Xbox Red Ring Of Death cause finally explained to us by Microsoft

You haven’t felt fear until you see the Red Ring of Death. Sonic running out of oxygen doesn’t come close, trust me.

Not only did we live day-to-day wondering when the red ring would strike, we also had no clue what caused it. Plenty of suggestions on how to avoid it were made, but Xbox fans never received a firm reason for why they’d fallen victim to this lurking evil.

The Series S/X is free from this omen of doom, much to the delight of the fans who’ve got one at home, but the memories still linger. They’re less painful now, but we’re still looking for answers as to why this issue happened in the first place.

I’d say luckily, but it doesn’t feel very lucky, the problem is finally explained in an upcoming Microsoft documentary Power On: The Story of Xbox. In the limited series, Peter Moore, the former head of Xbox, explains that rapid changes in the console’s temperature was the root cause.

The problem wasn’t that the console got too hot, but rather it got extremely hot and then quickly cooled down; that strain on its internal system resulted in the Red Ring of Death. Feels like a problem we should have been made aware of when it was relevant, say when the Xbox 360 was in its heyday. But no matter, at least we know now.

Speaking of scary, have you watched the story trailer for Banishers: Ghosts of Eden yet?

The fated ring wasn’t just a problem for gamers, though – it cost Microsoft just over one billion dollars in lost sales and endless repairs. We thought we suffered, but its creators dealt with a far harsher and more costly reality.

Not that the dynamic background Xbox offered as an anniversary gift to celebrate the 360 feels like much of a present considering the bad memories that colourful ring created. Although we can look back and laugh now – through the tears – we’re glad that those dark days are behind us.