Just like the PlayStation 4 a handful of Xbox One owners are reporting issues with their new consoles, according to ExtremeTech. And like the PS4, so far the number seems to be well within the acceptable margin of failure.
The top complaint so far seems to be that the optical drive is not working, and some users are reporting a “grinding” sound when they insert a disc. Others have reported receiving an error notice while trying to download the required day one patch that unlocks the system (that could simply be due to too many users trying to download the patch at once). More still have reported a “buzzing sound” coming from their systems, and some have noticed scuff marks on their new Xbox One – although that is likely an issue with the shipping and handling of the system, and not the fault of Microsoft.
Hardware failures are not something to be made light of, and after waiting weeks or months to spend hundreds of dollars, receiving a defective system can ruin anyone’s day. Unfortunately, the reality is that the numbers of reported issues are still relatively small, and seem to be in line with the number of issues reported for the PlayStation 4. After problems began to surface, Sony issued a statement claiming that the number of reported problems fall under 1-percent. With 1 million units sold that 10,000 units may be defective, but it is within the accepted norm of failure for any new piece of hardware.
To put that in perspective, the iPhone 4 was ruled as the most reliable smartphone in 2010, and it had double that failure rate at 2.1-percent.
Still, after the Xbox 360’s Red Ring of Death, gamers are understandably gun shy when it comes to hardware failures. We’ll continue to monitor this story throughout the launch, and if you are one of the unfortunate few that received an obviously defective Xbox One, contact Microsoft’s customer service line immediately. Microsoft also issued this statement to Kotaku for people that need help:
We know that with a hardware launch of this magnitude customers will have questions and we have many avenues for customers to get the answers they need and get back in the game as soon as possible. Rest assured we plan to take care of our customers. Any customer who believes they are experiencing an issue with their Xbox One should reach out to us.
There are many avenues available for customers to get in touch with us including:
– Talking to a live customer support person that can call you back if you don’t want to wait
– Xbox.com for support pages and forums
– On Twitter with @XboxSupport
– There are also Help and diagnostics on the console by saying “Xbox Help”
