No longer do you have to watch the console’s loading screen for several minutes while you wait for your game to load. With the Xbox Series X finally using an SSD and having features like Quick Resume, you might wonder if you should ever turn your device off.
The Xbox Series X can stay on until the power is turned off. The console can stay powered on or in its “instant on” standby mode for almost an infinite amount of time. But make sure the console doesn’t get too hot by making sure it has enough airflow to let the hot air escape.
This article will tell you how long the Xbox Series X can be on and if it’s safe to leave it on all night. Also, you’ll learn some ways to keep your console from breaking if you leave it on for a long time.
Is It Okay To Keep The Xbox Series X On Always?
Since getting an Xbox Series X was hard because of the chip shortage, you should take all the necessary steps to make sure there are no problems with your console. Given how much better next-generation consoles are, it might seem like you never have to turn them off.
The Xbox Series X won’t break if you leave it on all the time. The Xbox is made to work for a long time without stopping, so it’s usually fine to use it for a long time. But your electricity bills will go up because it is always using power. It’s also important to make sure there’s enough airflow.
Xbox Series X Power Consumption
Your Xbox Series X will use power as long as it’s on, just like any other electronic device. What you do with the console will determine how much power it needs.
For example, if you turn “Instant On” on your device, you’ll get all the benefits of the next generation. Even if you turn off the console, it starts up right away.
You can also tell your console to wake up with your voice. Lastly, it lets you update the firmware and download game updates while doing other things.
How is the Xbox Series X able to do this when it is turned off? Well, when you choose this option, the device isn’t really off.
Instead, it puts the console into a mode called “standby” or “sleep,” which uses less power. It’s a lot like how laptops and desktops can go to sleep. If you use the trackpad or keyboard on a device that is sleeping, it will immediately wake up.
Xbox support says that when you use Instant-On mode, the Series X will use about 13W of power. This is still less than the 48W that the console uses when you’re going through the menu (not gaming).
Depending on the game and the resolution, the Xbox Series X can use more than 200W when it’s being used to play games.
Can You Leave Xbox Series X On All Night?
Some game updates, like those for Warzone, can be very big. Some Warzone updates need more than 100GB of free space. You might not want to be there during this, so you might want to leave your console on all night so the download can finish. Is this alright?
If you turn on Instant-On mode, you can leave the Xbox Series X on all night. In this mode, the console will only use 13W of power instead of the minimum 48W it needs to run. Because of this, this mode can be used to download large updates for games and systems without using as much power.
If you have a lot of large files to download and don’t want to stop playing games, you can leave your console on all night. But make sure you only do this where there is enough air flow, since the console still makes heat even when it is turned off.
How To Prevent Damage On Xbox Series X In Instant-On Mode?
Even though Instant-On Mode changes the game, there are a few things you need to do to protect your console. Here are two things you should do to keep your device safe.
Ensure Ample Amounts Of Ventilation
The engineers at Microsoft have done a great job with how the Xbox Series X handles heat.
Even though the device has a more powerful chip but is small, it doesn’t slow down because of heat. This device works great thanks to a large heat sink and a single fan.
Because of how it’s made, the console pulls cool air in from the sides and bottom. The fan pulls the hot air into the device and lets it out of the top.
Even after hours of gaming, the Xbox Series X stays quiet because of how well it handles heat.
Because of how it’s made, you have to be careful about where you put it in your room. First of all, thermals are the same whether you keep them standing up or lying down. It doesn’t matter which way the device is facing because the heat comes out of the top of the console.
Depending on where you put the device, it will either get too hot or not. You need to make sure that nothing is blocking the flow of hot air coming out of the top of the console.
For example, if there isn’t enough space between the console’s exhaust and the shelf, the hot air will go back into the console. Over time, it will begin to get too hot.
Xbox Support says that the console should have 4 to 6 inches (10.16 to 15.24 centimeters) of space on all sides. Try not to put anything near the device. Also, it would help if you never put it in a small space because the hot air won’t be able to get out.
If your shelf doesn’t have enough space, put the device so that the top of the console is facing you. When turned this way, it blows hot air into the room.
Uninterrupted And Clean Power Supply
Your Xbox Series X has a lot of sensitive parts, like capacitors and diodes. If the voltage goes up and down a lot, it can hurt these parts. Also, don’t plug too much into a wall outlet or extension cord. It can hurt both the device and the plug.
During an update, if your device loses power, it could damage your files.
Final Verdict
You don’t have to turn off the Xbox Series X after a certain amount of time. Use the console’s “Instant-On” mode to leave it on all night so that all the game and system updates can be downloaded.
Whether you use the console normally or in Instant-on mode, you should always make sure it has enough airflow and clean, uninterrupted power to keep its parts from getting damaged.