How to get your replacement Xbox 360

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 18 May, 2011

Discs unreadable? Then you're in luck.

Microsoft has confirmed reports that some Xbox 360 consoles are not compatible with its new Xbox 360 firmware upgrade, and advised those affected to get in touch.

"Following a recent update to our system software, we have become aware of an issue that is preventing a very small number of Xbox 360 owners from playing retail game discs," Microsoft said.

"This issue manifests itself a as a unique 'disc unreadable' or 'disc unsupported' error on the screen. We are also able to detect this issue over Xbox Live and are proactively reaching out to customers that may be impacted to replace their console."

The console manufacturer urged those having problems to get in touch at www.xbox.com/support/contact "so we can verify if the console has been impacted".

Microsoft will replace borked machines with a brand new Xbox 360 S with 250GB hard drive.

The new firmware is thought to prepare the Xbox 360 for use with the new XGD3 disc standard, which adds 1GB of useable data to 360 DVDs.

Digital Foundry this morning reported that the firmware combats pirated software.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (55) Latest comment 10 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Beano #1 1 year ago

    No way to identify the incompatible consoles in advance before updating?

  • MiY4MOTO #2 1 year ago

    Is there a date for this impending dashboard update?

  • DUFFKING #3 1 year ago

    I remember when my last 360 broke it started giving 'disk unreadable' errors.

    On XBLA games.

    :/

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #4 1 year ago

    /crosses fingers for error message

  • jaywalker3010 Verified Mastering Manager, Square Enix #5 1 year ago

    @#2 yeh good question since the article implies its out, but i havent had any update in ages

  • Shadders #6 1 year ago

    They'd better hope this doesn't affect any of the limited edition models.

    I wouldn't be happy swapping my Halo3 360 for a 360S

  • CaptainQuint #7 1 year ago

    The one time I want my Xbox to stop working and it doesn't!

    Damn you microsoft! *shakes fist at nothing*

  • Zozzilla #8 1 year ago

    *crosses fingers that mine will break*

    Since I've gone through like...7 of them aready thanks to RRoD, I'm hoping my "luck" will continue!

  • stegabba #9 1 year ago

    i like my xbox but its the 20gb 1 so i dont mind if this update breaks it lol only time i will ever say that

  • Jolly_Armadillo #10 1 year ago

    Do you need an xbox live gold subscription to be eligible? I have a console but I'm not subscribed to gold

  • Psychotext #11 1 year ago

    Nice. :D

  • alexbulluk #12 1 year ago

    I hope mine stops working. I've been wanting an Xbox 360 S for a while, but I dun have teh cash :(

  • Vice.Destroyer #13 1 year ago

    What a cool deal. I have an Xbox S, but also an older Xbox with a 120GB HDD. I am going to connect the older Xbox and hope beyond hope that it gets this error.

    I am a little confused though. When do I get this error? When I switch on my Xbox? Or when I put one of these new generation discs in?

  • jjolley #14 1 year ago

    MS 2, Sony 1. First we have RROD, then Sony's network outage, now XBox issues? Interesting how things come in threes.

  • Rusty_M #15 1 year ago

    Really hope I'm affected. I know I'm a greedy bugger but hey.

  • orangpelupa #16 1 year ago

    @beano

    yeah agree

    The dash update when run install should
    - do system check

    then if one thing failed pass the check, refuse to update the dash and show what we should do to get new xbox. Maybe showing some instruction to call xbox...

  • mukki #17 1 year ago

    crossing my fingers that I get this error once the update is out

  • Genyus #18 1 year ago

    I'm wondering as well, do you get this error on any game you try to play or only on new games?

  • Widge #19 1 year ago

    I'd love it if more places broke stuff and sent me the latest for free!

  • KDR_11k #20 1 year ago

    My console is from one of the last RROD-endangered batches so I hope I get a new one.

  • DiamondIce #21 1 year ago

    @MiY4MOTO

    I read that it is the 19th May: <a href='http://www.xboxmb.com/forum/2-xbox-360-discussion/47022-xbox-360-dashboard-update-5-19-2011-a.html'>http://www.xboxmb.com/forum/2-xbox-360-discussion/47022-xbox-360-dashboard-update-5-19-2011-a.html</a>

  • Vortex808 #22 1 year ago

    So when is this update due out? Edit:Thanks diamondIce

    /Hopes my old 20Gb premium 2006 brick is incompatible to get a nice new shiny slim version.
    Edited by Vortex808 at 18/05/11 @ 12:41

  • SClaw #23 1 year ago

    I have a lauchbox I haven't turned on for months (because it sounds like it's taking off when I do). Comeon breaky breaky! Papa needs some free stuff!

  • morriss #24 1 year ago

    Wow. I hope my old 60Gb is affected.

  • ProtoformX #25 1 year ago

    *takes hammer to 360*

    "Honestly Microsoft, the update corrupted my console so spectacularly that it actually exploded!"

  • alimokrane #26 1 year ago

    Die Xbox DIEEE!!

  • Ryze #27 1 year ago

    I've got 2 360s, so a double dip chance in the 360S lottery!

    MS should do this more often - it's a great idea - allow loyal customers to enter into a draw via Xbox live, to have their console replaced with a top of the line model, with a bundle of top games!

    Great promo!

    @charliechan

    REMEMBER ApocalyPS3 2010!?

    ALL PS3's died for a day!
    Edited by Ryze at 18/05/11 @ 13:08

  • VibratingDonkey #28 1 year ago

    Why are they not telling us which models specifically are affected?
    Will that 360 come with a data transfer cable? Or how are you supposed to get a hold of one nowadays?

  • 00.00.01 #29 1 year ago

    @alimokrane 18/05/11 @ 13
    You're speaking to your Kinnect?

  • mr2ange #30 1 year ago

    Jesus, and I always thought the 360 hardware was shoddy...

    This is just pathetic, firstly they say that DVD's are fine for now, then they use some new half-way disc standard of which many machines are not capable of just to squeeze out another paltry gigabyte of disc space...

    I think MS really should start looking at a new console, this time make it quiet to begin with, and hire someone who has some kind of clue as to what heatsinks are actually there for.

    I for one am hoping that ALL the next gen machines are more reliable than this gen (Wii has been ok though)


    Edit - Wow so many negatives, Pity that its all true...

    Whats worse is that MS were so crap at planning in the first place that they actually have no choice but to literally GIVE out new machines because of their own failings.
    Edited by mr2ange at 18/05/11 @ 14:00

  • kirankara #31 1 year ago

    Lmao , I'm loving the horde of ppl actually wanting their 360 to die, it's brilliant.
    Wonder if there's a big uptake on ppl at church today lol

  • Spikeman4 #32 1 year ago

    Hmm my 20gb Xbox got the RROD about a month ago and have yet to get it fixed. Wonder if I can wangle myself a brand new shiny free one...

  • grouch666 #33 1 year ago

    I am hoping my xbox 360 elite 120gb dies, ain't turned it on in 1 month would actually use it more if I had the S

  • rob_of_the_robots #34 1 year ago

    See Sony, this is how you do it. Make your customers want their product to break. Win win.

  • gott_sei_dank #35 1 year ago

    I have an Opus based replacement which has no HDMI wasn't a problem before but I now have a telly which needs it ports plugging.

  • Carbon_Altered #36 1 year ago

    Mine has been giving me disk unreadable errors for a while now - could it be related, or does it stem from a much more recent update? Also, my games sometimes work after repeated attempts so I suspect it may not be this issue. Dammit.

  • Bumbuliuz #37 1 year ago

    I wonder how they are going to handle the people in country's where Xbox has never oficially launched but been sold for years. In Iceland this is that way, I'm a bit afraid that people here are SOL. Thankfully I have a newer type of the older 360 and a Xbox 360 S.

  • Snake_2011 #38 1 year ago

    they really must think that 1gig is going to help not any closer to a single layer blu-ray.

  • BonzoBanana #39 1 year ago

    Does anyone know which is the least common dvd drive fitted to Xbox 360s? Maybe something like benq or maybe the older hitachi drives? Also which dvd drives are hardest to flash update? If theres one that matches both those points its probably that model dvd drive. I'm sort of thinking benq but if that turns out is very common that scraps that theory.

  • richarddavies #40 1 year ago

    I woner if they'll reveal which type is incompatible. I could see loads of people ebuying old ones off ebay just so they can swap em for new ones.

  • Collymilad #41 1 year ago

    Finally.

    Where are all the little Xbox.com forum defenders now?

    Bloody idiots. "Your console must be modded, yoi big hacker" blah blah blah.

  • BartonFink #42 1 year ago

    Hmmm new 360 S?

    /fingers crossed this affects my old one

  • jjolley #43 1 year ago

    Although I was negged for what I posted, i'm not taking anything back:
    1. Other OS. Sony removed it because twats were messing about hacking the system. they're within right to do this, you're effectively paying for a service - they want people to buy games.
    2. YLOD. Haven't have that issue myself and there are a couple of PS3's here.
    3. PSN down. See point number 1. Hackers want things for free so what were Sony expected to do?
    4. Fanboyism. I went through 6 XBox 360s. All went through RROD. As someone without sight, it became hard to arrange someone to assist with the packing and collections.

    That's basically it really - not taking anything back with what I said. If I offended folk then sorry.

  • mr2ange #44 1 year ago

    @charliechan

    "I wouldn't say that MS offering to give people a brand new 250GB 360 S and 12 months of Live Gold to replace a few rattly old 360s is a negative thing though, but when you're a Sony fanboy you see everything that MS does as negative. "

    It does show just how shit the original console is though.

    Edit - MS do have very deep wallets, but they also have a very deep asshole - they pay for where they are in the gaming world through a cold hard bumming and lots of cash.
    Edited by mr2ange at 18/05/11 @ 15:49

  • Tinrib72 #45 1 year ago

    3 hours to find out! Never thought I'd actually want mine to die...and white is so 2006.

  • BillyBrush #46 1 year ago

    I don't think people really take into account the scale of various issues...this one..well there are no new 360 discs out there apart from people who were taking part in microsofts beta program, so at the moment there is an issue affecting 0 customers. Also i don't beleive the update has happened yet either...or Microsoft support confirmed it's going to affect anyone (i think this stuff just comes from people in the beta program)

    Sure there's some potential problem here for...who we don't know yet, but wheeling out rrod, psn down and other such issues, and trying to rank this, and where it might sit....is silly, because at present no one is affected by it. I think really Wesley's turned one Kotaku post into 2 EG news posts....and people jump to some quite massive conclusions.

    Is there a single EG reader who has this issue at the moment? I'd doubt it because it's not possible to have this issue at the moment. Hence little need for a 'How To' really. Sure this might develop into an issue, possibly a big one, but people should wait until it does before suggesting that the sky is falling.

  • Schmoke-n-a-pancake #47 1 year ago

    Sounds too good to be true

  • rob_of_the_robots #48 1 year ago

    Apparently the guy who first noticed it had a 2009 60GB model.

  • kangarootoo #49 1 year ago

    You bunch of grumpy bloody addicts :)

    If I update my 360, and it turns out to be affected, I'd glady accept a week of downtime for a free much-better-spec replacement. In fact, I'd be delighted.

    Just see it as a savings account, with a really generous rate of interest. A little bit of non-360 time, and in return you get a spanking new unit.

  • Zozzilla #50 1 year ago

    I'm probably going to get negged for this but some of the things mr2ange is saying are true - the fact that Microsoft are doing this smacks of them earning waaaay too much money and the hardware is kinda dump at times - referring back to my first post about having gone through 7 360's (one was the Elite I got when they first came out ._____.) and you'd think they'd spend more money on fixing the overheating problem but it's REALLY generous of them to just fork out the new slims like this to people who's consoles get buggered by their firmware. How many other companies would do that?

  • influenceuk #51 1 year ago

    wonder if sales of 2nd hand consoles will increase now, at least when we find out any batch numbers or creation date.

  • man.the.king #52 1 year ago

    I have a launch 20 GB model - I do hope mine "breaks" because of this.

    /looking forward to a shiny new black 360

  • BonzoBanana #53 1 year ago

    60GB 2009 models were mainly jasper based with philips/liteon type dvd drives. I have one of those. I also have two other falcon based models.

    http://www.360drives.com/list?v_pack=5&v...

  • Ashcroft #54 1 year ago

    I hope my red 360 isn't affected, I'd rather keep that then get a black one.

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