Xbox One update failure "raises awkward questions about the future prospects of console hardware"
gamesindustry.bizEarly editions of the original Xbox One console running on dated firmware are failing to download the latest updates, essentially making the 2013-era systems unusable.
That's according to our sister site Eurogamer's Digital Foundry team, which tried to update and use three separate Xbox One consoles. According to its own testing, all three failed to update, as "systems operating on older firmware revisions error out when connected to Xbox Live."
Even though all three had been updated since the 2013 launch – one was running a 2018 dashboard, and two others a dashboard from 2017 – none of them were able to download the latest firmware, either online or via an offline USB.
Players purporting to have purchased sealed "as new" systems are similarly reporting issues, which means anyone trying to play an Xbox One console with dated software will not be able to access Xbox Live or make any digital purchases. Similarly, games that require an online check will also not work.
Polling its own readership, Digital Foundry believes only systems with firmware from 2018 or newer are affected by the issue. It seems the newer 2016 Xbox One S hardware remains unaffected.
"We've informed Microsoft, we're confident the problem will be fixed, but the situation raises awkward questions about the future prospects of console hardware reliant on an internet connection to fully function," said technology editor, Richard Leadbetter.
"However, from our perspective, in terms of games and hardware preservation, along with ownership rights, the idea that a working console can stop working is a red flag. It's a warning about the future operability for any console that requires an online connection and a reminder that while you may have bought a piece of hardware, you can only use it as long as the platform holder continues to properly support it.
"And if it's happening now, what about 10 or 20 years into the future?" Leadbetter added. "I can take an Atari VCS out of the attic after 40 years and assuming
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