How to fully power off Xbox Series X, S, One

If you want to completely power off your Xbox Series X, S, or Xbox one, you have two ways to do it, and here's how.

Xbox Series X console (source: Microsoft)
Xbox Series X console (source: Microsoft)

If you have an Xbox Series X, S, or Xbox One, the power mode is set to “Instant-on” for quick startup, allowing you to get to your games nearly instantly, but you can also select the “Energy-saving” option that lowers the power consumption. The only caveat is that neither of these modes fully powers off the console, and the power menu only includes an option to put the console in standby mode or restart.

However, if you have one of the consoles and rarely use it, you may want to completely power it off instead of keeping it on, wasting energy and shorting the device’s lifespan. Or if you are experiencing problems, sometimes fully shutting it down for a while may help to resolve the issue.

This guide will teach you two easy ways to turn off your Xbox Series X, S, or One console.

Fully turn off Xbox console from power button

The easiest way to completely turn off your Xbox Series X, S, or One console is to press and hold the Xbox button on the front of the console for around 10 seconds.

Xbox power button / source: Microsoft
Xbox power button / source: Microsoft

Fully turn off Xbox console with settings

To completely power off your Xbox Series X, Series S, or Xbox One from the Settings app, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Xbox.

  2. Select the General tab.

  3. Click on Power Options.

  4. Under the “Options” section, click the “Shutdown now” option.

    Xbox complete shutdown

  5. Click the “Shut down” button.

  6. (Optional) Click the “Restart now” button if you only want to refresh the session.

Once you complete the steps, the console will power off completely. If you want to turn it on again, press the power button on the console or press and hold the Xbox button in the controller. Since this will be a cold boot, it can take some time to start.

If you’re powering on an Xbox Series X or Series S, you’ll also be able to pick up your games where you left off, thanks to the new quick resume feature.

Alternatively, you can also change what the “Turn off console” option does to perform a complete shutdown from the Power menu instead of going to the settings.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 21 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].