If English isn’t your mother tongue, it can be hard to pick out games that support your native language. Fortunately, Microsoft is making it a lot easier to identify which games support which languages and in what form.
Video Game Language Information, at a Glance
The news broke today on the Xbox Wire website. Now, when you’re browsing for a new game on the Microsoft Store on Xbox and Xbox Game Pass, you’ll see more information about what languages each game officially supports.
As Microsoft puts it:
You can now easily determine whether a game contains any in-game language support based on a ‘Languages’ label before you even open the product details page. In-game language information is being collected for three elements of the gaming experience—a title’s interface, audio and subtitles—across 27 languages.
The language label tells you how many languages the game supports from the store page, so you can quickly identify the multilingual entries as you browse the store.
If you find a game that supports many languages, you can find a more detailed list on the product details page. Here, you can find a checklist that tells you if the game supports interface, audio, and subtitle translation.
This is all part of Microsoft’s greater push to redesign the Xbox store to make it easier to use. With the console wars heating up, Microsoft must make it easy for its customers to play the games they want to play, lest they’ll move on to greener pastures.
Now You’re Speaking My Language
If you’re not fluent in English, it can be hard to find a game that suits your needs. Fortunately, Microsoft is taking the first step towards helping international users find the perfect match for them.
Of course, there’s always the option to learn a new language so you can explore another country’s media to your heart’s content. Fortunately, there are plenty of language apps that help you do just that.