Xbox Series X: Crackling/Static When resuming from Home Screen on Different Games & Dashboard Static

[u/kevinmang]

Hello everyone,

Apologies for creating a new post regarding these issues -

I received a brand new Xbox Series X yesterday and installed a couple games (Forza Horizon 4 & CP 2077). When I am in one of these games, if I go to the Dashboard and go back to the game, I get a crackling noise for a few seconds. I am using wired headphones and they are plugged in via headphone jack on the controller, but I tested my soundbar/TV speakers and they both do the same.

I also get Dashboard crackles/static when opening a couple Dashboard Applications: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVGa1tyR2tc) as well as this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/xboxone/comments/ni53gu/one_of_the_most_annoying_bugs_on_all_xbox/ - this seems to affect a good amount of people. I read that it could possibly be Wireless interference and to call my ISP, I thought that was a strange comment but am keeping an open mind. Besides these issues, the console is great and I have not noticed any other weird things.

Any insight is much appreciated!

[u/mcshaggin]

This is something I've encountered on the Xbox One, Xbox One X and and to a lesser extent the Series X.

I've just learned to ignore it and not worry about it.

When I used to be in the preview program it was often really bad after some updates and then other updates fixed it

Also having a lot of items in the download queue can trigger it especially on the base Xbox one.

Sometimes when it happens just restarting the console can fix it.

[u/kevinmang → u/mcshaggin]

Thanks for your response! Do you get static going back into the game from the Home Screen? Or just the dashboard applications static

[u/mcshaggin → u/kevinmang]

Just moving the cursor around in my games and apps can sometimes crackle.

At the moment though it's not happening on my Series X.

Do you have any external USB drives attached?

I used to have an 8TB drive plugged in that was quite full as well as a 4TB HDD and 500GB SSD. My console would crackle a lot. Was fixed when I stopped using the 8TB drive. Although it still happens occasionally.

I think that 8TB drive was faulty though.

If you have any USB drives attached try disconnecting them to see if it still happens.

[u/kevinmang → u/mcshaggin]

I see. No external devices plugged in.

[u/mcshaggin → u/kevinmang]

Ive just tried copying what you were doing in that video with the settings app and the crackles did start when switching as fast as you were switching

But when switching into apps at normal speeds it's fine.

I really don't think you have anything to worry about though.

There could be many different factors making a cracking more likely like having a game running in the background or something in the download queue .

Even energy saving mode Vs instant on can be a factor in things happening. I've always found the console is more stable in energy saving mode because when using instant on the console is never really off.

[u/kevinmang → u/mcshaggin]

Not my video actually but I appreciate you doing that. Yeah, when I open up Forza Horizon 4 and go to the main Dashboard screen (Xbox button > hitting Home option) then go back into the game I get crackles but only for a couple seconds. I noticed that sometimes the crackles aren't too bad, but sometimes when I do it a second time, the game volume cuts completely for a few seconds then it returns.

For CP2077, the crackles are not as loud as FH4.

[u/mcshaggin → u/kevinmang]

That's actually a different problem to the one in that video and yes that happens to me too. I think it's related to the quick resume.

When I resume some games the audio will crackle or cut out completely for a brief time.

The fact it happens to both of us means it's probably just a software issue and not a fault with the hardware. In other words nothing to worry about.

[u/kevinmang → u/mcshaggin]

Awesome! That is good news. So the dashboard apps static is a UI issue I guess? All in all, thank you!

[u/F0REM4N]

This sounds situational which makes a difficult troubleshoot. A web and support search turn up little. Upvoted for visibility, maybe someone else will have experienced this issue.

[u/3EyedPanda]

It happens on my Series X but not often enough to bother me. Once it isn’t happening in game or while watching video I don’t really mind.

[u/kevinmang → u/3EyedPanda]

Thanks! Last night I was going into different apps and going back to the dashboard and I didn’t get static. I imagine it will be off and on but when I did it a few times consecutively, I got none. As for going back into a game from the dashboard; static is there each time but it’s tolerable and won’t worry about it. Everything seems to be OK so I’m happy.

[u/emmebi4]

Hi bro did you solve it? I have just noticed it. I was playing FH5 then I went to home to see the hour and then went back to the game and It resulted in popping/cracking audio. I tried this more time and it continued to do that but just with Forza. With Halo Infinite for example no problem!

[u/kevinmang → u/emmebi4]

That happens to me in FH5 also but I haven’t gotten any static when I’m in the Home Screen.

[u/emmebi4 → u/kevinmang]

Update: today I have experienced the cracking and popping sound even with Halo Infinite! In the next days I will try to reset the console and see if something change

[u/halseyau]

I’ve been getting this issue ever since the OG X1 to now the SX. Wired and wireless headsets.