A Step-by-Step Guide to Clearing the Cache on Xbox Series X/S

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Free up your Xbox’s cache to boost performance & fix issues

Co-authored by Glenn Carreau Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: October 29, 2025 Fact Checked

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Unplugging the Console

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Using Settings

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Resetting the Console

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Reasons to Clear the Cache

Is your Xbox Series X or S console suffering from some annoying performance issues? Clearing its cache might just be the way to fix them—and we’ll show you how. If your Xbox Series X/S is left running for a long time without rest, or has a lot of temporary files clogging the cache, it might encounter some issues (lagging, games freezing, and so on). Luckily, there are a few solutions, from simply turning your Xbox off to emptying its persistent storage. Read on for a complete guide to clearing your Xbox Series X/S’s cache!

Ways to Clear the Cache on Your Xbox Series X/S

Turning It Off: Turn off your console and unplug it. Leave it unplugged for 2 minutes and press the power button during that time; then, plug it back in and turn it on.
Via Settings: Open the Xbox menu and navigate to Profile & System → Settings → Devices & Connections → Persistent storage. Select Clear Persistent Storage.
Via Reset: Open the Xbox menu. Navigate to Profile & System → Settings → System → Console info → Reset console and choose to keep your games and apps.

Section 1 of 4:

Clearing the Cache by Unplugging the Console

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Turn off your Xbox Series X or S by pressing the power button. An Xbox Series X/S is like a PC in that it can start slowing down if it’s been running extensively without a break. The easiest way to force-clear the cache and improve performance is simply by turning it off! So, press and hold the power button on the console itself until it powers down.
- You’ll need to hold the power button for about 10 seconds to force a shutdown.
Remove the power cable from the back of your console (where it’s plugged in) so the console is totally removed from its source of electricity.

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If you plug it back in and boot it up sooner, it may not power down fully. So, be sure to wait out the full two minutes (or more).
Don’t plug your Xbox back in just yet; while it’s still unplugged, press the console’s power button and hold for several seconds.
Reconnect the Xbox’s power cord by plugging it back into the back of the console, enabling you to turn it on once more.
The process should now be complete, so all that’s left to do is turn your Xbox back on and restart your game. With any luck, the console’s performance should improve now that the cache is cleared!^{[1]
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Section 2 of 4:

Clearing the Cache via Settings

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You can also clear your Xbox Series X/S’s cache via settings, but no option in the menu actually says “clear cache,” so it can be a little tricky to find. To start, open up the Xbox menu via the central, glowing power button on the controller.
With your controller, scroll to the right at the top of the menu; you’ll find the Profile & System option on the far right. On the menu, it’ll appear as your profile icon.
Once you’ve navigated to Profile & System, you should see the Settings option below with a white gear icon next to it (just below the “Sign out” option). Use the A button on your controller to select Settings.
By default, you’ll be taken to the general Settings menu. Scroll down the list on the left side of your screen to Devices & Connections, and select it with the A button (this button is always used to select). In this category, you’ll see several more options; scroll over to Blu-ray and select that, too.
On the left side of the screen, Persistent storage should be the third option down. Select it to continue.
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Clear your cache with the “Clear Persistent Storage” option. When you select Persistent storage, a new window will pop up with a message about Blu-ray discs and the option to either CLEAR PERSISTENT STORAGE or cancel. Opt to clear your console’s storage, and your cache should be emptied!^{[2]
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- You might not realize it, but Blu-ray discs placed in your Xbox Series X/S console can actually download content that gets held in persistent storage.
- Thus, you can improve performance by emptying out the persistent storage every so often.

Section 3 of 4:

Clearing the Cache by Resetting the Console

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Press and hold the Xbox button on your controller to open the menu. This method also involves delving into your console’s settings. Start by pressing and holding the central, glowing power button on your controller!
You should see your Xbox account’s profile icon at the top of the menu, to the far right. Scroll to that icon and select it (by pressing A) to get to the Profile & System menu. Then, scroll down to the Settings option, which has a white gear next to it, and select it as well.
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Select “System” → “Console info.” In your Settings menu, you’ll start on the General tab by default (located on the left side of the screen). Scroll down to the System option and select it; then, on the System menu, scroll over to the Console info option and select it.
- You should see Console info at the top of the System menu, next to Storage and above Updates.
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Select “Reset Console” and opt to keep your games and apps. In the Console info menu, navigate to the Reset console option and select it. A new window will pop up, asking you to choose whether you want to keep all your installed games and apps or erase them. Unless you want a total reset, choose the RESET AND KEEP MY GAMES & APPS option.^{[3]
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- With that, your Xbox Series X/S will perform a reset—and clear its cache in the process. You should be all set to start playing games again!

Section 4 of 4:

What does clearing the cache on your Xbox do?

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Clearing your Xbox Series X/S cache removes its temporary files. In other words, it’ll get rid of all the unnecessary files that might be slowing down your Xbox—without deleting any games, save files, or data that’d be really important to you. The main reasons you might want to clear your Xbox Series X/S cache include:
- To fix performance issues. If your console is running slower than it usually does, the cause might be a clogged cache being weighed down by temporary or corrupted files. Clearing your cache can improve performance.
- To troubleshoot problems with a game. If your game keeps freezing, crashing, loading slowly, or encountering connectivity errors, clearing your cache could be an easy fix. Plus, even if it doesn’t work, you’ll know your cache isn’t the issue.
  - If necessary, you can also reset your Xbox Series X/S to its factory settings.
  - It’s more drastic than clearing your cache, but a possible fix if clearing the cache doesn’t work.
- To remove temporary files downloaded by Blu-rays. As we’ve mentioned before, watching Blu-rays on your console can actually fill up its cache with temporary files. So, if you’ve used a bunch of Blu-rays recently, it’s a good idea to clear the Xbox’s cache.