UPDATE 30/07/24 5:07pm: Microsoft’s Jason Ronald confirms that the issue impacting Xbox One consoles unable to update has been resolved via a server-side fix: “For players who were having issues updating their Xbox One consoles still running an OS build from November 2018 or earlier, this has been resolved. Thanks to the team @DigitalFoundry for notifying us about this issue. Game on!” This is great news and people buying used Xbox One consoles that haven’t been updated in a while should have no problem using their hardware.
Original Story: It started with reports on NeoGAF that extremely rare ‘new/old’ stock of original Xbox One consoles – the so-called ‘VCR’ or ‘set-top box’ model – were unable to function owing to the lack of a system software update for the hardware. Used consoles sold on eBay and factory-reset also have the same issue. Based on our own testing from Xbox One consoles brought out of storage, systems operating on older firmware revisions error out when connected to Xbox Live. 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.
Let’s be clear about what we’re talking about. As far as we’re aware, the problem does not impact 2016’s Xbox One S hardware revision. We’re talking about the launch model, the set-top box edition. And it doesn’t apply to all consoles – if every single Xbox One ‘VCR’ out there couldn’t get online, I’m sure we would have heard about it sooner. It seems to be Xbox One hardware that is running older firmware that has the biggest risk of not being able to update. Two of our consoles are running 2017 dashboards, the other a 2018 revision. None of them can update – not from the internet, nor from USB via the downloadable offline installer.
By extension, we can assume that any affected console that can’t update that is then factory reset (perhaps by a user looking to resell the console) cannot function at all, effectively ‘bricking’ the hardware until Microsoft can come up with a solution. If affected units reset, the dashboard works, games running from discs works, but anything requiring an online connection won’t function. Without access to the latest system software revision, it’s impossible to access Xbox Live or any of its features, and we can safely assume that digital purchases requiring an online check-in also won’t work unless the machine is set-up as primary account holder or ‘home console’.
0:00:00 Introduction0:01:05 News 01: Potential PS5 Pro RT enhancements leaked0:11:52 News 02: PS5 Pro settings leaked for No Man’s Sky0:20:07 News 03: Modder reaches 700Hz on CRT monitor0:33:50 News 04: Old Xbox Ones suffer from update issues0:45:23 News 05: Intel seeking to address CPU failures0:54:47 News 06: Super Monkey Ball 50Hz physics tickrate fixed0:58:21 News 07: Fallout London launched!1:05:51 News 08: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood headed to Mega Drive1:12:49 Supporter Q1: Should Valve provide community settings templates for games on Steam Deck?1:20:31 Supporter Q2: Will Nintendo launch multiple Switch 2 variants at launch?1:25:07 Supporter Q3: How can Microsoft deliver a capable Xbox handheld while keeping price in check?1:30:59 Supporter Q4: Could Microsoft offer generic Xbox emulators to sidestep licensing issues?1:36:06 Supporter Q5: How would the PS4 have fared if it only shipped with 4GB of RAM?1:41:55 Supporter Q6: What do you think of stereoscopic 3D on PS3?1:49:25 Supporter Q7: Have PC ports improved since Alex’s “13 Ways to End Lousy PC Ports”?
Now, there’s an argument that says that if the problem hasn’t really been noticed and its online footprint amounts to a two-page NeoGAF thread (and in fairness, a smattering of Reddit posts across the months), logic suggests that the majority of older-style Xbox One units still in general use are updating correctly. What we don’t know for sure is the precise criteria that separates a working Xbox One from a non-working one. In an effort to find answers, we petitioned our users on the Digital Foundry Supporter Program who owned older Xbox consoles to attempt an update. The sample is small, but some updates did complete successfully. The evidence seems to suggest that a mandatory file in a firmware delivered in 2018 or later is required to successfully update the console.