement exposure.
