Xbox Series S

You are able to set your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X as your primary console. If you are interested in doing so, then you can check out this step-by-step guide at Seeking Tech.

What are the benefits for setting your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X as the primary console

By setting your Series S or Series X console as the primary console, you will get the following benefits:

• Take advantage of the Xbox Live Gold subscription benefits (including online multiplayer) with another account
• Play digital games and LDC downloaded from the Microsoft Store with another account
• Play games downloaded through Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions with another account.
• The primary console setting is extremely useful if you have multiple people using the same Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console.

You can also use this method to share digital games between two different Xbox Series consoles.

How to set your Xbox Series S or X as the primary console

In order to set your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console as primary, you need to take the following steps:

1. Power on your game console.

2. Press the Xbox button, which should be lit up, of the controller to access the Guide menu.

3. Inside of the Guide menu, press the RB button several times until you get to the “Profile & system” tab.

4. From the “Profile & system” tab, go to Settings.

5. After getting inside Settings, first select General from the options available in the left column.

6. On the right side in the same screen, select Personalization.

7. In the “General – Personalization” menu, select the “My home Xbox” option.

8. In the “General – My home Xbox” menu, make sure that the box next to the “Make this my home Xbox” is checked.

9. If it isn’t checked, select “Make this my home Xbox.”

10. In the pop-up menu, select the “MAKE THIS MY HOME XBOX” option.

Keep in mind that you can only have one Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X as the primary console. If you have previously set another Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X as the primary one then that console will automatically change to a secondary one.

How to set your Xbox Series S or X as the secondary console

You can also set your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X as the secondary console. With this setting, you will need to sign into your account in order to access the Xbox Live Gold benefits in addition to being able to play the games and DLC you digitally downloaded.

In order to set your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X as the secondary console, you need to do the following:

1. Turn on your game system.

2. Press the Xbox button on your controller.

3. Press the RB buttons on the controller a few times to navigate over to the “Profile & system” tab.

4. With the “Profile & system” tab opened, select Settings.

5. Once you are in the Settings menu, you first need to select General.

6. Afterwards, you need to select Personalization.

7. Upon getting to the “General – Personalization” menu, you need to select “My home Xbox.”

8. Inside the “General – My home Xbox” menu, you should see whether or not the box next to “Make this my home Xbox” is checked.

9. If it is checked, select “Make this my home Xbox.”

10. In the pop-up menu, select “REMOVE THIS AS MY HOME XBOX.”

You are able to change the time and date on your Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X although doing so is a little tricky.

If you are interested in doing so, then you can check out this step-by-step guide at Seeking Tech.

How to change the time and date on Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X

In order to manually change the time and date on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console, you need to take the following steps:

1. First off, your console needs to be offline. If your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X is connected online, then the date and time is automatically set. This means that you won’t be able to manually edit the date and time.

Whether your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X is connected online through a wired or wireless connection, you need to go to Settings and then select General on the left side of the Settings menu. Afterwards, select Network settings and then the Go Offline option.

2. Next, you need to power cycle your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X. Otherwise, your console will still have the same time and date data that was stored when your console was connected to the Internet. As a result, you won’t be able to manually edit the time or date.

To power cycle, turn off your console and then unplug the power cable. Wait for at least 30 seconds and then plug the power cable back into the Xbox console. Afterwards, turn the console back on again.

3. Now, you should be able to change the time and date. To do so, head to Settings, which you can find on the second row of the Home menu or Guide menu.

4. Inside the Settings menu, select System.

5. In the System menu, select Time.

6. In the System – Time menu, you can select Time or Date.

With Time, you can change the hours and minutes.

With Date, you can change the day, month and year.

7. Keep in mind that, if you connect your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X online again, then the time and date will automatically adjust to the present time and date.

Therefore, we recommend keeping your console offline if you want to keep the time and date you manually set.

How to change time zone, enable automatic daylight-saving and time display on Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X

In the same aforementioned System – Time menu, you can also change the time zone. You should see a huge list of time zones to change to in the drop-down menu.

Furthermore, you can also enable automatic daylight-saving adjustment in addition to being able to change the time display to a 24-hour clock instead of the default 12-hour clock.

For daylight savings, make sure that the box next to the “Automatically adjust for daylight saving” is checked.

For the 24-hour clock display, make sure that the box next to “24 hour clock” is checked.

When you use a headphones or headset with your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S console, you may notice that the speaker from your television or audio system is still outputting audio.

To solve this issue previously, you would have to manually mute your TV or audio system. Fortunately, Microsoft has introduced a new feature that will automate the process.

To find out how you can disable the speaker audio when using headphones on your Xbox Series system, you can check out this step-by-step guide at Seeking Tech.

Downloading and installing the latest firmware for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

The new disabled speaker audio feature was added in a firmware update. So, if you haven’t done so already, you can update your Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S consoles by doing the following:

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller to launch the Guide menu.

2. Press RB button several times to switch tabs in the Guide menu until you get to “Profile & system” tab.

3. On the “Profile & system” tab, select Settings.

4. In the Settings menu, you first need to select System on left side.

5. You then need to select Updates on right side.

6. In the “System – Updates” menu, you may see the “Select Update” option appear if there is a new firmware available. Select it.

7. In the “Let’s update” notification, select START UPDATE to download and install the new firmware.

How to disable speaker audio when using headphones on Xbox Series X and S

To automatically mute the speaker audio from your TV or audio system when you connect a headphones or headset on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, you need to take the following steps:

1. Make sure that your console has been updated to the latest firmware.

2. Open the Guide menu.

3. In the Guide menu, navigate to the “Profile & system” tab.

4. Select Settings.

5. Inside the Settings menu, select General from the left column.

6. On the right side of the same menu, select “Volume & audio” output.

7. After getting to the “General – “Volume & audio” menu, select “Additional options.”

8. In the “General – Additional options” menu, make sure that the box next to the “Mute speaker audio when headset attached” setting is enabled.

After enabling this setting, the speaker audio should automatically be muted when you connect your headphones or headset to the Series X or Series S consoles.

Most modern videos games are constantly updated to fix glitches and add new content.

If you are having a hard time trying to update a specific game on the Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console, then you can check out this step-by-step guide at Seeking Tech.

How to check for updates for a specific Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X game

To check to see if there is an update available for a specific game on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console, you need to take the following steps:

1. From the Home menu, navigate to the game that you want to check for updates.

If you can’t find your game, select the “My games & apps” option from the Home menu. In the subsequent Games menu, you should see a list of games you have installed on your console.

2. With the game highlighted, press the Menu button (which is the small button with three horizontal lines) on your controller.

3. In the small pop-up menu for the game, select the “Manage game and add-ons” option.

4. In the Manage menu for that specific game, select the “Updates” option from the list.

5. In the Updates menu, you should see a list of available updates, if there is any, that can be downloaded and installed.

How to check for updates on multiple Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X games

In order to check for downloadable updates on multiple Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X games, you can do the following:

1. Go to the Games menu.

You can do so quickly by pressing the Xbox button to bring up the Guide menu. In the Guide menu, select the “My games & apps” option and then “See all.”

2. Once you are in the Games menu, select Manage from the options available on the left tab.

3. In the Manage menu, select the Updates option.

4. In the Manage Updates menu, you should see a list of available updates, if there are any, that are available for download.

How to enable automatic game updates on Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X

If you want to enable automatic game updates on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X when the console is connected to the internet, you can take the following steps:

1. Go back to the aforementioned Games menu, which you can do so by pressing the Xbox button and then selecting My games & apps > See all.

2. In the Games menu, select the Manage option on the left tab.

3. Inside the Manage menu, you should see the “Keep my games and apps up to date” option.

If this isn’t turned on (it should be enabled by default), then you need to select this option.

4. If you selected the “Keep my games and apps up to date” option, you will be brought to the System Updates menu.

Here, you need to make sure that the “Keep my games and apps up to date” box is checked in order to enable this feature.

With the “Keep my games and apps up to date” turned on, your game updates should automatically download when your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X is connected to Xbox Live/Xbox Network.

Resetting your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X is a quick and easy way to delete all the personal data you have stored on console if you are planning to sell it or give it away.

A factory reset may also help resolve crashes, glitches and other issues you have when using your game system.

You can check out this step-by-step tutorial at Seeking Tech to see how you can restore your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X to its original factory settings.

How to factory reset Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X

In order to factor reset your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, you need to do the following:

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller to bring up the Guide menu.

2. From the Guide menu, navigate over to the “Profile & system” tab.

3. Once you are in the “Profile & system” tab, select Settings.

4. Inside the Settings menu, select System from the list of options on the left side.

5. In the System menu, select the “Console info.”

6. In the “System Console info” menu, select the “Reset console” option.

7. You will be asked if you want to reset your console.

Here you will have multiple options:

The “Reset and Remove Everything” option will remove all personal data, games and apps you have stored on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X. You can pick this option if you are planning to sell your console or give it away. This is also a last resort option if you are experiencing issues with your console.

The “Reset and Keep my Games & Apps” option will reset the Xbox operating system and will delete any corrupted data. You will be able to keep your personal data, games and apps with this option.

The last option is to simply cancel the factory reset and return to the “System Console info” menu.

How to factory reset Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X by using a USB drive

To factory reset your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X by using a USB drive, you need to take the following steps:

1. Before we begin, it should be noted that you will need a Windows PC with internet connection and USB port. You will also need a USB flash drive that has been formatted as NTFS with at least 4 GB of space.

2. After meeting the aforementioned requirements, plug the USB flash drive to your computer.

You need to make sure you don’t have any other files on the USB flash drive. If you do, delete or move them to your PC.

3. Download the Xbox Restore Factory Defaults file to your Windows PC.

You can do so from the official Xbox website with this link.

4. If the file doesn’t save automatically, click on the Save option.

5. After the download has been completed, right click on the file and then select the “Extract all” option from the pop-up menu.

5. Next, you need to locate the $SystemUpdate file and then transfer it over to the root folder of your USB flash drive.

6. After the transfer is completed, unplug the USB flash drive from your computer.

7. On your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, make sure that your console is completely turned off.

8. With your game console powered off, unplug the power cable and Ethernet cable (if you are using one to connect to the Internet).

9. Wait 30 seconds.

10. After the allotted time passes, plug the power cable back into your console.

11. Plug the aforementioned USB flash drive, which has the $SystemUpdate file on its root folder, to a USB port on your console.

12. If you have an Xbox Series S, you need to press and hold the Pair and Xbox buttons on the console for 10 to 15 seconds.

If you have an Xbox Series X, you need to press and hold the Pair and Eject buttons on the console for 10 to 15 seconds.

13. You should hear two power-up tones from your console when holding the correct button combinations.

The first tone indicates that the console has detected an update from the USB flash drive.

The second tone indicates that the update file from the USB flash drive has been installed.

13. After hearing the second power-up tone, you can release the two buttons you have been holding down.

14. The console will then reboot.

15. After your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X has been rebooted, you can safely unplug the USB flash drive from the console’s USB port.

With the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, being able to restart a videogame without having to reset or shut down the console can be a little bit tricky if you aren’t familiar with the menu system.

If you are having a hard time figuring out how to restart a game, then you can check out this step-by-step tutorial at Seeking Tech.

Why restart an Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X game?

A restart is helpful if you are experiencing any bugs or glitches in a specific game.

Resetting a game will also give you access to the main menu of the game where you can start a new game, load save data, change settings, play other modes and perform other tasks.

How to restart a game you are currently playing

Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct way to restart a videogame on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X system. Instead, you have to manually close a game and then open it again.

To close and then open a game that you are currently playing, you need to take the following steps:

1. While in the game, press the Xbox button on your controller. This is the button in the top middle part of the gamepad as it should light up when pressed.

2. You should be in the Guide menu.

Here, you should see a list of the most recent videogames you have played, including the one you are currently playing (this should appear at the top of the list).

Navigate down with your directional pad or left analog stick to highlight your current game.

3. With the game highlighted, press the Menu button on your controller. This is a small button with the three horizontal lines located directly to the left of the X button.

4. You should see a pop-up menu.

Here, you need to select the Quit option to close the game.

Keep in mind that, by closing a game, you will lose any unsaved progress. So, make sure you save your data, if you want to, before closing the game.

5. Afterwards, you can select the game from the Guide menu again.

The game will then boot up.

How to restart a game you are currently not playing

In addition to the game you are currently playing, you have a list of suspended games.

The Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X added a new feature called Quick Resume, which will automatically create a save state of a compatible game if you decide to exit the game to do something else on the console.

While Quick Resume is designed to cut down on loading times, it may also cause glitches and other issues that could be fixed if you restart a game.

To restart a suspended game that are in the Quick Resume queue, you also have to manually close it and then open it back up again.

If you are interested in doing so, you can take the following steps:

1. Go to the Guide menu by pressing the Xbox button on your controller.

2. Inside the Guide menu, select the “My games & apps” option.

3. Here, you should see a list of suspended games under the Quick Resume category.

Highlight the game you want to close and then press the menu button on your controller.

4. In the pop-up menu, select the “Remove from Quick Resume” option to close the game.

5. Afterwards, you can go back to the Home menu.

You can do so quickly by going back to the Guide menu and then selecting the Home option.

6. In the Home menu, select the game you previously close to boot it back up again.

When you are playing your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, you may get a message stating that your console will automatically shut down due to the lack of sufficient ventilation.

If you are getting these overheating warnings multiple times, then you can check out this troubleshooting guide at Seeking Tech to see how you can resolve issues with your console getting too hot.

Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X: Vertical or Horizontal Positioning?

With the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X, you can either stand your console up vertically or lie it down horizontally.

We recommend the vertical position as this placement means that you will expose more of the outer surface area of the console to the air. As a result, you should get better heat dissipation.

Where to put your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X

When it comes to where you should place your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console, Microsoft recommends that you leave at least 4 inches to six inches of clearance on all sides. So, if possible, we recommend placing your game system on top of a desk, entertainment center, shelf or table.

You should not be placing your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X or a confined or enclosed space that may trap the heat being dissipated from the console.

You should also avoid placing your console on a soft surface area (such as on a bed or sofa) as doing so will block the ventilation of your console.

Furthermore, you should not put your Xbox Series system near a heat source such as an amplifier, heater, stove or radiator.

Finally, you should avoid placing any objects that may block the vents of the Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console.

What is the operating temperature of Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X?

The recommended operating temperature range of the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X ie 5°C to 35°C (or 41°F to 95°F). So, before turning on your console, make sure your room temperature is within the aforementioned range.

If you are moving your Series S or Series X console from one location to another with a temperature difference of 11°C (20°F) or more, then Microsoft recommends letting your console adjust to the current room temperature before turning it on.

Lastly, you need to avoid placing your console in direct sunlight as doing so will heat it up.

Protecting the power cord of the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X

To prevent your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X from overheating, you should also protect the power cord of your console.

First off, you should only be using the official cord that comes with your console. This cord must not be cracked, frayed and/or damaged in any way.

As we stated above with the console placement, you should also avoid exposing the power cord nearby any heat sources.

When planning the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X into a power outlet, Microsoft advises against using any generators or inverters. Moreover, it is recommended that you unplug your console during lightning storms to prevent electrical surges that may damage your console.

Keeping the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X vents clean

One last precaution you can take to prevent your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console from overheating is by keeping the vents, especially those that are near the fans, cleaned from dust, dirt and smudges that may hinder the system’s airflow.

To clean you Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console, first turn it off and then remove all the plugs.

You can use a dry microfiber cloth or a Q-tip cotton swap. You might also want to use an isopropyl alcohol electronics cleaner (if you are looking for one, then we recommend getting the MG Chemicals 824-1L 99.9% Isopropyl Alcohol Electronics Cleaner, which you can find on Amazon with this link). (#CommissionsEarned).

For the uninformed, isopropyl alcohol dries extremely quickly and is also very effective at removing dust, dirt and more.

After cleaning, make sure that your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console is dry before plugging it back in and turning it back on again.

Microsoft does not recommend using compressed air to clean out your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X system.

The Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles come with a feature that lets you track bandwidth usage. If you want to see how much of the Internet your game system is using over a period of time, then you can check out this step-by-step tutorial at Seeking Tech.

Where to find Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X bandwidth usage data

To find the bandwidth usage stats for your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console, you need to take the following steps:

1. First off, if you haven’t done so already, turn on your console in addition to your console’s controller.

2. Next, you need to press the Xbox button on your controller to bring up the Guide quick menu.

For the uninformed, the Xbox button should be lit up on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X controller.

3. After getting to the Guide menu, you need to navigate over to the Profile & system tab.

You can switch tabs by using the LB/RB buttons, left/right directional buttons on the D-Pad or by moving the left analog stick to the left or right.

4. After getting to the Profile & system tab in the Guide menu, scroll downwards and then select Settings.

To select, you need to press the A button on your controller.

5. Now that you are in the Settings menu, you first need to select General from the left column.

6. In the same menu, you then need to select Network settings on the right side.

7. Inside of the Network menu, select Bandwidth usage.

In the Bandwidth usage menu, you will see the following categories:

The “Current usage” category shows how much bandwidth your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X data is currently using at this moment.

The “Total usage this period” category shows much data is being used over the length of the time period.

The “Time period” category shows the date range of the current time period that is being tracked.

The “Reset on this day” option lets you set when you would like the time period to end. You can choose anywhere from the first day of the month to all the way to the last day of the month. This option is really helpful if you want to align the bandwidth tracking of your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console to the bandwidth tracking cycle from your internet service provider.

The usage over the last 12 hours category shows the amount of Internet bandwidth used over the last 12 hours on an hourly basis.

Finally, the Historical bandwidth usage category shows the amount of bandwidth used by your console over the previous time periods.

How accurate is the bandwidth usage data on Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X?

According to Microsoft, the bandwidth usage data shown on the Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X is an estimation for the console only.

The bandwidth usage data from your internet service provider will most likely be different, especially if you have other devices connected to the Internet.