Xbox repair, by model

Models we see

No picture: the HDMI port

An Xbox that powers up, lights its button and gives the TV no signal has an HDMI port fault nearly every time, on the Series X, Series S and every One. The port is surface-mounted and fails from cables pushed in at an angle or yanked sideways. The repair is micro-soldering: the console is fully disassembled, the board comes out, the old port comes off under hot air, the pads are checked and repaired, a new port is fitted, and the console is rebuilt with fresh thermal paste and tested under load on a real display. If the port is sound and there is still no picture, the fault is the HDMI driver chip beside it, which is a further micro-soldering job quoted after diagnosis. Bring your HDMI cable, because a failed cable looks identical and is the first thing tested.

Disc drives

The Series X and every One have a disc drive; the Series S does not, so a Series S "will not read discs" call is a wasted trip we would rather save you. On the Series X the drive is a replaceable unit. On the One family the drive is replaceable, and a drive that spins but will not read is often a laser that can be replaced on its own. If the console is only used for downloads, we will say the drive is optional.

Heat, noise and shutdowns

An Xbox that runs loud, gets hot or shuts down partway through a game has a heat sink full of dust and thermal paste that has dried out. The Series X pulls a lot of air through its tower and packs the heat sink solid over a few years. The fix is a full strip-down, a clean of the fan and heat sink, and new thermal material. The console comes back quiet. If shutdowns continue after that, the fault is on the board and we say so.

Power

The Series X, Series S, One S and One X have internal power supplies; the original One uses an external brick. A console that does nothing, or clicks and stops, is checked at the supply first, because supplies and bricks are replaceable units and fail more often than boards. Board-level power faults are micro-soldering, and we tell you after diagnosis whether the console is worth it.

Controllers

Stick drift on the Xbox Wireless Controller is the analogue sensor wearing out and is repaired by replacing the sticks or modules; the Elite Series 2 uses tension-adjustable modules that swap as a unit. Bumpers that have stopped clicking are the most common Xbox controller fault after drift and are a small repair. Triggers, the battery contacts and the charging port on rechargeable models are all bench work. Bring the controller on its own.

Your games and account

Nothing we do touches your games, saves or account. Cloud saves are on by default and are what carries your progress to a replacement if a board fault means the storage cannot be read.

Turnaround

Xbox work is a leave-it-with-us job, typically a day or two for an HDMI port, a drive or a strip-down and repaste, because of the full disassembly and the extended test afterwards. Controllers are usually quicker.