An Xbox Series X hard reset - sometimes called a power cycle - can be a useful fix for issues such as unexpected freezes and crashes. These sorts of problems should be rare with your Xbox Series X, but sometimes games can be optimized poorly causing crashes and other issues, or you might have got unlucky with some faulty hardware. Hard resets are also especially important if you're Xbox Series console is on power saving mode, as it'll clear the consoles cache, helping it to maintain performance too. If you're coming up against these sorts of problems, performing a power cycle should be your first port of call, so here's how to do a hard reset for your Xbox Series X.
How to hard reset an Xbox Series X
If your console has crashed or otherwise become unresponsive, then you should try performing a hard reset on your Xbox Series X - also known as a power cycle - to try and resolve the issue. To do this, follow the process outlined here:
- Hold the Xbox power button on the console for around 10 seconds until it powers down fully
- Wait 30 seconds
- Press the Xbox button on either the console or the controller to turn back on
If the green Xbox logo splash screen doesn't appear and you go straight into the dashboard, then you may not have held down the Xbox button on the console for long enough to override instant-on mode. Make sure you hold the button for a minimum of 10 seconds until the console turns off, then if needed unplug the power cable for and wait for at least 10 more seconds to ensure you completely hard reset your Xbox Series X. With that done, reconnect the power and follow the usual process to start up the console once again.
Note that none of the procedures explained in this guide will erase any of the games or personal data stored on your Xbox Series X, and are only intended to resolve certain issues that cause the console to temporarily lock up.
How to restart an Xbox Series X
The easiest way to restart an Xbox Series X is to navigate to that option through the menus with the controller, though naturally this only works if your console is functioning correctly. There are actually two different routes to do this:
Restart Xbox Series X via Power Centre
- Hold the Xbox button on the controller to open Power Centre
- Choose Restart console
- Choose Restart
Restart Xbox Series X via Guide
- Press the Xbox button on the controller to open the Guide
- Navigate through Profile & system > Settings > General > Power mode & start-up
- Choose Restart now
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