Thanks to the early release of Dark Souls 3 in Japan, some Xbox One gamers in the West can now access the content a few weeks earlier than planned.
in Japan, some Xbox One gamers in the West can now access the content a few weeks earlier than planned. For now at least.
Although FromSoftware’s highly anticipated Dark Souls 3 is not set to release in the West until April 12th, some gamers have already figured out a way to get a head start playing the notoriously difficult game.
The 24th of March is the Japanese release date for the latest in the Dark Souls franchise, meaning that the game is available on the Japanese Xbox Store from now onwards. Of course, it wasn’t long before one NeoGAFuser figured out how to cheat the system and get a copy of the game working on their home console. While Xbox likely frowns upon the method, players that do choose to play the game early will be happy to know that it reportedly contains an option to play in full English text, though you’ll probably miss out on your pre-order bonuses.
To get started, you’ll need a Japanese Xbox account which can be made by either changing your regular account’s location or signing up fresh. It’s probably advisable to do the latter, especially since Microsoft may not take too kindly to this method of accessing the game for too much longer. Next you need to purchase Xbox credit in yen, using the Microsoft Store site. You may need to change your region on the site to find it, but then you can use that credit to purchase your copy of Dark Souls 3 .
Due to the purchase being your first in a new region, you’ll need to enter a Japanese address. The NeoGAF user reportedly used the US Embassy in Tokyo, while others have taken to using the address of McDonald’s restaurant in Osaka. Finally, set your Xbox region back to your native location and begin the download. Voila! You’ve got a working copy of Dark Souls 3 a few weeks earlier than most other people in Europe and North America.
While there have so far been no reports of people getting into trouble using this method, it is not entirely risk-free. Though you’ll be using legitimate Microsoft channels, you should be aware that the company might not take kindly to your new Japanese home appearing across the globe. That said, maybe being the first to unlock all the achievementsin FromSoftware’s new title is inspiration enough to get gamers to embrace their new Japanese nationality.
Will you be playing Dark Souls 3 earlier than most, or waiting until it’s Western release? Leave us a comment and let us know.
Dark Souls 3 is scheduled for launch on April 12, 2016 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One in North America.