Fix: “Error Code 0x87E5002B” While Launching a Digital Game on Xbox

Error Code 0X87E5002B occurs when Xbox users attempt to launch a digital game on their Xbox One or Xbox Series X / S. This error code indicates that your console needs a system refresh to update the console.

The following problem commonly occurs when there’s a firmware update that’s not yet installed or when you’re dealing with corrupted temporary files.

1. Install pending update (game & firmware)

Start troubleshooting this issue by installing every pending update and performing a power cycle procedure if the issue persists before deploying a series of network & system-related fixes. 

If you’re starting to troubleshoot the issue, you’ll have to ensure that your console firmware and the game installation are running on the latest available updates. 

In the past, this issue has been associated with a licensing issue brought about by a firmware glitch. In most cases, you should be able to fix it by forcing your console to update to the latest firmware version. As a safe measure, you should also take the time to ensure that the game is also updated to the latest version.

If you aren’t sure if your console is updated, follow the instructions below:

Note: The instructions below will work on both Xbox Series S and X. 

1. First, start by ensuring that your console is connected to the Internet. An Ethernet cable is preferable.
2. Press the Xbox button on your controller to bring up the guide menu.
3. Inside the guide menu, Navigate to Profile & System > Settings.  

   

4. Once inside the main Settings menu of your Xbox console, navigate to the System > Updates
5. Inside the Updates menu, see if a new console update is available. 
6. If a new update is available, select it and wait until the download and installation are complete.

   

7. Reboot your console, launch the same game that triggered the 0X87E5002B error, and see if the problem is now fixed.

If the problem is still not fixed, move to the following method below.

2. Power Cycle your console

If you’re having this problem when you try to launch every game in your digital game library, it’s likely because of a bug caused by temporary data. This problem is known to happen on the Xbox One and the Xbox Series X.

Note: Microsoft has partially patched this issue on both the current-gen and the last-gen console, but the issue seems to persist with certain library items. 

To fix this, you’ll need to start a power-cycling process to force the power capacitors to drain themselves.

The instructions on doing this will work on both Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X consoles. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Ensure your console is turned on, but no active game is running.
2. Once you’ve ensured your console is idle, press and hold the Xbox button (power button) on your console. 

   

3. After about 10 seconds, you should see the front LEDs turning off as your console turns down. Release the power button at this point. 
4. After turning off the Xbox One or Xbox Series S/X console to perform the power cycle, disconnect the power cable and wait about a minute to give the power capacitors time to drain.

   

5. Connect the power cable back to the console, turn it on normally, and check to see if the problem is fixed.

If the problem hasn’t been fixed, move on to the following method.

3. Clear MAC Address

If you are getting this error with every digital game you attempt to launch from your library, you should also suspect a potential issue caused by the currently saved MAC address.

To address this issue and fix the 0X87E5002B error (if this scenario is applicable), you must clear your console’s current MAC address. You can do this in your Xbox console’s Network settings. The steps of doing this are almost identical on both Xbox One & Xbox Series X/S. 

Note: Once you’ve done that and restarted your console, it should use the default MAC address the next time it starts up. This could get rid of the sign-in error.

Follow the instructions below to clear the MAC address of your Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S console:

1. Start by ensuring you are on your Xbox console’s main screen.
2. Use the vertical menu on the left to get to the Settings section.

   

3. Then, go to the “Network” tab, select it, and press A on your Xbox controller to select it.
4. Then, from the new menu, choose Network Settings.
5. Go to Advanced Settings, then to the Alternate MAC address menu.

   

6. Select the Clean option from the list of options for the Alternate MAC address options.
   
    
7. Wait until the operation is complete. You should see the Alternate MAC address cleared from the box at the end of it.
8. Restart your console and wait for it to boot back up.

If you’re still experiencing the same issue, move to the next method below. 

4. Reinstall the game

If you are only experiencing this issue with a particular game, you should try reinstalling it if you haven’t tried this procedure.

This quick fix is usually effective when multiple users share an Xbox account where the game library is shared. 

Note: The steps of reinstalling a game on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S  are virtually identical since the two consoles have a very similar operating systems. All you have to do is remove the game from the library of games and install it again.

Here’s how to do this:

1. Press the Xbox button on your controller to bring up the guide menu.
2. When the guide menu appears on your screen, go to My games & apps. You will see your entire game library.
3. From the list of games, look for the digital game triggering the 0X87E5002B error and select it.

   

4. Next, with the problematic game selected, press the Options button (three lines button) on your controller to bring up the More Options menu. 
5. Cycle through the options to select Uninstall, press the A button and confirm the operation.

   

   Note: If the game has add-ons or expansions installed, tap on the Uninstall all button. 

6. Wait until the operation is complete, then return to the same Library menu. You should still see the game, but it will now have the status ‘Ready to Install‘.  
7. Reinstall the problematic game again and launch it to see if the 0x87de272b error is now fixed.

If the problem is still not fixed, move to the final fix below. 

5. Reset the Console

If you’ve come this far without a viable fix, one last thing you can do is effectively reset your console back to its initial state. This procedure is also known as a hard reset. 

Important: Because you might lose all the information you’ve saved on your Xbox if you do this, you should try all your other potential fixes above before following this method. After completing this procedure, you must re-download every game currently stored on your console. Save game files will also be cleared with this procedure, so make sure you upload them on the cloud (or store them on an external USB stick) before following the instructions below. 

If you want to go through with this procedure and you understand the consequences, follow the steps below:

1. Power on your Xbox and press the Xbox button + the eject button as soon as you see the first black screen.
2. This procedure will bring up the Troubleshoot screen. Once you see it, select ‘Reset this Xbox’ and confirm on your controller. 

   

3. From the following menu, select the System heading, select Remove Everything and confirm the operation.
4. Wait for the operation to complete, re-download the problematic game and see if the issue is now fixed.