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.