For a long time, digital videogame purchases lacked one of the basic expectations of physical copies: the ability to get a refund if you change your mind about a buy.

Thankfully, that's slowly changing. Valve and Sony have offered digital refunds via purchases on Steam and the PlayStation Store for quite some time, and Microsoft has followed suit.

The visitor offers refunds for digital copies of Xbox I and Windows 10 games and apps purchased through the Microsoft Store, but it'due south non clear how gamers should go about getting a refund, and the criteria to be eligible for one.

Don't worry, as here nosotros break down all you need to know about getting a refund from the Microsoft Store, on Xbox One or Windows x PC.

Which games are eligible for refunds?

Microsoft's refund organization applies to games and apps for Xbox One or Windows ten, merely simply if they're purchased through the digital Microsoft Store - you lot can't buy a game from some other retailer and endeavor and become a refund from Microsoft, unsurprisingly.

But even if you lot do purchase your game from the Microsoft Store, information technology'southward worth noting that yous can't just go a refund for any buy yous make - there are a few requirements yous have to see.

Most importantly, you tin can only claim a refund if you have a legitimate reason to ask for 1 - either that you lot purchased the wrong matter by accident, that the game you bought doesn't work, that someone else bought it using your account, that there's an error with your bill, or just if y'all want to abolish a pre-order. You may need to talk to a customer service rep to explain or prove the situation, and yous can't simply claim a refund considering yous decided you lot didn't like a game as much equally y'all expected.

Games and apps are only eligible for a refund within 14 days of purchase, and only if y'all've played less than ii hours across all accounts - y'all can't sink 40 hours into a massive RPG and so endeavour and get your money back!

Downloadable content, flavour passes, and add-ons aren't eligible for refunds either, just the base games.

Finally, you'll accept to await at least one day after the game'southward release date before you request a refund, and you have to take downloaded and launched the game at to the lowest degree in one case - they want to make sure y'all've actually tried information technology out offset.

Most of those restrictions are in place to assist terminate corruption of the organization. That probably ways information technology's best not to treat this equally an easy fashion to get 2-hour demos of any game you'd similar to try.

How practice you go a refund from the Microsoft Shop?

Thankfully, the process of claiming a refund from the Microsoft Store is relatively straightforward - for digital purchases, anyhow.

Only head direct to the Xbox Refund Request Solution (tricky name, we know) and work through the checklist, making sure that you're signed into your Microsoft business relationship and have the relevant order number ready.

You may get a refund immediately, but more likely Microsoft will desire to verify the reason for the refund, and nether these circumstances, you should be put in touch with a Microsoft rep within 72 hours of applying.