How to Activate a Game Key on Any Platform

Two checks that prevent almost every failed activation:

1. Confirm the region matches your account. A regional key checks the country on your platform account. See Global vs Regional Game Keys if you are not sure what your listing's label means.
2. Make sure you are signed into the right account. Keys redeem into whichever account is logged in, and the licence cannot be moved afterwards. This is the single most expensive mistake on this page.

Never enter a key on a site that is not the platform's own. No legitimate third party needs your code.

Still choosing a code? Browse our platform catalogues (Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo) and check the listing's region and edition before buying. Once purchased, redeem the code only through the platform's official app or website using the steps below.

1. In the Steam desktop app, open the Games menu at the top of the window and choose Activate a Product on Steam....
2. Away from the app, sign in at store.steampowered.com/account/registerkey and enter the key there instead.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions: accept the agreement, paste the key and confirm.

The game appears in your library straight away, ready to download when you choose.

Common errors

• "Game not available in your territory": a region mismatch. The key is restricted to a region your Steam account is not in.
• "Invalid Product Code": usually a typing slip. Paste the key instead of typing it; Steam names 0 and O, 1 and I, B and 8, G and 6 as the usual mix-ups. Also check that it is a Steam key at all.
• Duplicate product code: the key has already been activated on a Steam account and cannot be activated again.

On an Xbox console: press the Xbox button to open the guide and select Store. Press the View button to open the side menu, select Redeem, enter the 25-character code and select Next.

On the web: go to redeem.microsoft.com, sign in with the Microsoft account the code should go to, and enter the code.

Xbox codes are 25 characters in five blocks of five. Gift cards credit your Microsoft account balance rather than granting a specific title — the balance is locked to the currency of the account's region, which is why an incorrectly regioned Xbox gift card cannot be used at all.

On PS5: open PlayStation Store, press the triangle button to open the menu and select … (More) → Redeem Code. Enter the code and select Redeem.

On PS4: open PlayStation Store, scroll to the bottom of the sidebar and select Redeem Codes.

On the web: sign in to PlayStation Store from playstation.com, select your profile at the top of the screen and choose Redeem Code.

PlayStation Store voucher codes have 12 characters, and a voucher must be for the same region as your account. The account's country is fixed at creation and cannot be changed later, so PlayStation region mismatches are permanent — check the region label with extra care here.

On Nintendo Switch or Nintendo Switch 2: select Nintendo eShop on the HOME Menu and choose the user the code should go to, then pick the option to enter a code in the menu on the left of the screen and enter the 16-character download code.

On the web: go to ec.nintendo.com/redeem, sign in with your Nintendo Account, enter the code and confirm with your password.

Download codes never use the letters O, I or Z; the console keyboard disables them. Like PlayStation, the Nintendo Account country determines which eShop you reach, and changing it is restricted — and doing so can forfeit any remaining balance.

Sign in first with the account the game should belong to. The platform named on your order is where the key is activated, so a Ubisoft game sold as a Steam key is activated on Steam.

• EA: go to ea.com/redeem, select Redeem for a PC code (other platforms have their own button below it), type the code and select Next.
• Ubisoft Connect: in the Ubisoft Connect PC app, select your profile in the top-left corner (or open the Ubisoft Connect overlay), choose Key/Code Activation, enter the key and select Activate. Several failed attempts block activation for a while, so check the key before you retry.
• Epic Games Store: go to the code redemption page, or in the Epic Games Launcher select your name at the top right, then Redeem Code.
• GOG: go to gog.com/redeem, or in GOG GALAXY select the cogwheel at the top left, then Add games & friends → Redeem GOG code.
• Battle.net: sign in to your Battle.net account and use the Redeem a Code box, or in the Battle.net app select your profile icon at the top right, then Redeem Code.

Gift cards for mobile ecosystems and retail stores follow the store's own flow:

• Google Play: Google Play app → your profile picture → Payments & subscriptions → Redeem code, or play.google.com/redeem.
• Apple / App Store: App Store app → your photo or initials at the top of the screen → the option to redeem a gift card or code (Apple has renamed it between iOS versions).
• Retail and service gift cards: redeemed on that brand's own site or app, usually under "Gift cards" in account settings.

Gift cards are the strictest category for regions: the card's country must match the store account's country exactly. There is no bloc-level flexibility the way there sometimes is for EU game keys.

Work through this before opening a ticket — it resolves most cases in a minute:

1. Re-read the error. "Not available in your country" is a region problem; "invalid code" is usually a transcription problem.
2. Copy and paste rather than typing. 0/O and 1/I/l account for a large share of "invalid code" reports.
3. Check you are on the right platform. A Steam key will never work on Xbox, and an edition/DLC code requires the base game already on the account.
4. Confirm the account. Especially if you have more than one, or share a console.

If it still fails, contact support with the order number and the exact error text — including a screenshot if you can. Do not post the code itself anywhere public; anyone who sees it can redeem it.