Potential CMOS issues for Xbox hardware are being looked into, according to Phil Spencer.
Speaking with Axios, Spencer confirmed that they are aware of the potential issues and they are looking into them to allow for the "ongoing relationship between the player and the content that they own".
The hardware team is hearing the message about our consoles should.. allow for the ongoing relationship between the player and the content that they own. So like, we hear the message and the teams are looking at things
CMOS battery issues can potentially lock users out of games they have purchased, so it is nice to hear that Microsoft is looking into these issues for Xbox consoles. Sony recently fixed these issues on PlayStation 5, and now all games work even with a missing or faulty CMOS battery, with the exception of games redeemed via PlayStation Plus. Before the issues were fixed, all digital titles were not playable with a missing or faulty CMOS battery, which was a huge issue for the console's Digital Edition.
A major cause for concern is the effect the issue has on digitial titles. As stated, without the
battery and an internet connection, all digital titles stopped working. Whilst this is a bad thing for all PS5 owners, it is particularly troubling for PlayStation 5 Digital Edition owners. That console has no option to play physical media whatsoever, making the eventual expiration of all purchases made on the console inevitable and unavoidable. Unless Sony patches the issue, it is simply a matter of time before all digital purchases cease to function.
You can find more on how the CMOS battery issues affected the PlayStation 5 console by heading over here.