Last verified 2026-09-27 by ReviewGamers Editorial
Both major consoles ship with a one-year warranty, which makes the coverage look identical at a glance. What each warranty actually excludes is where the real difference sits.
Both are one year from purchase, covering defects only
PlayStation’s own Australian warranties page states PS5 and PS4 consoles carry a one-year warranty from the date of purchase, covering manufacturing defects. Microsoft’s own warranty terms describe the same one-year window for Xbox consoles, covering malfunction due to a defect in materials or workmanship under normal use conditions. Neither of these standard warranties is built to cover accidental damage such as drops or spills.
Microsoft sells an official extended plan, Sony does not
Microsoft offers Microsoft Complete as an optional paid protection plan, extending coverage up to three years and specifically adding protection for accidental damage from handling, including drops, spills and cracked screens. Sony does not offer an equivalent first-party extended plan for PlayStation consoles, which means retailer-sold protection plans are the main alternative for PS5 owners wanting coverage beyond the standard year.
Australian Consumer Law sits on top of both
Regardless of either company’s own warranty terms, Australian Consumer Law provides consumer guarantees that cannot be excluded or reduced by a manufacturer’s warranty wording. This is a separate legal protection, not something either company markets, but it applies in Australia on top of whatever the printed warranty says.
What this means when deciding on an extended plan
Since standard warranty on both consoles excludes accidental damage, the actual decision is not warranty length, it is whether accidental damage protection specifically is worth paying for. Xbox owners have a direct first-party option in Microsoft Complete; PlayStation owners considering the same kind of protection are choosing between a retailer’s own plan and no equivalent coverage.
The takeaway
Both PS5 and Xbox ship with a one-year, defects-only warranty that excludes accidental damage. If accidental damage cover matters to you, Microsoft Complete is a direct first-party option for Xbox; for PlayStation, that gap is only filled by a retailer’s own plan, since Sony does not sell an equivalent.
