Xbox 360 technical problems

The Xbox 360 video game console was subject to a number of technical problems and failures, some as a result of design flaws. Some issues could be identified by a pattern of red lights on the front face of the console; these colloquially became known as the "Red Ring of Death" or the "RRoD".[1][2] There were also other issues, such as discs becoming scratched in the drive and "bricking" of consoles due to dashboard updates.

There were many conflicting estimates of the console's unusually high failure rate.[3][4][5] The warranty provider SquareTrade estimated it at 23.7% in 2009,[6] while a Game Informer survey reported 54.2%.[7] Among the consoles owned by employees of Joystiq, which saw heavy use for games journalism purposes, the failure rate had reached 90% by the end of 2007.[8] The crisis was ultimately abated from 2009 by design revisions to the later-produced Xbox models; the S model in particular was far more resilient. By 2012 the failure rate for the Xbox 360 family was comparable to the PS3 failure rate.[9]

The issues proved extremely damaging for Microsoft. Repairs and shipping of replacement hardware cost the company US$1.15 billion. The issues triggered multiple lawsuits,[10] cost the Xbox ground in the console wars and threatened the long term viability of the Xbox brand.

History

The design of the Xbox 360 was a hurried process subject to a number of late changes. This included the addition of a hard disk drive, which compromised airflow in the machine. The holes in the case were added to try to ameliorate this airflow issue. Time pressures also resulted in insufficient testing. Microsoft was aware of myriad technical challenges as early as August 2005, including "overheating graphics chips, cracking heat sinks, cosmetic issues with the hard disk and the front of the box, underperforming graphics memory chips from Infineon, a problem with the DVD drive – and more". Thermal issues with the GPU were ultimately what caused the infamous "Red Ring" issues, while the DVD drive issue was later responsible for scratching discs. An engineer requested a shut down of the production line that month, but this did not occur out of fear of a delay to console delivery in some regions.[11]

The console launched in November 2005 in North America, swiftly followed by other regions. However, consoles began failing "almost immediately". Microsoft initially dismissed these concerns as "isolated reports", that were within the normal range of failure (around 2%).[11][12][13]

General Hardware Failure ("Red Ring") errors

The launch model of the Xbox 360 includes four lights in a ring around the power button, on the front face of the console. Green indicated normal operation, while red lights were used for error codes. Most famously, three red lights indicated a "general hardware failure".[28] The error was coined the "Red Ring of Death" after Windows' Blue Screen of Death error. The error was sometimes preceded by freeze-ups, graphical problems in the middle of gameplay, such as checkerboard or pinstripe patterns on the screen, and sound errors; mostly consisting of extremely loud noises that couldn't be affected by the volume control, and the console only responding when the power button was pressed to turn it off.[29] The problem was most prevalent in early models.

This error code was usually caused by the failure of one or more hardware components, although it could indicate that the console is not receiving enough power from the power supply. This could be caused by a faulty or improperly connected power supply. The three flashing lights could also be caused by power surges. Unplugging and restarting the console fixed this issue in some cases.[30][31]

Scratched discs

The design of the disc drive was flawed, and could cause scratches on discs, particularly if the console was moved while the disc was spinning. Unlike the Red Ring issues, the disc scratching was not resolved by hardware revisions and was present in the S and E models. Those versions shipped with a sticker informing users that moving the console while powered on posed a risk.[42] Even on static footing however, normal floor vibrations that would occur in a household environment were enough to cause disc scratches.[43] The issue was particularly prevalent in 2006 models.

The issue was subject to multiple independent investigations, initially by the Dutch television program Kassa and later by the European Commissioner for Consumer Protection and the BBC. The BBC investigation in particular involved laboratory conditions for testing.[44] The issue ultimately led to a Supreme Court case which was ruled in favor of Microsoft in 2017.[45][46]

Problematic updates

Several Xbox 360 system updates caused major issues for users.

Issues with peripherals

See also

• Microsoft Corp. v. Baker: U.S. Supreme Court case based on the problems
• Blue Screen of Death
• Yellow Light of Death

External links