Microsoft has announced new options for support to repair your Xbox console. The first, for in-person repairs, will begin on January 20 with uBreakiFix by Asurion becoming an Xbox Authorized Service Provider at nearly 700 store locations across the US The second involves the Microsoft Store, with replacement components becoming available to purchase online as of today.
According to the blog post, these options include the Xbox Series S – 1TB in Robot White, Xbox Series X – 1TB Digital Edition in Robot White, and Xbox Series X – 2TB Galaxy Black Special Edition. Microsoft advises reaching out to your nearest uBreakiFix by Asurion location and confirming participation in the program.
If you prefer to order parts online, the components are available via Microsoft’s online store, as well as the Microsoft Repair Hub on iFixit. Previously, the replacement components available for purchase were limited to controller parts.
In the blog post, Microsoft also details a correlation between these new repair options and the company’s goal to become a “zero waste, carbon-negative, and water-positive company by 2030.” In the meantime, it’s aiming to eliminate single-use plastics from its packaging by 2025–hence why the Xbox Series X|S packaging is paper- and fiber-based.
Said goal has also had a smaller impact on the consoles themselves. According to Microsoft, it has improved how the Xbox Series S handles video, with average reduction approaching 10% in power consumption. The company also recommends using the Shutdown (energy saving) option, which can be found via Settings, General, and Power Options on your console.
The shutdown option has been available since September of last year, its addition paired alongside the announcement that the company’s green initiatives have saved over 3 billion car miles of CO2 emissions. Microsoft’s push for AI technology, however, is undermining said efforts. “We fundamentally believe that the answer is not to slow down the expansion of AI but to speed up the work needed to make it more environmentally friendly,” Microsoft president Brad Smith told Bloomberg. “I guarantee there’s one way to fail: It’s to give up.”
