Xbox Series X that won't turn on: what we check first
Unlike the PS5, the Series X has no external brick: its power supply is inside, and that is the first place we look.
The Xbox Series X houses its power supply inside the tower, just under the fan. When the console no longer reacts at all, no light, no sound, that is where the diagnosis starts.
Three checks
The internal power supply: we take it out and test it under load. After a thunderstorm or a sudden power cut it is the first victim. Replaced, the console is back, losing nothing.
The button and the front board: the power button is capacitive. A liquid, or a damaged ribbon cable, and the console no longer “sees” the press. A light repair.
The logic board: if the power supply delivers its voltages properly, we look for a short or a failed component under the microscope. Fixed price, announced before we start.
The Series S case
The Series S also has an internal, smaller power supply. It runs hotter when the console is shut in a cabinet; a power-supply failure there is often preceded by cut-outs in-game. A full clean with fresh thermal paste often prevents what follows.
In every case, bring the mains cable and, if possible, the controller: we test the console in-game before handing it back, and twelve months of warranty cover part and labour.
Also worth reading
Xbox Series S that shuts down mid-game: the TV cabinet is often to blame
The Series S is compact and likes air. Shut in, it heats up, slows down then cuts out. Cleaning, thermal paste and a few simple rules.
PS5: the drive no longer takes the disc, or spits it out
Disc that won't go in, comes straight back out, or isn't recognised: PS5 drive faults, and what can be repaired without replacing the whole unit.
PS5 that overheats and shuts down: liquid metal, the quiet fault
Sony put liquid metal between the PS5 processor and its heatsink. Over time it migrates, and the console shuts down mid-game. What we do at the workshop.
