Xbox Series X Hit By Several Launch Bugs

The new Xbox consoles have several launch bugs

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Microsoft has warned Xbox Series X and S owners of a host of bugs with the new consoles, which are due to launch tomorrow.

The bugs include:

DVD/Blu-ray playback

The most notable bug appears to be the one affecting DVD/Blu-ray playback. Microsoft warns that console owners who put in a DVD/Blu-ray may be confronted with nothing more than a black screen.

Customers who see this bug are advised to remove the disc, restart the console and re-insert the disc again to make the problem go away.

4K television issues

There are bigger problems for players who are planning to connect their Xbox Series X console to a high-end 4K/120Hz television that supports variable refresh rates. Microsoft warns that such users “might encounter no signal or corrupted image”. The fault occurs with televisions from companies including LG, Samsung and Vizio.

Microsoft is advising customers to make sure they’ve downloaded the latest firmware for their television to resolve the problem. A list of download sites is provided on Microsoft’s support page.

Other workarounds include dropping the refresh rate to 60Hz or switching off the variable refresh rate, the procedures for which are again outlined on the support page.

EA Play problems

Amongst the apps that won’t work with either the Xbox Series X and S at launch is EA Play. This is the app that EA uses to offer trial games and special offers, among other things.

Microsoft says there are alternative ways to hunt down trial versions of some of EA’s titles, such as FIFA 21 and Madden 21 via the Microsoft Store. Search for the game and you should be offered the chance to claim 10-hour free trials.

Apps included with your EA subscription should be found in My Games & Apps.

BBC iPlayer off limits

Another app that’s fallen by the wayside at launch is the BBC iPlayer. This one will sting most for British viewers, who will be unable to watch shows from the nation’s biggest broadcaster.

It’s not clear at this stage whether you’ll be able to access iPlayer from the Edge browser, but Microsoft’s support page says there “is no workaround at this time”.

The PeacockTV app is another that isn’t ready for launch day.

Quick Resume flaws

Quick Resume is one of the big new features of this generation of Xbox consoles, allowing players to dip out of games, do something else (such as play another game) and then almost instantly pick up where they left off.

Microsoft warns that “while Quick Resume is fully operational with thousands of titles, we are aware a select number of Optimized titles may be experiencing issues with this feature”. Optimized titles are those from older generations that have been graphically enhanced for the new consoles.

Microsoft says that Quick Resume has been disabled for the problem titles until the issue can be resolved.