Essential Tips and Tricks for Xbox One Owners

Keep your console well ventilated, use PayPal, and don't worry about having to be online

If you just picked up an Xbox One system, there are some essential tips and tricks that you should know that will help you get the most out of it. 

Xbox One Setup Help

To hook up your Xbox One to your TV, plug the included HDMI cable into the labeled HDMI output port on the back of the system and the other end into an HDMI input on your TV. Also, connect the power cable and plug it into the wall. 

When you power up your Xbox One for the first time you will be walked through some initial setup steps to do things like select your language, set up a Wi-Fi connection, and either make a new Xbox network account or sign in with an existing one. Just follow the instructions onscreen once you hook it up and plug it in, but if you need help, Microsoft has a great step-by-step guide to walk you through it. 

When you first use an Xbox One, you MUST connect to the internet, either via an ethernet cable or via Wi-Fi, in order to update the system. You can't use the system until it has downloaded these updates. You don't have to keep it connected afterward, but you have to connect at least once to update it.

Set Up the Xbox One Before Giving It as a Gift

No one wants to sit around for an hour after they open up their new Xbox One on Christmas morning while it updates, so a good idea is to perform the initial setup and update process ahead of time and then put it back in the box. That way your kids (or you ...) can hook it up and start playing right away.

Xbox One Games Take a Long Time to Install

 Every game, including disc-based ones, must be installed to the Xbox One hard drive, and sometimes this can take a long time (usually because it has to install a game update at the same time). Just like above, it is probably a good idea to pre-install games ahead of time before Christmas or birthday morning so kids can jump in and start playing without having to wait.

Your Xbox One Location Is Vital

Don't just shove it into an entertainment center or other closed space. It needs room to breathe and ventilate.

Granted, the Xbox One does a much better job of keeping itself cool than the 360 did (that is what the huge fan on the right side is for), but it's still better to be safe than sorry.

Also, be sure to put the power brick somewhere that has some ventilation too, and don't put it on the floor on the carpet (the carpet fibers can block the vents and cause it to overheat).

Also, don't stack game systems (any game systems, not just Xbox) on top of each other, and don't place items like game cases on top of a system. Doing so blocks ventilation and also reflects heat back into the system. Take care of your systems, and they'll serve you well.

Xbox One X and Xbox One S consoles, Xbox Controllers, Xbox 1, XB1

 Microsoft

Fix Most Problems With a Hard Reset

Say the dashboard is wonky and slow, or a game won't load, or the Xbox network is acting weird, or a host of other issues.

The way you fix it is to hold down the power button on the front of the system for several seconds until it turns off. Holding the button turns the system off completely instead of putting into standby mode; it also totally resets the hardware. Similar to the way resetting your computer fixes a lot of issues, resetting the Xbox One can solve a lot of problems

Don't Put a Credit Card on Your Xbox One

It's a lot harder for bad guys to get your info now than it was back in the heyday of the "FIFA Hack", but still better to play it safe. There's nothing for anyone to steal if it isn't on your account in the first place, right?

Instead, use Xbox Gift Cards that you can buy either as physical cards at brick and mortar stores, or digital codes from online retailers. They come in a wide range of denominations, so you can get exactly the amount you want.

Another safe option is to put a PayPal account on your system. This way, you get multiple layers of security from PayPal on top of multiple layers of security from Microsoft. 


Microsoft Xbox One S
Image courtesy of Amazon.com

You Don't Need Xbox Game Pass for Apps

You used to need a Gold subscription to use apps like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, ESPN, WWE Network, or anything else, but that's no longer the case with Game Pass (Core or Ultimate). You can use them all and any other app with a free Xbox Network account.

Buy an External Hard Drive for Your Xbox One

The internal hard drive on the Xbox One isn't necessarily tiny, but the games are definitely huge and will fill up the 500GB drive pretty quickly.

Depending on how many titles you plan on buying, you might not run out of space for a while, but if you intend to use your Xbox One to play a lot of digital games, you're going to need an external drive eventually. The good news is that external drives are actually fairly cheap—1TB for around $60—and you have lots of options for prices and sizes.

Learn to Love the Snap

Using the Snap feature lets you attach apps and certain games (Threes! works, for example) to the side of the screen while you're playing something else, watching TV, or doing whatever on the main part of the screen.

You can easily control the snapped apps, or choose what you want to snap, by double-tapping the Xbox Guide button (the big glowing X on the controller), which will bring up the Snap menu. If you have Kinect, you can also activate or deactivate snapped apps by saying "Xbox, snap 'X' " ('X' being the name of the app you want to use) or close it by saying "Xbox, unsnap." 

Man in a suit playing a video game via Xbox Play Anywhere on his laptop at an airport
Microsoft

You Don't Have to Be Always Online

Despite the policies changing more than two years ago, there is still a lot of confusion about this. So we'll spell it out. There is no always online check-in. Microsoft isn't watching you with Kinect. You don't even have to use Kinect at all if you don't want to. 

Used Games Work Just Fine

Used games work exactly like they always have—you can trade them or sell them or give them to your friends or whatever. Anything you hear otherwise on these subjects is false.


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