Microsoft is finally making Xbox console repairs more accessible. You’ll be able to take your Xbox Series X or S to “nearly 700” uBreakiFix locations for in-person repairs or buy some replacement parts yourself.
Xbox console hardware repairs were previously only possible through the Microsoft Store, which normally meant shipping the Xbox console and waiting for it to come back. Microsoft announced in a blog post today, “On January 20, uBreakiFix by Asurion will become the first Xbox Authorized Service Provider to repair Xbox consoles at its nearly 700 participating store locations across the U.S.”
This is definitely overdue, as several store chains and independent repair shops already offer repairs and in-person support for PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, including uBreakiFix locations and some Best Buy stores. There’s not yet a complete list of locations that will offer Xbox repairs, but uBreakiFix only has “700+ locations” according to the company’s website, so the promise of “nearly 700” should cover most of them.
Microsoft has also partnered with iFixit to make more replacement parts for consoles available for purchase, instead of just controller parts. If you have the technical expertise to do your own hardware repairs, you can order the same parts used by Microsoft, even if your console is out of warranty. However, official repair parts for Xbox One consoles are still unavailable, so there’s still more work to be done.
The company said in a blog post, “By expanding the number of ways players can get support and repair for their Xbox consoles, we also help extend the longevity of Xbox devices, reduce waste, promote re-use, and ultimately reduce our environmental impact.”
It’s great to see repairs become more accessible for popular electronics, and Microsoft has made some other strides there recently. The latest Surface Laptop 7 and Surface Pro 11 earned an 8/10 repairability score from iFixit, with the hardware being easier to disassemble than previous models, and Microsoft providing its own detailed repair manuals.
Source: Microsoft
