If you have just purchased a new Xbox one, there are a few essential things you need to know to help you get the most out of the console.
Setup Process
Hooking up the game console to your TV is a pretty simple process-just plug the HDMI cable that came with the package into the HDMI output port on the console and the other end into your TV’s HDMI input. You also need to connect the power cable and ensure it is plugged into the wall.
Power on your Xbox One and follow on-screen instructions to complete setup steps like language selection, Wi-Fi connection, and registering an Xbox Live account or signing into an existing one.
One thing you need to keep in mind during the initial boot and update is to be patient. Just like playing with a casino bonus where you are not guaranteed a win, and you have to play again and again to increase your chances of winning, you also need patience when setting up your Xbox One.
It might seem like you are not making any progress, but you only need to be patient. Thinking something might be wrong, and trying to restart will interrupt the update process and potentially cause problems. If the green or black Xbox One screen lasts for more than 10 minutes, then you might actually have a problem.
Fortunately, you can solve the problem through update troubleshooting. Only a small percentage of systems experience problems during the initial setup, but as we said, always be patient, and the update should be successful.
Tips for first-time Xbox users
- Ensure the system is set up and updated before you gift someone an Xbox One
No one wants to sit there for hours on a Halloween morning waiting for their new Xbox one to update. It is, therefore, a good idea to set up and update the console ahead of time. This way, your kids or whomever you are gifting it to can hook it up and start playing without much hustle on their part.
- Games might take longer to install
You need to install every game to the Xbox One hard drive, but sometimes this can take longer because the games also have to install their update. Just like above, it might be a good idea to install the games before the birthday morning, Halloween or Christmas so that the kids can start playing right away.
- Location is very important
Many people often shove their Xbox One into the entertainment center or any other closed space. The console needs sufficient space to ventilate and breathe. Although Xbox One is better than 360 when it comes to keeping cool, as it has a huge fan on the right side, prevention is always better than cure.
Most importantly, put the power brick where there is enough ventilation. But don’t put it on the carpet because fibers will block the vent and make it overheat. Also, avoid stacking game systems on top of your Xbox console. This will block ventilation and reflect heat back into the console.
- You can fix most problems by performing a hard system reset
This simple trick can solve a wide range of issues, including wonky and slow dashboard, Xbox Live acting weird, game not loading, and more. Just hold down the power button for a few seconds until the system turns off. This way, you don’t have to put the system in standby mode, but rather resets the hardware.
- Only one Xbox Live Gold subscription can serve everyone on the system
Xbox 360 requires separate subscriptions for every single account, but on Xbox One, you only need one Xbox Live Gold sub for everyone that uses the console. This means everyone can have a separate account with their respective achievements. But the point is you don’t have to buy a subscription for every user.
- Use the snap feature more often
The snap feature enables you to snap apps and even games to the side of your screen while playing a game, watching TV, or doing anything on the main section of the screen. You can control snapped apps, or select anything you would like to snap by simply double-tapping the big glowing X, which will display the snap menu. You can also enable or disable snapped apps if you have Kinect by simply saying “Xbox, Snap “x”” or unsnap it by saying “Xbox, unsnap.”
- You will probably need an external hard drive
While the internet hard drive on Xbox One isn’t tiny, the games are usually large, and it will not be long before they fill up the 500GB. You don’t have to run out of space when you can use an external hard drive to store more games you intend to buy. Luckily, external hard drives are not expensive. 1TB can go for about $60, and there are many options when it comes to sizes and prices.
