How to Change the Region on Steam
If you want to improve your download speeds (or you’ve just moved to a new country), you might want to change your Steam region. This guide explains how.
The Steam gaming platform has a worldwide presence, with differences in games, rules, and prices, depending on your region. It also has a number of download servers worldwide to choose from, ensuring that you always get the best possible speeds for your new game downloads.
One thing you might not be aware of, however, is that you can change your region on Steam. You can change your download region, allowing you to download from a different set of Steam servers. If you move to a new country, you can also change your account region.
We’ll explain how to change the region on Steam below.
How to Change Download Region on Steam
The first thing you can try is to change your download region on Steam. Changing your download region on Steam can help you increase download speeds and improve latency issues.
This is especially true if you have multiple regions nearby to choose from. It can also help you to bypass Steam download issues when Steam itself is facing an outage in your location.
To change your download region on Steam:
- Open the Steam client on your PC or Mac and sign in.
- In the Steam window, go to Steam > Settings (on Windows) or Steam > Preferences (on Mac).
- In the Settings or Preferences window, click Downloads on the left.
- Click the Download Region drop-down list and choose a new region. It’s a good idea to select a region as close to your current region as possible (if not the same region you’re currently in).
- To save your changes, click OK.
Your new Steam download region should apply automatically. If you’re unsure if the change took effect, exit and restart Steam to ensure that the change is active.
How to Change Your Account Region on Steam
If you’ve recently moved to a new location, you might want to ensure that you’re using the correct Steam account region. This will unlock currency and price options for the region you’re currently in, which may prove to be lower than your previous region.
The best way to do this is by adding a new billing address and payment method to your Steam account. Steam will use this information and your updated IP address (and the region it originates in) to confirm that you’ve moved to a new region. You should then see updated payment information, including new pricing options.
A word of warning before you begin, however. If you try and change your account region to take advantage of lower Steam prices without moving location, you put your account at risk, as Steam may ban your account.
This includes using a VPN to bypass any Steam geo-restrictions. We strongly advise that you don’t try to do this—it isn’t worth losing your Steam library, after all.
How to Select a Different Region for Steam Purchases
If you’ve moved to a new Steam region, you should be able to choose a different currency option when you purchase a game or app.
However, for the transaction to work, you’ll need to add a payment method and billing address from the same region. For instance, if you want to purchase a game using pricing from the UK, you would need to add a payment method and billing address that originates from the UK.
You’ll need to add this new billing information to your Steam account before you proceed. If you don’t have this information, you won’t be able to use a new region for Steam purchases.
To select a new Steam region for purchases:
- Open the Steam store website or client and sign in.
- If you’re using the Steam client, click the Store tab.
- Select a game from the store and add it to your basket by clicking Add to Cart.
- Open your Steam cart by clicking Cart.
- If the option is available to you, select a different currency from the drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the cart (above the pricing). If this isn’t available to you, you won’t be able to use a different currency or purchase region on Steam.
An example of a Steam cart without multiple currency options.
- Once you’ve changed your currency, click either the Purchase for myself option or the Purchase as a gift option to begin purchasing your app or game in that currency.
- Steam will prompt you to choose between your original region (and billing address) and your new region. Select which option you’d prefer to use from the options provided.
- Once the changes are made, continue your purchase in your Steam cart.
- Follow any additional on-screen instructions to complete the purchase using your new Steam region, payment method, and billing address.
Updating Your Steam Settings
Using the steps we’ve outlined above, you can change the region on Steam. Changing your download region is one thing that is safe to do, but if you decide to change your account region on Steam, you should be aware of the risks. This includes the risk of your account being banned if you haven’t moved to a new location.
If you have any problems after updating your Steam region, don’t forget to restart Steam to resolve the problem. You can verify your Steam game files to resolve the issue if you run into any download issues.
Want to update your Steam account settings further? You could consider updating your Steam account name and choosing a new nickname online. Don’t forget to post your Steam screenshots to share your favorite gameplay moments.
