Microsoft backtracks on Xbox One console surge protector issue… kind of

A tweet from the official Xbox Support Twitter account caused a bit of a ruckus earlier this week when it reminded all of its followers that Xbox One consoles should be plugged directly into a wall socket and not into an adapter with surge protection.

Did you know that your Xbox One is designed to be plugged directly into a wall outlet? Check out our console power guide here: https://t.co/lGymrPOQEV

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) November 17, 2017

This recommendation has been public since the launch of the first Xbox One console back in 2013 but it seems many weren’t aware of this and so this news went viral and was reported on via several major tech sites. The reasoning for this recommendation is that all Xbox One consoles have a built-in surge protector and, according to Microsoft, plugging it into an additional surge protector can potentially restrict its power availability and prevent it from running as smoothly as possible.

To be clear the console already has a built in surge protector. So just like having two surge protector's plugged into each-other, that would not be recommended. ^IS

— Xbox Support (@XboxSupport) November 18, 2017

This might seem like strange logic but it is something that a lot of original Xbox One owners may have been told if they ever had issues with the Kinect sensor. A common problem with the Kinect can be it randomly shutting down and this is often caused by a console that’s plugged into an adapter and not directly into the wall. The hard-to-find Kinect Adapter for the Xbox One S and X actually fixes this problem by using a separate power cable for the Kinect itself.

Many Xbox One X owners also had similar problems this month and found that their consoles wouldn’t turn on properly. This issue was apparently caused by the adapter issue which is likely why the Xbox Support account decided to tweet about the power recommendation again.

https://twitter.com/BlackThunderX4/status/931650803361660928

Despite the apparent truth behind this advice, a Reddit user noticed earlier today that the following text had been removed from the Xbox Support webpage, likely due to all of the attention it was getting.

Note: Because the console has a built-in surge protector, you should not connect it to an external surge protector. If you connect the console to another surge protector, the console cannot reach the full power that is needed for optimal performance.

It’s definitely a strange move but it’s also understandable given that the controversy had begun to paint the Xbox One family of consoles as one that had a serious (kind of) design flaw. It’s also questionable how many users actually follow this advice. Even though I’m personally aware of this problem, I still keep my Xbox One plugged into a surge protector and most people I know do the same as well. It’s simply just an extra layer of precaution.

Who does that? Seriously? In an age when everyone has at least 4-5 devices on the entertainment center who plugs their xbone directly into the wall? 2nd question; who designs a modern game system that doesn’t play well w a power strip? pic.twitter.com/5IAqRtFtMf

— Matt Baum's momma didn't raise no dummy. (@mattbaumstein) November 17, 2017

How is your Xbox One console set up? Let us know in the comments below.