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It started with reports on NeoGAF that the extremely rare “new/old” stock of original Xbox One consoles – the so-called “VCR” or “set-top box” model – could not function due to the lack of a system software update for the hardware. Used consoles sold on eBay and factory reset also have the same problem. Based on our own tests from Xbox One consoles pulled from storage, systems running older firmware revisions fail to connect to Xbox Live. We’ve notified Microsoft, we’re confident the issue will be fixed, but the situation raises uncomfortable questions about the future prospects of console hardware that relies on an Internet connection to fully function.

Let’s be clear about what we’re talking about. As far as we know, the problem does not affect the hardware revision of the Xbox One S from 2016. We are talking about the launch model, the receiver edition. And that doesn’t apply to all consoles – if every single Xbox One “VCR” out there couldn’t get online, I’m sure we’d have heard about it sooner. Xbox One hardware running older firmware seems to be at the highest risk of not being able to update. Two of our consoles are running 2017 dashboards and the other is a 2018 revision. Neither of them can be updated, either from the internet or via USB via the downloadable offline installer.

By extension, we can assume that any affected non-updateable console that is then factory reset (perhaps by a user looking to resell the console) cannot function at all, effectively “bricking” the hardware , until Microsoft offers a solution. If the affected units they are not reset, dash works, games launched from discs work, but anything that requires an online connection will not function. Without access to the latest version of system software, it’s impossible to access Xbox Live or any of its features, and we can safely assume that digital purchases that require online registration won’t work either unless the machine is set as the primary account holder or “home console”.

• 0:00:00 Introduction
• 0:01:05 News 01: Potential PS5 Pro RT improvements leaked
• 0:11:52 News 02: PS5 Pro settings for No Man’s Sky leaked
• 0:20:07 News 03: Modder reaches 700Hz on CRT monitor
• 0:33:50 News 04: Old Xbox Ones suffer from update issues
• 0:45:23 News 05: Intel seeks to address processor failures
• 0:54:47 News 06: Super Monkey Ball 50Hz physics tickrate fixed
• 0:58:21 News 07: Fallout London Launches!
• 1:05:51 News 08: Castlevania: Rondo of Blood is headed to the Mega Drive
• 1:12:49 Supporter Q1: Should Valve provide community settings templates for Steam Deck games?
• 1:20:31 Supporter Q2: Will Nintendo release multiple variants of the Switch 2 at launch?
• 1:25:07 Backer Q3: How can Microsoft deliver a capable pocket Xbox while keeping the price under control?
• 1:30:59 Supporter Q4: Can Microsoft offer generic Xbox emulators to avoid licensing issues?
• 1:36:06 Supporter Q5: How would the PS4 perform if it only shipped with 4GB of RAM?
• 1:41:55 Supporter Q6: What do you think of stereoscopic 3D on PS3?
• 1:49:25 Supporter Q7: Have PC ports improved since Alex’s “13 Ways to Get Rid of Crappy PC Ports”?

Now, there’s an argument to be made that if the problem has truly gone unnoticed and its online footprint amounts to a two-page NeoGAF thread (and frankly, negligible amounts of Reddit posts over the months), logic suggests that the majority of the older-style Xbox One devices that are still widely used update properly. What we don’t know for sure are the exact criteria that separate a working Xbox One from a non-working one. In an effort to find answers, we petitioned our Digital Foundry Supporter Program users who owned older Xbox consoles to try an update. The sample is small, but some updates have completed successfully. Evidence seems to suggest that a mandatory file in firmware shipped in 2018 or later is required to successfully update the console.

However, from our point of view, in terms of gaming and preserving the hardware along with ownership rights, the idea that a working console could stop working is a red flag. This is a warning about future operability for any console that requires an online connection, and a reminder that even though you may have purchased a piece of hardware, you can only use it as long as the platform holder continues to properly support it. And if this is happening now, what about 10 or 20 years in the future? I can pull the Atari VCS out of the attic in 40 years, and assuming there’s no hardware defect, I can pick it up and play. Or if a retro enthusiast wants to do the same, they can buy original hardware and games and do it. Nothing can take these games and experiences away from us.

The move to digital has already seen entire libraries wiped out (3DS, Wii, Wii U) and the impending death of the Xbox 360 market is yet another reminder of how fickle gaming can be. However, maintenance issues aside, the Xbox 360 itself should always be up and running – something that can’t be guaranteed with its successors, which rely on the internet to set up instantly. I spoke with Jason Ronald from Microsoft last week, and I believe that affected older Xbox One consoles will be working again as soon as the root cause is resolved. It’s on the radar. My concern is that we will reach a point in the future where the resources will not be available to deal with problems along these lines. It’s a reminder that any hardware that relies on an online connection to function faces an uncertain future sooner or later.

This applies to all Xbox consoles from the Xbox One onwards and causes problems for the PS5 Slim as well. The original PlayStation 5 models work pretty well, I think. Most games come on disc and are mostly complete. If a system software upgrade is required to run the game, no internet connection is required – the firmware can be installed from the disc. Game updates also do not require a PSN login to download and install, the disc itself acts as a key to grab the update. However, the PS5 Slim is problematic. Even on models that come with an optical drive, the disc-based functionality does not work unless an online registration step is performed. If this is not possible and PSN is not available, there is no way forward when playing games on the system.

And for those systems that are affected, what we would like to see is some kind of protocol to ensure that legacy consoles are always playable whether it’s 11 years (as is the case with the Xbox One) or 111 years after release. Ideally, this means a rigorous approach to ensuring that the hardware continues to function within its lifecycle – but it also means a “final update” strategy, so that when a console is no longer supported or the infrastructure it needs falls away, users can expect a robust solution to ensure that the machine and its library can function indefinitely. Of course, in an ideal world, the mandatory online requirement for a game console wouldn’t exist at all.

This turned out to be something of a “developing” story as we put together the latest edition of DF Direct Weekly. We initially discussed the reports, confident that the story was true. After the write-up, we learned more about how the hardware was affected by checking our own consoles and then found that both online and offline updates were non-functional. We ended up re-recording the segment on Saturday morning. But this is just one component of another full episode: we discuss the recent leaks of RT and No Man’s Sky for PS5 Pro, the remarkable story of a CRT running at 700Hz, and the launch of Fallout London. I hope you enjoy the show, and don’t forget that any member of the DF Supporter Program can help shape the show – and get early access every week.