Things Are Getting Worse For The Series X Launch
It's no secret that the Nov. 10 launch of Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Series S didn't go as smoothly as planned, despite good reviews of the system from critics. People have been having trouble getting their hands on the new console, thanks to scalpers and units selling out at retailers within seconds. And those who got them on launch day experienced login problems when trying to get into Xbox Live. Add another hiccup to Microsoft's growing list of mistakes: Fans are now experiencing issues with their disc drives.
Complaints have appeared on social media, including Twitter and Reddit threads, complete with images and video. People are having trouble getting their discs into the Xbox Series X. When some do succeed in putting a game in, they experience whirring, clicking, grinding, and other loud sounds. One Twitter user tagged Xbox Support and said in his post, "I think my @XboxSeriesX might have a defective disc drive. I've tried inserting a few different compatible games (both Xbox One & 360) & the drive won't let me insert it."
In response to a suggestion, the user posted later that the issue had been addressed. "The disc drive is faulty," he said. "Already spoke to Microsoft and they're aware of it in a handful of cases like mine. Sending me a new one in a few days, so no harm, no foul."
On a Reddit thread, people have been reduced to forcing their discs into the Xbox Series X, but apparently, this actually works in certain cases. One user posted, "I'm not even joking, a tiny bit of brute force worked. Apparently these things are so new you have to break them in, without breaking them of course."
Some users have found that the noise issue can be made marginally better or fixed completely if the unit's position is changed (to vertical or horizontal, depending on where they had it before). Others appear to be experiencing a noise, but it's unclear if the issue is related to the disc drive — commenters are wondering if the exhaust fan is the culprit. Not everyone has been able to resolve their technical problems with Microsoft yet.
Disc drives are often considered to be a weak point in consoles and other electronics because their moving parts make them more prone to mechanical problems. Unfortunately for gamers who wish to be early adopters, such day-one incidents are par for the course. Xbox owners may recall that the Xbox One had a similar problem when it was released in November 2013, for example.
It's unclear at this time what the scope of the Series X's problem is and whether or not it might be due to shipping concerns or a fault in the technology itself. Microsoft has put out a list of known problems with the Xbox Series X|S, and the disc drive noise isn't on it yet, so gamers will just have to wait and see what's up.