Dark Souls III isn’t out for a few weeks, at least not in anywhere outside of Japan. The third (and apparently last) game in the incredibly difficult series launched in Japan this week, tempting diehard fans into grey imports and all sorts of workarounds to get working early. You can, in fact, import a copy of the game with ease – if you’re willing to sit through the entire thing in Japanese. But if you’re on Xbox One there is a way to get the game work early. And in your own language no less.
Because Dark Souls III is up on Xbox Live for pre-download and because Microsoft are so open with region switching, there is a fairly easy way to legitimately purchase Dark Souls III and get it running right now. Several users on NeoGAF and Reddit have posted their workaround to get the game working, which involves simply switching a region, loading some funds onto a PayPal account, a fake address and some internet bandwidth. All easy things to come by.
Here’s how you can get Dark Souls III up and running on Xbox One, courtesy of Reddit user calebkeith:
Easy enough, right? Better yet is confirmation from Microsoft that they have no plans to go after people who use this loophole to get early access to the game. Why would they – it’s a legitimate means of purchasing a game early that their system allows for. So there isn’t even a reason to create a dummy account in fear of banning.
If you’re now drooling at the prospect of getting your hands on Dark Souls III early, there is a little caveat. Converting 8000 Japanese Yen to South African Rands means you’ll be paying a tiny bit more for the game than standard price (it costs R1092.00 at time of writing). It’s not too much more than the retail price but hey, you’re getting it nearly three weeks in advance. That’s worth it, right?
If not, Dark Souls III is out proper on April 12th for Xbox One, PC and PS4. Now that the game is out in the wild, tread carefully for fear of spoilers. And praise the sun. Always.
Last Updated: March 24, 2016
Pariah
March 24, 2016 at 08:38
So basically speedrunners will be finishing the game in 1 hour by the time it actually releases in retail? XD
HairyEwok
March 24, 2016 at 08:41
All that just get to angry and frustrated…. psh just walking into my work area is Dark Souls for me.
Admiral Chief in New York
March 24, 2016 at 08:44
Dark Souls, better known as the N1 in Gauteng. Utter torture
Pariah
March 24, 2016 at 08:47
“Dark Souls. Better known as Gauteng”
Fixed it for you.
Admiral Chief in New York
March 24, 2016 at 08:54
You know, not many times I’ll allow it. But in this case, I’ll allow it.
Gauteng, Dark Souls. Confirmed
I was UBER zen after my leave, as soon as I hit Gauteng….blood pressure went up, headache, anger, rage, murderous thoughts etc.
I need to move to the South Coast ASAP
Pariah
March 24, 2016 at 08:58
Since I’ve been in Cape Town i’ve been so much more chilled hey. It’s just much better down here. I don’t miss Jozi.
Admiral Chief in New York
March 24, 2016 at 09:01
I HATE JHB and Midrand, and most of SnorToria.
I’ve already got a business plan for down at the coast, just need to make sure I’ve got fibre/dsl before I move. You know, priorities. Gaming fo’ lyf
Pariah
March 24, 2016 at 10:32
10Mb ADSL does just fine for me, so as long as that’s available I think you’ll be just fine. Bare in mind, there’s 2-3 people using my line at the same time and there’s never an issue unless one is downloading. 🙂
miaau
March 24, 2016 at 09:58
When I last checked equivalent pay packets, though, I found that Western Cape paid a little bit less. Just a feeling, not 100% sure, of course.
Pariah
March 24, 2016 at 10:32
Yeah but tbh, I’m happy to take the pay cut for a better lifestyle with much, MUCH less stress and a much more beautiful area with tons more to see and do.
miaau
March 24, 2016 at 09:40
I enjoy it here. But I think driving under 5 minutes to work in peak time traffic also helps. a lot.
GooseZA
March 24, 2016 at 08:54
Already pre-ordered it a while back. I wonder if just switching regions on my xbone will work?
GooseZA
March 24, 2016 at 09:55
People are really not happy about the staggered release. Streamers in the US are being given FREE copies of the game to stream now already while those who preordered (myself included) have to sit and wait and avoid spoilers for 3 weeks.
Also ruins it a bit by not letting everyone experience and work everything out together for the first time.
Pariah
March 24, 2016 at 12:24
Streamers can’t stream past a certain boss though, so they’re even limited to what they can show.