Best Sites to Buy Import Games in 2026

You've found the game. It's out in Japan, it's got a English patch, and it's never coming to your region. Or maybe it did come out locally — just six months later and $20 (about £16 / €18) more expensive. Either way, you want to import it, and you want to know where to actually buy it without getting burned.

Good news: the import game market is genuinely great right now. Bad news: some of the best storefronts are geo-blocked, region-priced in ways that don't play nice with foreign cards, or require a bit of setup to access properly. That last part is where a VPN comes in — specifically NordVPN, which we'll get to shortly.

What to Look For Before You Buy

Not all import retailers are equal, and some are genuinely sketchy. Here's what actually matters when you're picking where to spend your money.

1. Does it support your platform?

Physical imports for cartridge-based systems (Switch, handhelds) usually just work. Disc-based imports for PS5 or Xbox are trickier — region locking varies by title. Digital imports through foreign storefronts work on any hardware, but you need to set up a foreign account and, often, a VPN to purchase without your card being blocked. Know what you're buying before you click.

2. What are the real shipping costs?

A Japanese game listed at $35 (about £28 / €32) can easily become $55 (about £44 / €50) once shipping from Tokyo lands. Some retailers offer flat-rate international shipping. Others charge by weight and region. Always check before you commit — the checkout page is rarely where you want surprises.

3. Is the storefront actually trustworthy?

There are a lot of grey-market key sellers that deal in codes of dubious origin. We're not recommending any of those. Everything on this list is either a legitimate retailer selling genuine physical media, or an official digital storefront for that region. Your account and your wallet will thank you.

4. Can you actually access it from your country?

Some regional digital storefronts block foreign IP addresses or decline foreign payment methods outright. This is annoying, but it's fixable. A good VPN gets your IP into the right country. A prepaid card or regional gift card handles the payment side. It takes twenty minutes to set up the first time, and then it's just part of your routine.

Our Top Pick: NordVPN (For Accessing Any Digital Import Storefront)

We're putting NordVPN first because it's the tool that unlocks everything else on this list. Without it, half these options either aren't accessible from your country or will decline your payment. With it, you can browse the Japanese eShop, the Hong Kong PSN, or the Turkish Steam store like a local.

Here's why NordVPN specifically, rather than any other VPN: it has servers in over 110 countries, including every major gaming market — Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, the US, UK, Brazil, Turkey. Its speeds are fast enough that you won't be sitting there watching a progress bar for two hours after buying a digital game. And it doesn't log what you're doing, which matters if you care about privacy.

It also has a browser extension that's dead simple to use, which matters because our readers aren't all network engineers. You click a country, you're connected, you buy your game. That's genuinely how simple it is once you've set it up.

Price: $3.99–$6.99/month (about £3.15–£5.50 / €3.70–€6.40) depending on plan length. The two-year plan is the best value by a significant margin.

Best for: Anyone buying digital imports from region-locked storefronts. If you're only buying physical games shipped internationally, you technically don't need it — but it's still useful for browsing foreign store prices before you buy.

→ Get NordVPN

The Best Physical Import Retailers

Play-Asia — Best Overall for Physical Imports

Play-Asia has been doing this since 2002. That's not a boast — it's just reassurance that they know what they're doing. They stock games from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia across every major platform, and they ship worldwide with reliable tracking.

Prices are listed in USD, which makes comparison easy. Shipping costs are transparent and calculated at checkout before you commit. And their customer support actually responds when something goes wrong, which, in the import world, occasionally does.

The downside: popular new releases can sell out fast, and their prices on day-one Japanese titles can be steep — $50–$70 (about £40–£55 / €46–€64) plus shipping is normal for new Switch or PS5 releases. But for older titles and collector's editions, the value is excellent.

Best for: Serious import collectors. Anyone who wants a trustworthy one-stop shop for physical Asian releases.

CDJapan — Best for Japanese-Language Titles

CDJapan is exactly what it sounds like — a Japanese retailer that also ships internationally. Their game selection skews heavily toward Japanese-language titles, which is perfect if you're studying Japanese or buying games with enough visual context that language isn't a barrier.

Their pricing is in JPY (Japanese yen), so you'll want to check the conversion rate before buying. At current rates, a new PS5 game runs roughly ¥7,000–¥9,000 (around $47–$60 / £37–£47 / €43–€55). Shipping through EMS is fast and tracked. Standard air mail is cheaper but slower.

Best for: Japanese-language game buyers, or anyone after Japanese limited editions and collector's items not available elsewhere.

AmiAmi — Best for Collector's Editions and Limited Runs

AmiAmi is primarily a figures and merchandise retailer, but their game section is solid — particularly for collector's editions, limited releases, and items bundled with physical extras. Prices are fair, the site is well-organized, and they ship internationally with good tracking options.

One thing to be aware of: AmiAmi does pre-orders, and occasionally a pre-order will be cancelled if stock doesn't come through. It's not common, but it happens. Keep an eye on your email if you've got something on pre-order.

Best for: Collector's editions, limited physical bonuses, and Japanese releases with merchandise bundles.

The Best Digital Import Options

Regional Steam Storefronts — Best for PC Imports

Steam lets you browse and purchase from different regional stores by simply being in that region — which, with NordVPN, is trivially easy. The Turkish, Argentine, and Brazilian Steam stores in particular have historically offered significant discounts on the same titles available in the US or UK stores.

Important note: Steam has cracked down on pure price arbitrage in recent years, and you'll need a payment method that works for that region — usually a regional gift card or a prepaid card. Don't try to use a UK credit card on the Turkish store; it won't work and may flag your account. Get a regional gift card first. You can buy these through sites like G2A or Eneba, though vet the seller carefully.

Best for: PC gamers who want to access region-exclusive titles or regional pricing.

Hong Kong PSN — Best for PlayStation Digital Imports

The Hong Kong PlayStation Store has a strong library of Asian-exclusive and early-release titles, and many of them support English language options in-game even if that's not the store's primary language. You'll need to create a Hong Kong PSN account (free, takes five minutes) and fund it with Hong Kong dollars via gift cards.

With NordVPN connected to a Hong Kong server, the account creation and gift card redemption process is smooth. Games download to your console and work just like any other purchase — no ongoing VPN connection required after purchase.

Best for: PlayStation players after Asian exclusives, early releases, or region-specific DLC.

Comparison Table

The Verdict: Who Should Buy What

If you're new to importing and just want to buy a specific physical game that isn't coming to your region — go straight to Play-Asia. It's the most reliable, the pricing is in a currency you understand, and the process is as simple as any normal online purchase. No VPN required.

If you're a PlayStation player who wants access to Asian exclusives or early releases — set up a Hong Kong PSN account. It takes an evening, and after that first setup you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner. You'll need NordVPN for the initial account setup and gift card redemption.

If you're a PC gamer and you're paying full US or UK price for games on Steam — please, stop doing that immediately. Set up NordVPN, look at what the same game costs in Turkey or Brazil, and buy regional gift cards accordingly. This is legal, it's widely done, and the savings are real.

If you're a collector who lives for limited editions and physical extras — AmiAmi and CDJapan deserve tabs in your browser. Bookmark them, set up price alerts, and follow their social feeds for limited release announcements.

And if you're going to do any of this regularly? Get NordVPN first. It's the foundation that makes the digital import world actually work. One subscription, $3.99/month (about £3.15 / €3.70) on the long plan, and you can access storefronts across 110 countries. That's not a bad deal for what it unlocks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it legal to buy import games?

In most countries, yes. Buying and owning physical import games is generally legal for personal use. The grey area is usually around circumventing DRM or region locks on disc-based games — that varies by country. Digital imports via foreign storefronts exist in a similar grey area in terms of the platform's terms of service, but they're not illegal under the law of most countries. We're not lawyers, so check your local rules if you're concerned.

Will import games work on my console?

It depends on the system and the format. Nintendo Switch games are region-free for cartridges — any cartridge works on any Switch. PS5 discs are region-free for game content but may have region-specific DLC. Xbox is region-free. Older systems (PS4 is technically region-free for games, but DLC can be region-locked) have more nuance. Always check before you buy, especially if you want to purchase DLC later.

Why do I need a VPN to buy from foreign digital stores?

Digital storefronts like PSN, the Nintendo eShop, and Steam detect your location based on your IP address. If your IP says you're in the UK but you're trying to buy from the Japan eShop, you'll often get blocked or redirected. A VPN changes your apparent IP address to match the country whose store you want to access. NordVPN does this reliably for gaming storefronts, which is why we recommend it.

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Our top pick

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