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Xbox One S won’t play games? Get the quick fixes here
7 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
Among the common reasons why theXbox One S won’t play gamesincludes the account itself (game sharing issues), your user profile,the disc(if you’re playing disc games), and sometimes the console itself may be the problem.
If you’re looking for workarounds to resolve this problem, try some of these listed below.
What can I do if Xbox One S won’t play games?
1. General troubleshooting
2. Replace the game
If none of the general troubleshooting solutions work, and your Xbox One S won’t play games, especially for disc games, you can replace the game.
3. Change power modes and power cycle the console
If this doesn’t work, request a repair from the Xbox Online Service Center.
4. Verify the purchasing account for the game
If you’re trying to play digital games, check that the game was purchased by the account you are using, because they should be the same, even when signing in to Xbox Live.
You can verify this by checking your Xbox Live purchase history, for which you have to provide yourMicrosoft account email addressand password. To do this:
If you cannot verify the purchase account is the same, your games won’t play because many games don’t work without a license. If the account that purchased this game is not loaded on your Xbox One S console, then your Xbox One S won’t play games.
5. Test your network connection
A network connection issue can sometimes mean Xbox One S won’t play games. Test your network connection by doing this:
Note:Any known outages will appear in the middle of the screen. If this the connection test is successful, your console will connect to Xbox Live. If you are prompted to update your console software, chooseYes.
6. Remove and add back your profile
If Xbox One S won’t play games on one specific profile, the profile data associated with this game may be corrupted. Fix this by removing your profile from the console and then downloading your account again.
Download your profile again to create a fresh version of the account data. Here’s how:
7. Use a different profile
Sometimes corrupted profile data on your Xbox One S console affectsgameplay. If this is the case, try playing the same game using a different profile on your console.
8. Clear the local save and re-sync with the cloud
The local save for your game may be corrupted, in which case you need to delete it and resync it with the cloud to fix the problem. To do this:
9. Reset the Xbox One S operating system
There may be a problem with your console’s operating system hence Xbox One S won’t play games. The reset can be done without deleting your games or apps. To do that:
Note:DoNOTselectReset and remove everythingbecause this resets the console to factory settings, and all user data, and all games and apps will be deleted. This should only be used as a last resort solution.
If successful, you may have to repeat some general console set-up steps before getting back to the Home screen. Try and play your game again after this.
Did any of these solutions help? Let us know in the comments section below.
More about the topics:Xbox One issues,Xbox One S
Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Milan has been enthusiastic about technology ever since his childhood days, and this led him to take interest in all PC-related technologies. He’s a PC enthusiast and he spends most of his time learning about computers and technology.
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s one of the Troubleshooting experts in our worldwide team, specializing in Windows errors & software issues.
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Milan Stanojevic
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
Before joining WindowsReport, he worked as a front-end web developer. Now, he’s specialized in Windows errors & software issues.
