Does your new Xbox Series X show a blinking light on the console or the controller? Does the console become unresponsive and intermittently won’t turn on as well? Don’t worry; if the issue is making you extremely nervous, this guide has a few fixes that you can try and get your Series X behaving normally again.
Microsoft developed and released Xbox Series X in November 2020. The new video game console is the successor of the Xbox One family. It boasts a 1TB hard drive and can render games at a 60 FPS frame rate and a 4K resolution. Furthermore, the new Xbox series X supports a high dynamic range.
However, quite a few users report the console hangs while indicating a blinking light. Afterward, users have to unplug Xbox Series X to get it working again, but the issue happens repeatedly. Sometimes, the console won’t turn on at all.
Why does my Xbox series X keep flashing?
- Your console has an issue with the power supply, accessories, memory units, or hard drive.
- Xbox Series X is getting hot and not cooling down on its own.
- The console software is either corrupt or running on an older version.
- Your console is experiencing a hardware failure.
- Xbox Series X console indicates an issue with your A/V connection or cable.
- Flashing lights indicate that your console is downloading updates.
How do I fix the blinking light on my Xbox X Series?
Try the following troubleshooting steps if you are experiencing a blinking light on your console.
Check if the console is downloading updates
If you are trying to shut down the Xbox Series X, but the blinking light is not letting you do so, it may mean that the console is downloading available updates.
You may also notice that the console won’t shut down completely for an hour or so, and you have to hold the power button for 5-10 seconds to turn it off. Next, you need to power on the console and submit the feedback back to it to fix the blinking light.
Do a force reboot
Sometimes, a quick force reboot often fixes the blinking light issue on Xbox Series X. To do this:
- Press the Xbox button twice (You will hear two beeps).
- Next, the blinking light will become solid, and the console will shut down automatically after a few seconds.
- Now use the power button on the controller to turn off the console and verify that you don’t see a blinking light anymore.
- If the issue persists, plug the console’s power cable into another power outlet and repeat the above steps.
Let the console cool down
After hours of gameplay, your Xbox Series X gets hot and indicates a blinking light on the console. To fix the issue, turn off the console and turn it back on. At this point, you may see a message on your display explaining why the console shut down.
Next, turn off your Xbox Series X again and disconnect its power supply as well. Now move both the console and the power supply to an open, well-ventilated area and let them cool down for a bit. Afterward, reconnect the power supply directly into the electrical outlet and turn the console back on.
Finally, play for a couple of hours to verify the fix. If you still see the blinking light on Xbox Series X, your power supply may need to be replaced.
Check A/V cable and connectors
Loose cables and connectors can often result in Xbox console light blinking. To rule out this possibility:
- Shut down your Xbox Series X and TV.
- Next, unplug the cables from your console’s A/V port and the TV’s A/V connectors as well.
- Firmly reconnect the cable to your console’s A/V port and plugin the A/V connectors to your TV.
- Now turn on your TV and the console and see if the light is solid. If the light is blinking, try a different A/V cable.
Reset Xbox Series X
Many Xbox Series users fixed the blinking light issue by resetting the console. To do this, press the Xbox and the eject button on the console to go to the troubleshooting mode. Next, select the “Factory reset” or “Reset Xbox” option and wait for the process to complete.
If you can make it to the screen, you can reset your Xbox Series X by pressing the Xbox button and then navigating to Profile & system > Settings > System > Console info. Next, select the “Reset Console” option from the list and verify that the blinking light is fixed.
Speak to a Xbox Series X Specialist
If you have tried the steps above and there is still a blinking light on your Xbox Series X console why not speak to a console specialist who can help fix the problem straight away.
How do I fix Xbox Series X controller light blinking?
If the light on your Xbox Series X controller is blinking, it can be caused by multiple things, and you can fix it by doing the following troubleshooting steps one by one.
- First, make sure that the controller is paired to the console properly. Xbox Series X controller light often blinks when pairing is unsuccessful.
- Next, connect your Xbox Series X to your controller via the micro USB cable and see if this fixes the issue.
- If the controller light is still blinking, take out the batteries and wait 15 seconds. Next, put the batteries back in the controller to see if that fixes the problem. If the batteries are low, replace them with standard AA ones or a Play & Charge Kit and a rechargeable battery pack. You can also charge the batteries with a micro USB cable.
- If the light is still blinking after the controller is paired and batteries are fully charged, update the controller’s firmware to fix the issue.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide helped you fix the blinking light on the Xbox Series X console and the controller. If none of the troubleshooting steps resolve the issue, speaking to a specialist can help fix the problem or contact Microsoft to register your device. Afterward, get your console serviced or repaired by submitting a request.
