Xbox Series X problems: Every known issue and reported flaw with Xbox Series S and X, and how to work around them

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have arrived in the world, and you might be wondering which problems/issues they've run into at launch.

After all, no console launch is complete without a few tech issues that need ironing out. Early adopters always have to weather the storm a bit, while patches and fixes are sent out by developers.

READ MORE: Get Ā£15 BACK on any game you buy

Read on, then, and you'll find out about all the Xbox Series X/S problems we've found out about...

Reported problems with Xbox Series X

There are some reported problems that we've seen online which Microsoft does not seem to have released formal statements about just yet, which makes it hard to know how real or widespread these purported issues are.

For example, there were some videos flying around the web on Xbox Series X launch day which seemed to show plumes of smoke emitting from the console - however, these clips have now been widely debunked, as it looks like it was just pranksters blowing vape fumes into their machines.

More recently, we've seen reports of people's Xbox Series X consoles switching themselves off in the middle of gameplay - Microsoft hasn't commented on this yet, though, so it's hard to know what's real and what's not with that one.

For the powering-down problem, the only fix that seems to be working is unplugging your console and leaving it to rest for a bit, roughly ten minutes, before plugging it back in. But that doesn't feel like an ideal solution, so hopefully Microsoft is working on something!

READ MORE: How to connect Bluetooth headphones to Xbox Series X

Known Issues with the Xbox Series X/S

However, there are a bunch of Known Issues that Microsoft has listed on an official webpage about the Xbox Series X/S.

Below you'll find exactly what Microsoft has said about each of these issues...

EA Play App not working

Known Issue:Ā There is no EA Play app on Xbox Series X|S devices.

Workaround:Ā The EA Play hub app is not necessary to enjoy the benefits of EA Play. If you are looking for ways to claim your 10-Hour trials for popular games like FIFA 21 or Madden 21 on an Xbox Series X|S device, go to theĀ StoreĀ andĀ SearchĀ for your game and then select the game desired from the search results and click on the "Free Trial with EA Play" button on the game description page.Ā To access the entire EA Play library, just go toĀ My Games & AppsĀ >Ā Full LibraryĀ >Ā EA Play.

New Xbox controller not working on Windows 10 PC

Known Issue:Ā Some users are experiencing no button input in games with New Xbox Wireless ControllersĀ (the controller packaged with the Xbox Series X|S)Ā when connected via Bluetooth to Windows 10.Ā 

Workaround:Ā If you are experiencing this issue please ensure you have the latest servicing update on Windows. You can find available windows update by going toĀ SettingsĀ >Ā Update & SecurityĀ >Ā Windows UpdateĀ >Ā Check for Updates on your Windows 10 PC. In some cases, there may be a button that says ā€œView optional updatesā€, and you may be required to click there to find the update.Once that is complete you will also need to make sure the controller firmware is up to date by checking for additional updates withinĀ the Xbox Accessories app.

To check your update history, you can go toĀ Ā Start menuĀ >Ā SettingsĀ >Ā Update & SecurityĀ >Ā Windows UpdateĀ >Ā View update history.Ā If your KB number for your OS Build is greater than the one listed below, then you are good to go as it will include the necessary updates. If you are unaware which OS Version you have installed, you can easily check this by going to:Ā SettingsĀ >Ā SystemĀ >Ā About.

New Xbox controller not working with Steam

Known Issue:Ā Some users unable to get their New Xbox Wireless Controller to work with various games on Steam.Ā 

Workaround:Ā There is a fix for this issue included in the Steam beta client and you can participate in the Steam client beta byĀ following the steps posted here. Once those are complete, remember to restart your Steam client for the changes to take effect.Ā 

Smart Delivery not working

Known Issue:Ā Some users updating certain Smart Delivery games including Gears 5 on their Xbox Series X from an external USB hard drive brought from an Xbox One, Xbox One S, or Xbox One X console may find that the in-Game menus do not recognize the game has finished installing, as well as possibly see graphical corruption.

Workaround:Ā Users can avoid this by performing a fresh install directly to the Xbox Series X.Ā  We are working on a fix to be released with a future console update.

Quick Resume not working

While Quick Resume is fully operational with thousands of titles, we are aware a select number of Optimized titles may be experiencing issues with this feature.

To ensure the best possible experience for our fans, weā€™ve disabled the feature for these titles and are working as quickly as possible to fix this at the platform level.

Games showing 0x800708ca error code

Known Issue:Ā Some users seeing a ā€œSomething went wrong. 0x800708caā€ error when launching certain games on an Xbox One Series X|S after upgrading their content.Ā 

Workaround:Ā If you are experiencing this you can resolve this by resetting the console. To do this, press Guide and then going toĀ SettingsĀ >Ā SystemĀ >Ā Console infoĀ >Ā Reset consoleĀ >Ā Reset and Keep My Games & Apps.Ā  You can also resolve by uninstalling the content and redownloading directly from My Games & Apps or the store.

Third Party Headset Adapters not working properly

Known Issue:Ā Some third party headset adapters are unable to adjust game/chat audio mix when playing with the New Xbox Wireless Controller.Ā (the controller that comes with the Xbox Series X|S)Ā 

Workaround:Ā There is no known workaround at this time. The proper teams are aware and looking in to but if you connect the headset directly into the 3.5mm headset jack of your New Xbox Wireless Controller you can adjust game/chat audio via the Xbox Audio Mixer settings by going toĀ GuideĀ >Ā Audio. If you still wish to use your headset adapter for quick audio adjustment, you can still use a previous generation controller.

Xbox 360 Backwards Compatibility problems

Known Issue:Ā Some users experiencing issues launching Xbox 360 games returning them back to the Home section of the dashboard on Xbox Series X|S consoles.Ā Ā 

Workaround:Ā If you are experiencing this issue you will to clear your Xbox 360 storage by going toĀ SettingsĀ >Ā SystemĀ >Ā StorageĀ >Ā Clear local Xbox 360 storage.Ā 

4K/120hz TVs not working with the console

Known Issue:Ā If you are using a 4K@120Hz TV that also supports VRR you might encounter no signal or corrupted image when the Xbox is configured for 4K120+VRR. This issue occurs with various TVs from LG, Samsung, or Vizio.Ā 

Workaround:Ā Update to the latest firmware on your TV

If using an LG TV -Ā https://www.lg.com/us/support/software-firmware-drivers

If using a Samsung TV -Ā https://www.samsung.com/us/support/downloads/Ā 

If using a Vizio TV -Ā https://support.vizio.com/s/firmware-searchĀ  Ā 

For further assistance on setting up your Vizio TV to get the most out of your Xbox Series X|S,Ā head on over to the Vizio support FAQ here.Note:Ā To best ensure you always have the the latest firmware update for your TV, confirm you TV is connected to the internet and that Automatic Updates are enabled.

If the issue still persists, also consider trying the following:

Configure the console for 4K/60 with VRR by going toĀ Settings>Ā GeneralĀ >Ā TV & display optionsĀ >Ā Video ModesĀ > check the box forĀ Allow variable refresh rate.

Configure the console for 4k/120 with no VRR by going toĀ SettingsĀ >Ā GeneralĀ >Ā TV & display optionsĀ >Ā Video ModesĀ > uncheck the box forĀ Allow variable refresh rate. The resolution and refresh rates are found under ā€œDisplayā€ in TV & Display options.

If you wish to experience 120hz and VRR, please configure for 1080p/120hz VRR or 1440p/120hz VRR byĀ SettingsĀ >Ā GeneralĀ >Ā TV & display optionsĀ >Ā Video ModesĀ > check the box forĀ Allow variable refresh rate. The resolution and refresh rates are found under ā€œDisplayā€ in TV & Display options.

If you are experiencing a corrupted image, here are your workarounds to reverting back to a safe video mode:

Restart your console and configure your video modes to one of the listed options above.Ā 

If you're still experiencing a corrupted image after restart, disable VRR on the TV. Please consult your TV manufactures on how to do this.Ā 

If the issue still persist after steps 1 and 2, perform the video mode reset sequence to get back to a safe state and configure for one of the two options above. To do this,Ā follow the steps on this page hereĀ under ā€œYour screen is blank after you turn on the consoleĀ >Ā Reset your display settingsā€.

DVD & Blu-ray player showing black screen

Known Issue:Ā Some users may insert a DVD or Blu-ray into their console and encounter a black screen.

Workaround:Ā If you are experiencing this, simply remove the disc from the console, restart the console, and then re-insert the disc into the console to watch your disc.

Game Captures too dark

Known Issue:Ā Some users will see HDR captures appearing too dark when captured on Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S.

Workaround:Ā There is no known workaround but a fix will be coming soon in a future console update.Ā 

Game Clips showing 'trim failed' error

Known Issue:Ā Trimming 4K videos on an Xbox Series X might result in a "trim failed" error.

Workaround:Ā There is no known workaround at this time for 4K but this will be addressed in the November console OS update. Until that update, you can switch to 1080p by going toĀ SettingsĀ >Ā PreferencesĀ >Ā Capture & shareĀ >Ā Game clip resolutionĀ >Ā 1080p.Ā 

Gameplay footage on Xbox Live results in black screen

Known Issue:Ā Uploading 4K videos to Xbox Live from an Xbox Series X might result in an error or a blank screen.

Workaround:Ā There is no known workaround at this time for 4K but this will be addressed in the November console OS update. Until that update, you can switch to 1080p by going toĀ SettingsĀ >Ā PreferencesĀ >Ā Capture & shareĀ >Ā Game clip resolutionĀ >Ā 1080p.Ā 

Gameplay footage on Twitter results in black screen

Known Issue:Ā Sharing 4K videos to Twitter from an Xbox Series X might result in a and error or a black screen.

Workaround:Ā There is no known workaround at this time for 4K but this will be addressed in the November console OS update. Until that update, you can switch to 1080p by going toĀ SettingsĀ >Ā PreferencesĀ >Ā Capture & shareĀ >Ā Game clip resolutionĀ >Ā 1080p.Ā 

BBC iPlayer app not working

Known Issue:Ā The BBC iPlayer app will not launch or install on an Xbox Series X|S device.

Workaround:Ā There is no workaround at this time but we are working with our app partners to resolve this. At this time, the BBC iPlayer app will only work on an Xbox One generation device.

Q:Ā Why isnā€™t the BBC app available on Xbox Series X|S?

A:Ā Many of your favorite streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Twitch, Sky, Now TV and more, are on the Store waiting for you when you boot your new Xbox console. There are a small number of apps that are not yet available - like BBC iPlayer ā€“ but we are working with partners to add these as soon as possible.

PeacockTV app shows pixelated video

Known Issue:Ā Some users will experience occasional pixelated frames while using the PeacockTV app on Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S.Ā 

Workaround:Ā There is no known workaround at this time but the proper teams are working on a fix to be included in a future update.

Xbox Series X Remote Play on Windows 10 not working

Known Issue:Ā Console streaming to a Windows 10 device from an Xbox Series X|S will not work through the Xbox Console Companion app.Ā 

Workaround:Ā This feature is only supported through an Xbox One generation device. You can currently stream from an Xbox Series X|S console to an Android or iOS device via the Xbox app. Keep an eye onĀ News.Xbox.comĀ for any updates on further support for additional platforms like PC.Ā 

READ MORE: The latest Xbox Series X news is here!

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