The Xbox One console is a fairly large device when compared to other game consoles past and present. Therefore, it might be a temptation to put things like, for example, a pizza box on top of the Xbox One during an all night gaming marathon.

It's never a good idea to put something on top of any TV set top device because of the threat of overheating, but in the case of the Xbox One, Microsoft claims it has anticipated some of these kind of scenarios when it designed the console. In a new Gizmodo article, Microsoft's General Manager of Console Development Leo Del Castillo states:

The way we designed the box, we don’t actually intend it to ever have to go to maximum speed under normal environmental conditions. But there is overhead. So we’ll allow the fan to go all the way up to its maximum speed and if that solves the condition without the user having to do anything.

In addition, the Xbox One can also cut down its power usage when it detects a large amount of heat inside, which can prevent overheating errors and can even help to stop the console's plastic case from melting. Del Castillo says the power usage can be so low that the console "uses virtually no air flow." Hopefully this will help the Xbox One to run longer even under abusive owners.

Source: Gizmodo | Image via Microsoft