Xbox Series S

The new controller that comes with the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X needs batteries if you want to use it wirelessly. If you are willing to sacrifice the wireless connectivity, then you can use the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X controllers without AA batteries or a rechargeable battery pack.

To find out how to do so, you can check out this step-by-step guide from Seeking Tech.

What are the advantages of using a wired connection for Xbox Series S and X controller?

The main reason you want to use a wired connection to connect your Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X controller is that you that you can save money from having to replace the AA batteries. If you are using a rechargeable battery pack instead, then you can save on your electricity bills.

Furthermore, connecting the controller over an USB connection to your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console will get rid of any potential Bluetooth interference, which may cause disconnections, input lag and/or unresponsive inputs.

What are the disadvantages of using a wired connection for Xbox Series S and X controller?

The only real downside of using a wired connection to connect your controller to the Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X is that you may be tethered to the console. You can solve this issue, however, by getting a longer USB cable.

What USB cable type do you need to use the Xbox Series S and X controller over a wired connection?

In order to use the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X controller as a wired gamepad, you will need a USB-C to USB-A cable. Unfortunately, that cable type isn’t include with your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console.

If you are looking for a compatible cable, then we recommend picking up the Anker USB-C to USB-A cable on Amazon with this link. (#CommissionsEarned).

How to connect your controller to Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X by using an USB cable

Now that you have a compatible cable, you can use connect your Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X controller to your console.

In order to do so, you can take the following steps:

1. Connect the USB-C end of the cable to the USB-C port of the controller. The port should be located in the same area as the sync button.

Note: You can choose to take out the AA batteries or rechargeable battery back from your controller as you won’t need them when you are connected over a wired connection.

Even if you keep the AA batteries or battery back installed, the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X controller will be using power through the USB connection instead.

We recommend keeping the AA batteries or battery back installed if you plan on using both wired and wireless connections.

2. You need to connect the USB-A end of the cable to one of the USB-A ports on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console.

3. With your controller connected to your console via the USB cable, press the Xbox button on your controller to turn on your console.

For the uninformed, the Xbox button is the flat button with the Xbox logo. It should light up when pressed.

Note: If you are using a controller that hasn’t been synced to your console, then this step will automatically sync your gamepad for use with your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X.

4. While you can start using your Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X controller immediately, we also recommend checking to see if there is any update available for the gamepad. In order to do so, first press the Xbox button to open the Guide menu.

5. In the Guide menu, press the RB button on your controller to go to the Profile & system tab.

6. On the Profile & system tab, go to Settings.

7. In Settings, scroll down and then select Devices & connections on the left column.

8. On the right side of the same screen, select Accessories.

9. In the Xbox Accessories menu, select the “…” option underneath your controller graphic.

10. In the Xbox Wireless Controller by Xbox menu, you should see the option to update, if there is one available, at the top.

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S come with plenty of free-to-play games, demos and trial versions. Finding these software products can be a little tricky, however.

If you have a hard time searching for these titles, then you can check out this step-by-step guide at Seeking Tech.

How to get to the Microsoft Store on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

To get to the Microsoft Store from your Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, you can take the following steps:

1. First off, you need to press the Xbox button on your Xbox Series controller.

This button has the Xbox symbol, which will light up when the gamepad is turned on.

If done correctly, this will bring up the Guide menu.

2. On the Guide menu, navigate all the way down and then select the shopping bag icon, which will bring you to the Microsoft Store.

Where to find free-to-play games on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

In order to find free to play games on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, you need to do the following:

1. In the Microsoft Store, navigate to the left to bring up the vertical menu.

2. Scroll down until you get to the Games category and then go right.

3. In the Games category, navigate down and then select the “Top free” option.

4. In the “Top free games” menu, you will find a list of free-to-play games currently available on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

Where to find demos on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

To find demos that are playable on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, you need to take the following steps:

1. Inside the Microsoft Store of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, press the Y button of your controller. This will bring up the Search menu.

2. In the Search menu, use the on-screen keyboard to input the word Demo into the search bar.

3. Press the Menu button to start the search.

For the uninformed, the Search button is the small button with the three horizontal lines that is located to the left of the X button on your Xbox Series controller.

4. In the search results page, scroll down to the list of games.

5. We also recommend using the “Filter & sort” menu, which you can get to by pressing the X button on your controller.

6. In the “Filter & sort” menu, select Prices and set it to Free.

7. Also in the “Filter & sort” menu, you can press the RB button to get to the Sort tab.

8. In the Sort tab of the “Filter & sort” menu, you can sort the listing in descending or ascending alphabetical order.

Where to find trial versions on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S

The find the trial versions of games that can be played on the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, you need to do the following:

1. Press the Y button on your controller while you are in the Microsoft Store to enter the Search menu.

2. You need to input the word Trial into the search field.

3. Afterwards, press the Menu button to get to the search results page.

4. In the search results page, press the X button on your controller to enter the “Filter & sort” menu.

5. Inside the “Filter & sort” menu, select Prices and then set it to free.

6. You can also press the RB button on your gamepad to enter the Sort tab.

7. In the Sort tab, you can choose to sort the list of trials in descending or ascending alphabetical order.

When using your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, you may run into crashes, glitches and issues. A common fix for these problems is to perform a hard reset or power cycle on the console.

To find out how to do so, you can check out this step-by-step tutorial from Seeking Tech.

How to hard reset your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X using Power Center

To hard reset your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console by using the Power Center, you need to take the following steps:

1. First off, you need to press and hold the Xbox button on your controller. This button has the Xbox logo and will light up when pressed.

2. You should now be in the Power Center menu, which will ask what do you want to do.

Here, you need to select the “Restart console option.”

3. The next screen will ask if you want to restart your Xbox console.

Select the “RESTART” option to hard reset your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X.

The console will then reboot itself.

How to hard reset your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X using the Guide menu

You can also hard reset your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console by using the Guide menu although this will take longer than using the Power Center.

If you are still interested in this method, then you need to do the following:

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

2. Inside the Guide menu, navigate over to the Profile & system tab.

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

4. Once you are in the Settings menu, select General on the left side.

5. In the General Settings menu, select the “Power mode & startup” option.

6. Inside the General Power mode & startup menu, select the “Restart now” option.

7. You should get a message asking if you want to restart your Xbox console.

Select the “YES” option to reboot the system.

How to power cycle your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X

In order to power cycle your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, you need to take the following steps:

1. Press and hold the Xbox button located on the console for around 10 seconds.

2. After you console has been shut down, you can press the Xbox button on either the console or your Xbox controller to turn the system back on again.

How to reset the power supply of your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X

To reset the power supply of your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, you need to do the following:

1. Press and hold the Xbox button on your console for approximately 10 second to turn off its power.

2. Wait until the console completely shuts down and then unplug the power cable on the console.

3. Wait at least 30 seconds.

4. Once the time has passed, plugged the power cable back into the console.

5. Press the Xbox button on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X to turn it back on again.

Quick resume is a new element introduced for the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X.

This feature will allow you to quickly switch between multiple games by creating a temporary save state. As a result, there will be very little loading in between switch games as you will be able to bypass the start-up and save loading screens.

However, quick resume may cause bugs, glitches and other issues even for games that support the feature.

You can check out this tutorial at Seeking Tech to see how you can disable quick resume on the Xbox Series consoles.

Can you universally disable quick resume on Xbox Series S and X?

Unfortunately, you can’t universally disable quick resume on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X.

Instead, you need to manually disable this feature on a game-by-game basis.

How to manually disable quick resume on Xbox Series S and X

In order to manually disable quick resume for a game, you need to take the following steps:

1. Press the Xbox button (which is the top middle button with the Xbox icon that lights up when pressed) on the Xbox controller.

Doing so will open the Guide menu.

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

3. In the “My games & apps” section, you should find a list of games that you have currently using the quick resume feature.

The Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X can store the temporary save states of up to three games that have been built specifically for the Series S and X consoles.

Backwards compatible Xbox, Xbox 360 and Xbox One games that up less memory, which means that you can have more of these games stored via quick resume.

In “My games & apps”, you need to navigate to the game with a quick resume save state that you want to remove.

4. With the game highlighted, press the Menu button (which is the small button that has the three horizontal lines icon) on your controller to bring up a pop-up menu.

5. In the pop-up menu, you need to select the “Remove from Quick Resume” option.

6. Afterwards, you will be back at the “My games & apps” section of the Guide menu.

If you want to disable the quick resume feature for another game, then you can repeat steps 3 through 5.

What happens when you disable quick resume on Xbox Series S and X

By disabling quick resume on a videogame running on the Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console, you will close the game and delete its temporary save state that was previously created. There’s no way to recover this save state data, which means that you will lose any unsaved progress in the game.

Furthermore, you have to go through the startup loading sequence when you open the game again.

Quick resume will automatically be enabled when you open the game as well, which means you need to manually remove this feature again to disable it.

Do quick resume take up SSD space on Xbox Series S and X?

The quick resume feature should not take up any additional space on your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console.

Does using quick resume affect the performance of your Xbox Series S and X console?

The quick resume feature use temporary save states. Therefore, it should not lower the performance of your Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X console.