We had no idea this was a feature!
- by Ben Kerry
It isn’t often that we discover something new about our Xbox consoles here at PX HQ, but after browsing the platform’s Reddit community this morning, we have indeed done just that. Essentially, a member has shared a trick for effortlessly putting your console into ‘idle’ mode, and yes – we were completely unaware that this was possible!
So, if you press your Xbox button as if you are planning to turn the device off, simply hit ‘X’ instead of one of the other options, and you’ll immediately activate idle mode.
In terms of what idle mode is, it’s essentially what takes place when you leave your console alone for a bit, and you start to see those data ‘blades’ appear over your dashboard – like the one depicted in the image at the top of this article. This typically occurs when your controller disconnects and the console assumes you are away for a spell – but this handy tip allows you to activate it whenever you wish.
Now, although everyone recognizes this is a minor feature, it’s still quite intriguing to uncover something new about the console years after its release. While it may not be incredibly useful, it can be convenient if you’re stepping away from a game to let something download for a while or similar situations. This guy finds it to be genius, nonetheless!
We also appreciate when the console shares random pieces of information while we’re busy around the house doing various tasks, so yes, we might use this from time to time. Let us know down below if you’ll be doing the same!
Is this the first time you’ve come across this? Join the conversation about this idle mode shortcut in the comments.
Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox, and is an enthusiast of action, racing, and straight-up shooting games on any Xbox game he can lay his hands on. When he’s not gripping an Xbox controller as if his life depends on it, Ben enjoys listening to music that’s far too old for him, watching soccer on TV, and probably dining somewhere.