Should the Xbox Series X be Plugged into a Surge Protector?


Are you worried that your Xbox Series X could be zapped by a power surge?

You should be because all electronics are vulnerable to power surges.

A strong enough power surge can burn out the circuit board or melt the plastic on your Xbox Series X, causing permanent damage to your console.

That’s why you should take measures to protect your Xbox Series X from power surges.

So, to answer your question…

Should the Xbox Series X be plugged into a surge protector? Yes, I recommend that you use a surge protector with your Xbox Series X. While you can directly plug the Xbox Series X into a wall socket, because it has an inbuilt surge protector, plugging the console into a separate dedicated surge protector will give you extra protection should you experience a power surge.

I know that there have been claims that Microsoft advises against using a surge protector with your Xbox Series X.

Read on, and I’ll tell you why you shouldn’t believe any of these claims.

What is a surge protector?

A surge protector is a power adapter with surge protection.

It helps you protect your electronic devices from random power surges, which can cause irreparable damage to your Xbox Series X, TV, computer, etc.

To help you better understand how a surge protector can safeguard your Xbox Series X, let’s look at the definition of a power surge.

What is a power surge? 

You have probably experienced this situation. It is raining heavily, lightning strikes, and your power goes off for a moment before coming back on. 

When you try to put on your TV, it doesn’t work. 

When this happens, you’ll have experienced a power surge.

A power surge is a sudden overload of voltage passing through electrical devices. 

It can be caused by, among other things, lightning, bad wiring, a power grid switch, solar storms, and the use of high-powered devices, for example, an air conditioner.

When a power surge occurs, the voltage exceeds the standard voltage that is safe to use with most electrical devices.

This increase in voltage can cause damage to electrical components such as the circuit board in your TV, Xbox Series X, computer, etc.

Even when a power surge doesn’t damage your electronics, it will still strain the electrical components of your devices, which could cause them to stop working abruptly or sooner than expected.

How will a surge protector safeguard your Xbox Series X for a power surge?

A surge protector has something called a metal oxide varistor (MOV).

When a power surge occurs, the MOV detects the voltage spikes and automatically prevents the extra voltage from getting to your electrical devices.

It does this by diverting the excess current through your home’s grounding path.

By doing this the surge protector ensures your Xbox Series X, or other electrical devices connected to it, continue to receive the standard voltage, therefore, averting any damage that might have been caused by the power surge.

Does Microsoft recommend that you don’t use a surge protector with the Xbox Series X?

On various online gaming platforms, I have seen comments by some gamers stating that Microsoft tells Xbox Series X owners not to use a surge protector with their console because it already has one.

The gamers further claim that using a surge protector with the Xbox Series X will cause the console not to turn on, and if it does, it won’t have enough power for optimal performance.

I know that Microsoft had advised against using the Xbox One with a surge protector in the past, but they later somehow backtracked on this.

I was interested in finding out if they had given any such directive for the Xbox Series X.

So, I did some research and also tested my Xbox Series X to see if using it with a surge protector would affect its performance.

After reading through the Xbox Series X manual and doing research on Google, I couldn’t find anywhere Microsoft says you should not use a surge protector with your Xbox Series X.

The only time the manual mentions power supply and power cord safety, it says, “Confirm that your electrical outlet provides the type of power indicated for your device in terms of voltage and frequency. If you’re unsure about the type of power supplied to your home consult a qualified electrician.”

If using a surge protector with the Xbox Series X could damage it, I’m sure Microsoft would have made it very clear that this would happen by giving a warning in the manual.

Also, my Xbox Series X has been plugged into a surge protector since I got it, and it has never refused to power on or had any power issue.

Many gamers are also using their Xbox Series X with a surge protector, and it works just fine.

So, I see nothing negative about using a surge protector with your console.

Buying a surge protector is the logical thing to do after spending a substantial amount of money to purchase your Xbox Series X.

How to choose a surge protector for your Xbox Series X

There is a wide range of affordable surge protectors on the market, however, you should be careful which one you buy to use with your Xbox Series X.

A low-quality power surge will offer little to no protection when a voltage increase occurs.

I use the Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV 12 Outlet Surge Protector to protect my Xbox Series X and other electrical devices from power surges.

And there’s a load of good reasons why I use this electrical surge smasher instead of other cheaper brands. But there are three main reasons why this is the surge protector to secure your Xbox Series X, S, and other electronics. The three things are:

  • The Tripp Lite surge protector has a 2800 joules rating. Joules is the amount of protection a surge protector provides. The higher the joules, the better the protection. Experts recommend that you use a surge protector with 2000+ joules with your home theater and gaming console. At 2800 joules, the Tripp Lite surge protector is perfect to use with your Xbox Series X.
  • Over time your surge protector will not be able to offer the kind of power surge protection it did when you bought it. A good surge protector should warn you when its safety level drops below what is acceptable. The Tripp Lite surge protector has an auto-shutoff feature that cuts out the power when it is time to replace it. This ensures you’ll not continue using it with your Xbox Series X, only to realize it was faulty after your console has been damaged by a power surge.
  • A good surge protector should also offer a warranty on the electrical devices connected to it. The Tripp Lite surge protector has a $150,000 connected equipment warranty, that you can claim if your electrical devices are damaged due to an electrical spike, yet they were properly connected to it.

Just to Finnish things off, here’s a great video I found on Youtube that explains how surge protectors actually work. It’s a great watch, especially if you are a tech geek like I am. Enjoy. My thanks goes out to Techquickie for making this great vid:

Nick Sinclair

Nick Sinclair, a gaming aficionado since the Commodore 64 era, studied Creative Computer Games Design in university before founding his own gaming company. Discovering a passion for content creation, Nick now helps gamers squeeze every drop of fun out of their favorite gaming hardware

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