Xbox Series X|S overheating? How to fix this
While most people like to stay warm, Xbox disagrees. The Xbox Series X|S is the most powerful console on the market today, and it demands a lot of power. When the Xbox Series X|S gets too hot, it may overheat and start to perform poorly or even crash.
But what to do when it starts happening? If your Xbox Series X|S is currently prone to overheating or overheating, here’s what you can do to cool it down and protect your console.
How does the Xbox Series X|S stay cool?
To better understand why your console is overheating, it helps to know how it cools down. The Xbox Series X|S has a number of procedures to prevent the console from overheating. On top of the console is a mesh layer with a large fan underneath to remove hot air from inside the system.
The console has a heatsink that absorbs heat from the motherboard, as well as a vapor chamber that takes heat from the CPU and distributes it evenly throughout the system. This prevents one area from getting hot enough to damage the console’s internal components.
Although the Xbox Series X|S has many barriers to prevent overheating, overheating can still occur if you play for long periods of time or if any of the cooling mechanisms are malfunctioning.
When the Xbox X|S overheats, you’ll notice a significant drop in performance. Your console may start to drop frames, increase load times, or even display graphical glitches such as green or pink flashes.
You may also notice that the Xbox Series X|S is very loud. If your console is about to take off like a helicopter, that’s a sure sign that your fan is running at full speed, trying to remove excess hot air from the console.
In the worst case scenario, the Xbox Series X|S can completely freeze when it gets too hot. This is a safety mechanism. If the console stays too hot for too long, it can cause irreparable damage to system components. If your Xbox detects that this might be the case, it shuts down to prevent further damage. This can be very annoying if you’re in the middle of an online match or haven’t saved your game in a while.
What should I do if my Xbox Series X|S overheats?
If you’re experiencing any of the above issues with your Xbox Series X|S, there’s a good chance your console is overheating. The first thing you should do is stop playing, turn off your console, and let it sit with the vents open for a few hours to cool down.
During this time, make sure the console is in a cool, well-ventilated area. If the console is in a place where the ambient temperature is too hot, it will not be able to cool effectively. If the area is not well ventilated, hot air may become trapped around the console and not dissipate.
While your console is cooling down, now is a great time to look at the vents. The number one cause of console overheating is dust. If there is a lot of dust or debris blocking the vents, the warm air cannot leave the console. When this happens, the console essentially becomes a box full of swirling hot air, and it will definitely overheat.
If there is dust around any of the vents, wipe it off with a microfiber cloth and make sure the console has cooled down completely before plugging it back in and restarting your game. This may be all you need. Your console should be back to working. order.
What should I do if my Xbox Series X|S is overheating due to a software issue?
If the troubleshooting methods above didn’t work and your console is still overheating, it could be a software issue. In this case, your best bet is to clear the cache or even factory reset your console.
Deciding whether you want to buy an Xbox Series S or X is a tough decision, but the Series X has a few more features. If you have an Xbox Series S, you’ve already managed to clear your cache by unplugging the console and letting it cool down. If you have an Xbox Series X, there is another method to clear your cache from your system settings. Here it is:
- On the Xbox home page, scroll down Profile & Systems.
- Open Parameters.
- Head Devices and connections.
- scroll to Blu-ray.
- go to Continuous storage.
- choose Clear persistent storage.
If clearing your cache is still not enough, resetting your console to factory settings may help. Follow the instructions below to perform a hard reset.
- Open your own Parameters.
- Head System.
- choose Console information.
- choose Reset the console. You have two options.
- Reset and save my games and apps: This is recommended for your first troubleshooting attempt.
- Reset and Erase All: This method is recommended as a last resort as it will wipe all your settings. If you go this route, check out our guide to the Xbox features you should try to get all your custom settings back in place.
After going through this list of troubleshooting tips, your console should be back to working order. Otherwise, there may be a problem with your console. Contact your local game provider or Microsoft for more information.
Prevention is the best cure for your console overheating. So, once you’ve successfully resolved an overheating Xbox Series X|S, here’s what you can do to prevent it from overheating again in the future:
- Store your console in a well-ventilated area.
- Clean your console vent regularly. By dusting your console every week or so, you’ll be sure to know that all the hot air being expelled by the fans is actually leaving your console. This is true for all systems. Learning how to safely clean your PS5 console will also prevent it from overheating.
- If you have been playing for a long time, take a break from your console. It’s normal for the internal temperature to gradually rise when you use the Xbox Series X|S for hours. If you plan to play for more than five hours, consider turning off your console for a few minutes to let it cool down.
Sometimes placement is the key to keeping your console cool. Making sure its vents are not facing carpet or placed in a closed cabinet can help your console perform at its best.
Keep your console cool with these troubleshooting techniques
If none of the above physical or software troubleshooting tips worked and your Xbox Series X|S continues to heat up abnormally, you should consider returning the console to the place of purchase to send it to Microsoft for repair or replacement.
But in most cases, these tips should get you back in the game as quickly as possible!