A black screen when you turn on your Xbox doesn’t always mean something is wrong. During start-up, the console runs a full system check of its firmware and operating system, which can take several minutes. If the screen stays black, or gets stuck on the Xbox logo, these are the official fixes to work through on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, in order.
1. Wait at least 10 minutes
If you see a black screen instead of the start-up animation, leave the console for at least 10 minutes. The system checks run in the background.
- If the screen stays black for 10 minutes or more, skip to the offline system update below.
- If it eventually moves to another screen, such as Home, a picture of a controller or the “Choose your Time Zone” screen, reset the console (see step 6).
2. Check your TV and HDMI connections
- Make sure your TV and console are both on, and the TV is on the right HDMI input.
- Check the HDMI cable is secure at both ends and plugged into the console’s “out to TV” port.
- Try a different HDMI port on your TV, a different HDMI cable or a different TV.
- If you use an AV receiver, turn on the TV first, then the receiver once the TV shows a picture, then the console.
3. Unplug storage and accessories
Storage Expansion Cards, USB hard drives and charging stations can cause a blank screen if the console is trying to update. Disconnect everything except the HDMI cable, mains lead and Ethernet cable. You can plug them back in once the update finishes.
4. Power cycle the console
- Press and hold the Xbox button on the front of the console for about 10 seconds until it shuts down.
- Unplug the mains lead and wait 30 seconds.
- Plug it back in and press the Xbox button to turn it on.
If the console is stuck on the start-up animation for 10 minutes or longer after this, go to step 7.
5. Reset your display settings
- Eject any disc, then hold the power button on the front of the console for 10 seconds to turn it off.
- Press and hold the power button and the Eject button. On Xbox Series S or Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, hold the Xbox button and the Pair button instead.
- Keep holding until you hear a second beep about 10 seconds after the first, or the start-up screen appears slightly pixelated.
The console starts in low-resolution mode (640 × 480). Then go to Profile & system > Settings > General > TV & display options and choose the resolution you want under Display.
Keep your console updated. The October 2026 Xbox update fixed various issues where consoles could boot to a black screen instead of Home. Once your console is working, check it’s up to date with our guide on how to update your Xbox.
6. Reset the console and keep your games
If the black screen eventually gives way to another screen, restore the console to factory defaults. Xbox recommends keeping your games and apps installed unless you’re giving the console away or selling it. A reset erases accounts, settings and any saves that haven’t synced to the cloud. Follow How to reset your Xbox console to factory defaults, or see our guide on factory resetting your Xbox and keeping your games.
7. Perform an offline system update
If the screen stays black for 10 minutes or more, or the start-up animation won’t go away, update the console from a USB drive. You’ll need a USB drive of at least 6 GB, formatted as NTFS, and a Windows PC to download the update file. Full steps are in Perform an offline system update.
8. Request a repair
If none of this works, your console may need servicing. You can register it and arrange a repair through Microsoft Device Services.
FAQ
I see “Something went wrong” with an E code
That’s a start-up error rather than a black screen. See Troubleshoot “Something went wrong” start-up errors on Xbox.
The screen went black right after a system update
That can point to a system update error. Troubleshoot system updates on Xbox covers each case.
