Microsoft will investigate the possibility of allowing consumers - including Xbox owners - to repair their own hardware.
Grist reports the American tech giant has reached an agreement with the non-profit investor group 'As You Sow' - who asked the Xbox manufacturer to study the "environmental and social benefits" of repairing devices.
While it's legal to fix products you own, Microsoft does not make spare parts or repair documents publically accessible.
A study sharing a summary of Microsoft's findings will be posted by May 2022, and if the investigation can prove there are benefits of do-it-yourself repairs, Microsoft will make its new parts and documentation available beyond its "authorised repair network".
While it seems like a step in the right direction, it's also been highlighted how Microsoft is still a member of lobbying groups that oppose "right-to-repair" bills. One example is apparently the Entertainment Software Association.
Would you be interested in being able to repair your own console with official repair parts and documentation? Leave a comment down below.
[source grist.org, via videogameschronicle.com]
Comments 11
I don't normally have a need to, but yes, there should be a right to repair.
Would have loved this for my phat ps3.
Louis Rossman is a legend!
It's not even neccesarily for users to repair things themselves, it's more so that independent repair shops (that don't have an interest in getting you to upgrade to a new model) have access to the specs and parts
Using authorised repairs outside of a warranty is a conflict of interest. There seems to be countless instances of people being told they need $1000 repairs but they can just upgrade to a new model for $1100. Taking that same problem to an independent repair shop can reveal that it's actually only a $50 repair either because the authorised repair shop is making the problem sound worse so they can sell an upgrade or just because the script theyve been trained with doesn't account for more specific repairs that an experienced technician will be familiar with.
I'm more familiar with the issues with Apple and it's genius bars, I didn't know MS had the same issue!
This is a great idea, i had an issue with my old Xbox one and they told me i had to travel very far and pay lots to fix it.
Lets hope this leads to more fairness on the part of Xbox consumers. It still boggles my mind why everybody is forced to sign a huge complex agreement just to play a game.
Would you buy a car if the manufacturer of that car said you couldn`t repair it yourself?
As stated above, it`s not illegal to repair your own console, it`s that Microsoft don`t make the parts available to everyday people.
What about the elite controllers that break just by looking at them?
Nothing like paying $200 for controller that breaks in couple months.
For the f*cking sake, Please, allows us to:
The Xbox ecosystems is secure enough anyway to immediately stop any attempts of PiRaCy.
If they want to get a jump on things. This would be HUGE. I have a friend who is so anti Microsoft because they tried to buy and shut down Linux years ago, he actually said this would be the step for him to welcome them back…and I can imagine a few others in the tech world would do the same
I won’t repair my own stuff. But I’d love to have access to a local guy (or even pay a friend) to be able to do a proper repair.
It would be really nice to be able to replace the optical drive on my Xbox One X that just recently crapped out. Now I have two Xboxes that don't play discs!
Lobbying groups opposed to DIY are pretty lame. I understand the need for some protection, but c'mon, if we mess it up that badly we will probably pay more for repairs anyway.
Psst, Xbox behind the times again. PlayStation REQUIRES you to open it up with a screwdriver, yourself just to use it's features!
Joking... Just joking.... Kinda...
Seriously though, this could be the first step in a direction that's been effed to heck since the mid 90s. Used to be tv and appliance repair shops on every corner and two on most. Then the late 90s and cheap Chinese everything took over and dispose and replace killed every last one of them.
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