Universal Gaming Shift: Xbox Zones & Time Change

Catering your Xbox Series X|S to your preferences is essential to making a console experience your own. And whether you need to set up unique security settings, alter device preferences, or customize the look of the HUD, your Xbox Series X|S can more than often oblige.

But when it comes to altering your time zone to match your local area or to alter in-game time for a particular game, there are a few stipulations and features to know beforehand. But luckily, the process is quite simple. So if you’re looking to change your time zone on Xbox Series X|S, we can help.

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What Are the Time Settings on Xbox Series X|S?

While self-explanatory, theTime settings on Xbox Series X|S do more than simply alter the time zone used by your Xbox. And if you rely on public holidays or calendar changes throughout the year, theTime settings also accommodate them, as long as you have set your Xbox to the correct region.

In this way, setting the correct region on Xbox Series X|S dictates the defaultTime settings your Xbox will use, and all the available options forTime will adjust accordingly. So you may need tochange your Xbox Series X|S region before continuing to change your time zone.

But specifically, theTime settings on your Xbox allow for three main settings to be adjusted and altered to your preference, including your time zone. These settings can be defined by the following:

• Using theAutomatically adjust for daylight saving option to have your Xbox follow your local daylight savings time adjustments or not.
• Deciding whether your Xbox utilizes a24-hour clock or not.
• Changing yourTime zone to alter the default time used by your Xbox to a different area.

However, while these settings are easy to access and can be adjusted at any time, there are still a few pieces of information you may need to be aware of before altering any of these settings.

What You Need to Know About Changing Time Zone on Xbox

The last few important things to know before you change your time zone on Xbox are how altering the setting will affect your console, and what you may need to do to ensure that your Time zone is changed successfully.

The most information you may need to know before changing your time zone or any other option within the Time settings for your Xbox is as follows:

• It is best to alter theTime settings on your Xbox while disconnected from the Xbox network. This guarantees your choices won’t be overwritten by Internet preferences.
• Changing your time zone may not alter the in-game time for all games, especially if the game you’re playing runs off its own online services, like live service Xbox games.
• Altering your time zone can affect when theShutdown power option attempts to save energy by updating at night. Changing when your console recognizes night would interfere with energy saving, and you may need toadjust your Xbox Series X|S power settings accordingly.

Even though some of the above annoyances can distract from the reason you may want to adjust your time zone on Xbox, you can still get around any potential issues and continue on to alter yourTime settings.

How to Customize Your Time Settings on Xbox Series X|S

Now you know all the key bits of information regarding the Time settings on Xbox, you’re ready to adjust the time zone of your Xbox Series X|S. To adjust the time zone of your Series X|S you need to disconnect from the Xbox network. To do so, follow these steps:

• Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the Guide menu on your Series X|S.
• UnderProfile & system , selectSettings .

• From the options forGeneral , selectNetwork settings .
• SelectGo offline .

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With your Xbox offline, you can adjust yourTime settings without issues. To continue and change your console’s time zone, follow these steps:

• Press the Guide menu once more and re-selectSettings .
• This time, highlight the options forSystem and selectTime .

• SelectTime zone to open a drop-down menu.
• From the drop-down menu, select the time zone you want your Xbox to follow.

Your Xbox will then automatically adjust to your selected time zone, and you’re ready to reconnect to the Xbox network and continue using your console as normal.

If your Xbox doesn’t adjust to the time zone or has trouble reconnecting after switching, you may want to quicklyreset your Xbox Series X|S . This way, you can be sure that your console has changed to your desired time zone after it has booted back up.

Play the Way You Want to With Xbox Series X|S

Changing something as simple as your time zone may seem like a small step to choosing how you play the games you own, but it represents a small drop in a larger pool of personalization choices on Xbox.

And while changing region or time can superficially personalize your gaming experience, using things like Xbox Cloud Gaming, or Xbox Game Pass can help further empower you to choose how you game - even without an Xbox console.

FAQ

Q: How Often Can You Change the Region of Your Xbox Series X|S?

For your Xbox Series X|S, you can change the region as many times as you like without any limitations. Unlike the region of your console, however, you can only change the region of your Xbox account no more than once every three months. Because of this, you must be certain you want to adjust the region of your account before finalizing the change.

Q: How Do You Change Your Time Zone on Xbox Series X|S to Play Games Early?

By entering theSystem settings of your Xbox and selectingLanguage & location , you can change the region of your Xbox Series X|S. If a game is supposed to be released early in the region you selected, you will be able to purchase and play games from that region’s Xbox Store earlier than your own time zone. However, aside from accessing games early via another region, you can officiallyplay supported Xbox games early through Xbox Game Preview from any region.

Q: Will Your Xbox Series X|S Console Work in Other Time Zones?

In short, because every Xbox Series X|S console is region-free, you can use your Xbox Series X or Series S in any country or time zone without any issues. While there may be issues when it comes to cable compatibility, especially if you’re traveling to the US from the UK, for instance, as soon as your Xbox is set up, it will be running just as if you were using it within your own time zone.

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