Starting your Xbox wanting to play a few quick matches and encountering the typical message "this game needs updating" is one of the most annoying things that can happen to any gamer. That situation can be practically a thing of the past if you configure your console to automatically download and install updates in the background.

On Xbox Series Add to that the fact that modern titles receive constant updates of several gigabytes, and it's normal for the "update required" message to appear just when you want to play.

The good news is that Xbox includes options for automatic updates of games, apps, and the system itself, but they depend on two things: that they are activated in the settings menu and that you use the appropriate power mode (sleep or "instant power on") instead of a complete shutdown.

Once you adjust both of these settings, the console can download patches and get everything ready while you're sleeping, working, or simply with the TV off.

Enable automatic game and system updates

Configure power mode to download with the console "off"

The second key factor is power consumption: if your Xbox is completely off, it won't download anything until you turn it on. To allow it to continue working in the background—downloading games, updates, and DLC—you need to use sleep/wake mode, which leaves the console in low power but connected and ready to continue downloading.

To adjust this from the console:

In this mode, the Xbox consumes slightly more power than in a complete shutdown, but in return, the console boots up much faster, and most importantly, your games will already be updated when you return, without having to wait for a multi-gigabyte patch to download. If you usually leave it plugged in and don't unplug the power strip, it's the perfect combination with the automatic update options in the previous section.