General Tips to Keep Your Console Running Well

Last Updated: December 13, 2024

Question: How can I make sure my console is in optimal shape? Are there any best practices I can follow to make sure I'm getting the most out of my games, and reducing the chance of experiencing problems?

Answer: Here are some tips to help keep your console in tip-top shape:

Ventilation:

Make sure your console is free of dust or debris, and is stored in a cool dry area with plenty of room to breathe. Do not store other items on top of or beside your console in such a way that ventilation would be obstructed. Also avoid storing your console on top of any kind of material that might trap heat while it is running, such as blankets, or inside small enclosed spaces.

Hard Drive and Memory Maintenance:

On Xbox 360, clear cache: Press the Guide button. Go to Settings->System Settings. Select Storage or Memory. Press Y with your storage device highlighted. Select Clear System Cache. Confirm. Repeat for each memory device.
On PS3, remove old game data: From the XMB (system software), go to the Game column and choose Game Data Utility. Press the Triangle button on each piece of unneeded game data and then select Delete. Confirm.
On PS3, restore file system and rebuild database: Turn off PS3. Hold the power button until it turns off again. Turn it on by holding the power button and wait for two quick beeps. Release the button and you will be in the recovery menu. From here, you can restore the file system or rebuild the database. These are the two options in that menu that may improve performance without wiping all your game progress. Restoring file system checks for corrupt/missing system files and rebuilding the database cleans up your storage space. WARNING! If you rebuild the database, you will lose messages, playlists, music, videos and certain system settings. You will not lose your game progress or trophies.

Invest in a Surge Protector / UPS:

To protect against any issues caused by power fluctuations, including loss of data during power loss, we recommend plugging your console/TV into an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) surge protector. This is a unit that will help protect against electrical issues, and also may be be able to give you enough time to save your game in the case of a power outage.

General Tips to Keep Your Console Running Well

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