Since Microsoft’s mandatory “New Xbox Experience” update to its Xbox 360 console, some users have complained of console-killing “E74″ messages. To some, these appear to have replaced the infamous Red Ring of Death (RRoD) three lights that previously indicated a broken console.
Now Microsoft has confused already angry gamers by claiming it is “not accurate” to say Xbox 360s have been “reworked” to show E74 errors instead of the RRoD, but at the same admitting “E74 can indicate the general hardware failure associated with three flashing red lights”.
In an interview with Kotaku, a Microsoft rep failed to clarify the difference between the E74 error and Red Ring of Death hardware failures. But did promise that Microsoft had “made improvements to the console that will reduce the likelihood of an occurrence” of any hardware failures in the future.
As fan forums testify, some Xbox 360 owners updating to the New Xbox Experience, including the new avatars, have experienced E74 hardware failures. And Microsoft has recently updated its warranty for E74 hardware failures to three years from date of purchase of consoles.
Where before a minority of Xbox 360 owners experienced RRoD, now a minority appear to be experiencing E74 problems. As Kotaku puts it: “It sounds like there is an overlap between hardware issues that cause the E74 message and hardware issues that cause the red ring of death.”
While every sign is that this is a smaller minority of users experiencing problems than those who experienced RRoD issues with early Xbox 360s, it’s still also clear that the Microsoft Xbox 360′s achilles heel remains its reliability. Have you had a Red Ring of Death? How about an E74 error? Let us know your experiences.
Out now | from £130 | Microsoft Xbox 360 (available at Game.co.uk)
