Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Microsoft Says Noisy Xbox One Consoles Are Safe And Functional, Offers To Replace Anyway

When it comes to new technology there is always going to be issues with hardware and software that need to be worked out. It is one of the risks one takes as an early adopter of new tech. However, a number of consumers have noticed that their Xbox One consoles are being rather loud and Microsoft is offering to replace the units.
The issue seems to have become more widespread with one user describing the noise like “an old printer and lots of static” on the Xbox support forums. Complaints appear to have increased over the last few days, which coincides with the console’s recent release in new territories, though Microsoft has said that it is replacing the units for the “small number of customers” who have been affected by the noise issue.
In response to inquiries, Microsoft released a statement that reads, “We have heard that a small number of Xbox One owners in some situations may hear a noise from the console that is too loud. While this does not affect the safety or functionality of the system, we're asking customers who believe they are experiencing this issue to contact Xbox Support: http://support.xbox.com. At the request of our customers, we are exchanging those consoles for new systems.”
While it is still early in the console’s lifecycle, it is hard to forget the Red Ring of Death issue that plagued the Xbox 360. The last-gen console had been reported to have a failure rate of around 23 percent which was, and still is, the highest percentage ever for a console.
Since the Xbox One’s launch, Microsoft has released multiple updates and patches, backtracking on the company’s original vision of the device as being an online-only piece of hardware. In addition, Microsoft has also done away with the Kinect requirement and unlocked additional processing power so that gamedevelopers have access to more resources. In other words, the console has been through quite a few changes.
But until Microsoft comes out and reveals the exact cause and affects for this issue, we can only speculate.
Has your Xbox One been abnormally loud? Let us know!