If an Xbox One X will not read a disc, clean the disc with water only, check it is the right way round, and test a different game disc. The One X stands upright or lies flat, and the disc's artwork must face left when upright or up when flat. Also check the disc's region: a disc from another region can look like a broken drive. If the disc is stuck, use the manual eject hole below the grille on the left side.
Differential
Likely causes of “Xbox One, One S and One X will not read discs”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A dirty or scratched disc
What separates it One disc fails and others read
How to confirm Clean with water and try another disc
- 2
A disc the wrong way round
What separates it The disc is not recognized at all
How to confirm Insert with the artwork facing left when upright, or up when flat
- 3
A wrong-region disc
What separates it A disc from another region fails while local ones read
How to confirm Use discs sold in your console's region
- 4
A game disc versus a movie disc
What separates it It plays Blu-ray movies but not game discs
How to confirm Test another game disc and update the console
- 5
A failing drive
What separates it Clicking, or no disc ever reads
How to confirm Book service
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether every disc fails or only one
- The disc's region
- How the console stands
- Whether Blu-ray movies play
Try in this order
0 of 5 completedCheck the disc's direction
ReversibleInsert it with the artwork facing left when the console stands, or facing up when it lies flat.
Clean the disc
ReversibleWipe with water only and a soft cloth.
Try a different disc and region
ReversibleTest a game disc and a disc sold in your console's region.
Power cycle
ReversibleUnplug for 30 seconds and start again.
Eject a stuck disc
ReversibleWith the console off, push a long pin or large paper clip into the eject hole below the grille on the left side and pull the disc out with a lint-free cloth.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- One X drive
- The One X has a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray drive; the One S has a similar drive, and the launch Xbox One a standard Blu-ray drive.
- Repair cost
- A drive repair on an older console is often not worth the price; a replacement drive or a used console can cost less.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit the Xbox One.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If no disc reads after the checks, book service
- !If the drive clicks or grinds, stop using it
- !If the disc is stuck, use the manual eject hole
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Board transfer and soldering.
Optical drive replacement on the One S.
Insertion, cleaning, region and Blu-ray app steps.
The paper clip eject hole for each Xbox One.
Disc quality and another disc.
Where the eject hole is.
Disc direction and region checks for the Xbox One.
Exact questions
Common questions
Where is the manual eject hole on an Xbox One X?+
In plain view below the grille on the left side of the console; use a pin about two inches long, because a standard paper clip can be too short.
Why does my Xbox One X play Blu-rays but not games?+
Owners report this; test another game disc and update the console, since it can be the disc, the region or a drive fault.
Which way up does a disc go on an Xbox One X?+
Artwork facing left when the console stands upright, or facing up when it lies flat.
Do I need the disc in the drive to play an installed game?+
Yes. A game installed from a disc still checks the disc each time it starts, because the disc is the license; a disc that will not read therefore blocks the game even though its files are on the hard drive.
Can a full hard drive stop a disc from loading?+
It can stall the install that follows a disc read. Free space in Settings, System, Storage, then insert the disc again so the console can copy the game files.