The issue has become more widespread since launching in several new countries like Japan, Belgium and Switzerland, and could be either a disc drive problem or something tied to the dashboard.
On the Xbox Forums, a new Xbox One owner described their experience with the loud noise, which didn’t occur until they were halfway through the initial system setup. Several others have also chimed in, detailing similar noises, but under different circumstances.
In a response to the problem, an Xbox Support member informed those afflicted that they should attempt to return the console to the store they bought it from. In a statement to Kotaku regarding the matter, Microsoft revealed plans to replace the hardware themselves.
While the issues appear to be contained to a relatively small amount of consoles, one has to wonder if there are more owners that haven’t noticed the increased noise or if more consoles will become loud down the road. Between the Xbox One, its power brick and the Kinect camera, some may expect a loud system to be the standard due to all the hardware. The original Xbox 360 was notoriously loud, but later iterations of the hardware, like the Xbox 360 Slim, tackled many of the hardware complaints; later models were both quieter and less of a power drain.
At any rate, Microsoft offering to exchange these Xbox Ones for newer, seemingly issue-free systems no questions asked is the right move. Addressing the issue as soon as possible, while providing an official solution will give the company some much needed good will as well.
It’s still unfortunate that people may have to go a couple of weeks without an Xbox One, but hey, when it comes back, they’ll be able to play a lot more quietly.
Source: Kotaku
