When gaming consoles break, so does your heart — but it’s not the end of the world if they do. While the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S have been out for just 9 months, you may already be having issues. If you’re in a pinch and you need a quick repair, there are plenty of places in Australia you can go. Before you do, there is one question you need to ask.
Is your issue covered by your console’s warranty, or by Australian Consumer Law?
Given we’re less than a year on from the release of both the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X/S, your console repair should still be covered by Sony and Microsoft’s respective warranties. The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) acts as a secondary guarantee which states products sold must be of reasonable quality and lifespan, but existing warranties supersede this law.
For any hardware or software faults with your consoles, you should first contact either Sony or Microsoft to assess whether it can be sent away and repaired for free.
How Xbox Series X/S repairs work at Microsoft
Your Xbox Series X/S is automatically covered by a one year warranty from Microsoft. This covers most damage to the console, but may not extend to self-inflicted damage.
To kick off a repair, you’ll need to have your console registered (i.e. have an Xbox account) and then select which of your consoles need repair via Microsoft’s repair hub.
You will need to have your serial number handy, but once you enter this the website will indicate how long your warranty lasts and whether your console is covered. From there, you’ll need to fill out a fault form and send your console to Microsoft for repairs.
Some Reddit users indicate this process only takes seven days, so you shouldn’t have to wait too long to have your console back. You won’t have to pay for the repair if it’s in warranty, but you may have to pay shipping fees.
How PlayStation 5 repairs work at Sony
All PlayStation 5 consoles are automatically covered by a one year warranty at Sony. Should your console break, head here to fill out a repair form.
You’ll need to know your console’s product model and have proof of purchase, but once you fill out these details you’ll be able to send your console off for repair.
The shipping fee doesn’t appear to be covered and the website doesn’t indicate how long repairs take, but it should be a relatively simple affair.
Where else can you go to get your console repaired?
If you can’t send your console to either Sony or Microsoft, you should contact the retailer who sold you the product. Regardless of individual warranties, local retailers are subject to Australian Consumer Law and must remedy issues as per the rules. Should your console repair fall under the ACL, a repair, replacement or refund must take place.
If it doesn’t fall under the ACL, i.e. you may have caused damage to the console yourself or it’s out of warranty, you’ll need to contact a repairer and pay a fee.
Currently, it appears no major Australian retailer offers PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S repairs — but it can’t hurt to pop in and ask.
EB Games offers a fairly hearty Reboot service for consoles, and while neither new console is listed on the website, this may be offered in-store at a later date. As warranties begin to end later in the year, retailers may step up to fill the repair gap.
Until then, check in with your local tech stores for any updates.
For now, most major faults will be covered by service warranties and the Australian Consumer Law, so you shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for your PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X repair.
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