Xbox Wire has officially launched in Japan with full localization

E3
E3 (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Xbox has received its fair share of complaints over the years for poor localization and support in other regions besides the USA.
  • Recently, Xbox has committed to improving on this, and has made significant strides in regions like Japan.
  • On Monday, to celebrate 20 years since the Xbox first launched in Japan, Xbox Wire officially launched with full Japanese localization.
  • Now, Xbox players in Japan can access all official Xbox news and announcements in their home language.

Xbox has evolved to unbelievable degrees over the years, but local support still remains a pain point for Xbox players residing in many parts of the world besides Microsoft's home turf in the United States. The company has made strides toward resolving localization complaints, and is making another huge move for Xbox players in Japan.

On Monday, Xbox Wire officially launched in Japan with full localization, meaning players in the country can now keep up to date with all Xbox news and announcements in Japanese. The launch coincides with the 20-year anniversary of the original Xbox first going on sale in Japan.

With the launch of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, Xbox has reported record-breaking sales in Japan, with a growing number of players in the region expressing interest in the console platform. Xbox Series X|S consoles are already out-performing the Xbox One generation of consoles, which failed to achieve significant levels of success in the region.

Recently, Microsoft announced moves it's making to keep the momentum going, including full Japanese localization for future Xbox Game Studios titles like Starfield and Redfall. Xbox Cloud Gaming also launched in Japan after the Tokyo Game Show 2021, letting Japanese players jump into the best Xbox games on their mobile devices while on the go.

Xbox fans all over the world have requested better localization, and Microsoft has slowly improved region by region. While still far behind Sony when it comes to global localization, the company is making strides with moves like the launch of Xbox Wire in more regions. You can access Xbox Wire Japan starting today.

Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.