If you value all your big purchases like I do, then you know that maintaining your product is a must. If I throw money at something then I want to make sure I treat it the utmost care, because nothing annoys me more than one of my consoles breaking down after spending so much money on them. Now nothing can prevent those red rings on your Xbox 360, or the disc read errors on your Playstation 3 from showing up when they want to, but here Is The Koalition’s guide to maintaining your consoles so as to ensure nothing will go wrong on your end.
Keep Your Consoles Dust Free
Dust is bad for all electronic goods period, so if you live in a very dusty environment then it is key to eliminate the dust as much as you can. Before I ever owned my own consoles I never used to even touch a vacuum cleaner, but now because my room get so dusty I try to vacuum at least twice a week. Also whenever you see dust build up on your console (those damn Playstation 3’s pick it up so frequently) grab a fiddle stick or cloth and wipe it down. Another thing that I do to prevent the dust getting onto and into my consoles, is cover them up when not in use. I use a Samurai Champloo cover cloth that came free with the box set, but you can use any kinda cloth material you may have just to spread over your console when not in use.
Don’t Leave Disks In Your Console
There are is no real issue or threat with doing this, besides from showing your sheer laziness. However in the case of your Playstation 3, if you get the overheating fault where the console shuts down after three seconds, your disk will then be unobtainable and then Sony will have to go through the hassle of sending the disk back to you once you’ve sent it in. I also threat that perhaps over time the touch sensitive buttons will cease to function, leaving no way of recovering your disk inside. Also if your going to move your Xbox 360 (Or Playstation 3 for that matter) it can damage any disk you may have inside.
I know there is no real harm in leaving a disk inside your console here and there, but I for one am very determined when it comes to keeping my games sorted correctly and all in the right cases. In my head I just absolutely have to have any game that I am not currently playing inside it’s case; and when I switch on my console ready to put in my desired game, It drives me crazy to discover my brothers Pro Evolution Soccer game remaining inside the console.
Power Down Your Consoles When Finished and Plug Them Out From The Sockets
Trust me when I say you can save the environment by doing this, even if your console is in standby or still plugged in it is using up energy resources. Also; to all Playstation 3 owners out there, never turn your Playstation 3 off from the back while your console is turned on and operating, remember to power down to standby mode before turning off from the back. Remember also that you must switch the Playstation 3 off from the back before plugging it out.
Try To Keep Your Consoles Cool Especially If You Play For Hours
We all know the deal with computers and consoles overheating from excessive use, so it is essential to try and prevent your consoles from getting to hot. Try to keep the area around your consoles cool; purchasing third party fan attachments may help somewhat, but there are ones that melt into the Xbox 360 which isn’t cool. Another tip would be to give your self two hour at a time windows; I personally do my gaming in small doses, an hour an a half here, have a break then do another 2 hours. Overheating leads to problems like the red rings of death occurring, so giving your consoles some time to cool off will help lengthen it’s life span.
Install All Your Frequently Played Games To The Hard drive
This is mainly aimed at all 360 owners, as not all Playstation 3 games have an install feature. If you know you are going to be playing a specific game a whole lot, then it is in your best interest to install the game to the hard drive. When a game is played from the hard drive it makes your 360 do less work; your 360 no longer sounds like a jumbo jet, and it feels a lot cooler to touch. Playstation 3 owners should also take the same advice if the specific game has an install feature; however certain games are meant to be read from the disk because they have been developed that way, for example Halo 3 is played best on the disk and not the from the hard drive. Installing to the hard drive can also improve frame rate dropping issues and texture pop ups, so take it into consideration.
Hopefully these tips will help you all improve the lifespan of your game consoles. My Playstation 3 has already failed on me once, and I am aware that one day I will likely turn on my Xbox 360 and be introduced to the infamous “Red Rings Of Doom” and I will be highly pissed. Regardless though, treating your consoles good, will help you feel better about it’s life span and make you appreciate these next gen gems even more, regardless of the fact that they are not perfect. Also watch out for the next episode of GameTime UK because I will be giving you some tips on helping your Xbox 360’s performance on the dashboard.
