"This is a preventative step we're choosing to take despite the rarity of these incidents," said Robbie Bach, senior vice president of the Home and Entertainment Division at Microsoft.

"We regret the inconvenience, but believe offering consumers a free replacement is the responsible thing to do."

The company said fewer than one in 10,000 consoles have experienced the component failures, with damage mostly contained within the console itself or limited to the tip of the power cord.

However, in 30 cases, the failures caused minor injury or property damage, with seven customers reporting minor burns to their hands.

Microsoft's recall affects Xbox consoles made in Europe before January 13, 2004, and consoles manufactured elsewhere before October 23, 2003.

Consumers can request a replacement power cord through the company's Xbox website, with replacements expected to reach customers in two to four weeks.

In the meantime, Microsoft advised customers to switch off their Xbox consoles when not in use.

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