The Xbox Series X is a great leap forward in terms of its speed and power over its predecessor. But sadly, as is so often the case with new hardware, it is not without its teething issues, which is why we've created this Xbox Series X crashing guide to help you out.
As one example of this, users have been reporting that they have experienced problems with their consoles crashing or freezing when they try to start up for a gaming session. This is, unsurprisingly, very frustrating when people have spent so much money on a premium product.
But what, if anything, can you do, if you encounter this situation? Our handy guide will tell you everything you need to know about Xbox Series X crashing issues and how to fix them.
Why is my Xbox Series X crashing?
This is an issue that seems to be happening to players when they try to load a game to start playing. It's a problem which has been around since the console was launched. While Microsoft hasn't acknowledged it as a specific issue, there have been a few updates that seem to have been targeted at resolving this particular problem. These include:
- Disabling Quick Resume for certain game titles
- Some users who were part of the Xbox Alpha Insider Ring (which gives people access to the early version of upcoming builds) have reported that coming out of this ring has resolved this issue. Others have found that it makes no difference.
- One further cause that people have suggested is if the console is located somewhere that does not allow proper ventilation to keep the components cool. This can make it shut down to protect the components.
For many users, there doesn't seem to be a specific cause. So is there anything you can try, that might make a difference?
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What to do if Xbox Series X keeps crashing
If your Xbox Series X keeps crashing, then there are a couple of troubleshooting tips to try. First, and perhaps easiest, is a hard reset. To do this:
- Shut down the console by pressing and holding the Power button
- Release the Power button once the console turns off
- Unplug the Power Cable
- Wait at least 5 minutes
- Plug the Power Cable in
- Press the Power button to turn the console back on
Beyond this, Microsoft has a few additional recommendations, which we'll look at next.
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Is there anything else worth trying?
According to Microsoft, crashes can sometimes happen if the system has become corrupted. In these situations, it might be necessary to perform a system reset, to return your console to its factory defaults. To do this:
- Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
- Select Profile & system > Settings > System > Console info.
- Select Reset console.
- On the Reset your console? screen, you'll see three options:
- Reset and remove everything. This option resets the console to factory settings. All user data, including accounts, saved games, settings, home Xbox associations, and all games and apps will be deleted. Use this option when selling or gifting the console, or as a last resort in some troubleshooting cases.
- Reset and keep my games & apps. Use this option as your primary choice when troubleshooting. It resets the OS and deletes all potentially corrupted data without deleting your games or apps. In some cases, if a corrupt game file is causing the issue you're troubleshooting, you may have to choose Reset and remove everything, but you should always start with Reset and keep my games & apps.
- Cancel. To back out of this screen, simply select the Cancel button. This is a safe exit from this screen.
After you select one of the options, your Xbox console begins the process of erasing the selected content and resetting itself to the default settings.
If a factory reset is unsuccessful, then your next option would be to contact Microsoft to look at getting your console repaired or replaced. You can do this here.
That's everything you need to know about the Xbox Series X crashing and freezing errors. Hopefully you will have fixed the issue and ready to get back to playing again.