Embracing the New
- by Ben Kerry
Microsoft has announced several recent sustainability initiatives regarding Xbox as we approach 2025. Although many of these concepts may go unnoticed by gamers, Team Green is certainly introducing some impressive initiatives—most notably a brand-new repair program for customers in the United States, launching later this month.
This repair initiative will be known as ‘uBreakiFix’ by Asurion, which allows individuals to get their console repairs completed in-person at a Microsoft-certified location. Xbox stated that “nearly 700 participating store locations across the U.S.” will offer this repair service for gamers starting January 20th.
“On January 20, uBreakiFix by Asurion will become the first Xbox Licensed Service Provider to repair Xbox consoles at its nearly 700 participating retail locations across the U.S. Previously, in-person Xbox console repairs were only available at the Microsoft Store, meaning gamers will now have more options to repair their consoles, apart from Microsoft’s own support channels.
Players should always verify with their nearest uBreakiFix by Asurion store to confirm participation in this repair program.”
In additional news related to repairs, the team also mentioned the iFixit program in their recent sustainability plan, first outlined last month. This is a more online-focused repair initiative from Microsoft, and you can learn more about it through the Pure Xbox link provided below.
Moreover, Microsoft shared that recent efforts to reduce console energy consumption have positively impacted the Xbox Series S while streaming video content. Since these new strategies have been implemented, the team reports that Series S energy usage has decreased approximately 10% when streaming media—definitely a welcomed change.
Finally, Team Xbox wraps up their latest sustainability update by highlighting game studios and how their developers are “collaborating” with Microsoft’s Xbox Sustainability Toolkit. What this actually entails might be a bit confusing, but the Xbox team claims that it “assists them in creating more energy-efficient games” at Microsoft.
What are your thoughts on these new MS-led initiatives for Xbox? Share your opinions with us in the comments below.
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Ben is a Content Creator at Pure Xbox and enjoys action, racing, and straightforward gameplay.