Kettle Cord vs Figure-8: Which Power Lead Does Your Console Take?

Almost every wrong power lead we send out comes down to the same thing: two fittings that look similar in a photo and are not remotely interchangeable. One is the figure-8 (IEC C7); the other is the kettle cord (IEC C13). Buyers describe the mistake to us as “three prong instead of two prong”, and it happens across every brand — PlayStation, Xbox and Sega all use both fittings on different models. This guide gives you a ten-second check you can do before you order, then lists which lead fits what.

Not sure which one you have? The Cable Finder walks you through it in four taps.

First: count the pins on the console, not on the wall plug

Turn the console around and look at the power socket on the back. That socket — not the plug, not the cable — is what decides which lead you need.

Two pins, in a socket shaped like a figure 8 or a peanut. That is an IEC C7 inlet and you need a figure-8 lead. It is small, rounded, and there is no earth pin because these leads do not carry one.

Three pins, in a squarish socket with the top two corners bevelled off. That is an IEC C14 inlet and you need a kettle cord — the same C13 lead that comes with a desktop PC or a monitor.

Three pins, same D-shape, but with a notch or ridge moulded into the socket. That is a keyed C16 inlet, and an ordinary kettle cord physically will not seat in it. You need the notched C15 version, which has a matching keyway cut into the connector.

One warning, because it trips people up: do not use the number of pins on the Australian wall plug as your test. Wall-end plugs vary between leads of the same fitting. The console-end socket is the only reliable check.

The figure-8 leads (IEC C7) — two pins

This is the fitting on most modern consoles, because they carry their power supply inside the console and only need a simple unearthed mains lead.

PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. The 1.8m figure-8 lead covers the PS4, PS4 Slim, PS5, PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro, with moulded strain relief at both ends. If 1.8m is more cable than your cabinet needs, the 1.5m slim-plug version is the same fitting in a shorter, cheaper lead.

Older PlayStations. The PS1, PSone and PS2 family take the PS1 / PS2 / PS3 Slim lead, and there is a dedicated PS3 Slim and Super Slim lead if that is the console you are buying for. Both are 1.5m, 240V, fully moulded.

Xbox One S, One X, Series S and Series X. These four have the power supply built into the console and take a figure-8 lead straight into the back — that is the Xbox One S/X and Series S/X lead. No brick involved.

Sega Dreamcast and Sega Saturn. Both PAL consoles use the same figure-8 fitting, covered by the Dreamcast & Saturn power lead at 1.8m. Worth knowing if you own both — one spare covers the pair.

The kettle cords (IEC C13) — three pins

Older hardware, and anything with an external power brick, tends to land here.

The original fat PlayStation 3. The launch PS3 has its power supply inside the console but uses the larger three-pin inlet, so it takes the 1.8m IEC C13 kettle cord. Its slimmer successors do not — the PS3 Slim and Super Slim moved to figure-8.

Xbox 360 and the original Xbox One — but at the brick, not the console. Every Xbox 360 (fat, S and E) and the original Xbox One run from an external power supply brick, and the lead you are replacing is the one from the wall to the brick. That is the Xbox mains lead, which fits the 150W, 175W and 203W fat 360 bricks, the 135W 360 S brick, the 120W 360 E brick, and both the 2-pin and 3-pin Xbox One bricks. It does not replace anything that plugs into a console directly.

When the kettle cord won't go in: the notched C15

If you have a three-pin inlet and a normal kettle cord refuses to seat, look for a notch or ridge in the socket. That is a keyed C16 inlet, and it deliberately rejects a plain C13 connector. Some Xbox 360 power supplies use it, as do a lot of networking and IT equipment, urns, toasters and electric kettles.

The lead you need is the notched C15 power cord in 1 metre, or the 2 metre version if you need the reach. Both are 10A 250V and rated to 120°C, which is why this connector exists in the first place — it is the high-temperature relative of the standard kettle lead.

There is also a white 1 metre C15 cord carrying the C15 keyway and rated 10A 250V, for appliances, networking and IT equipment where a black lead would stand out.

The exceptions that catch people out

Four traps account for most of the wrong orders.

The PS4 Pro can go either way. It is the only PlayStation that does. The CUH-70xx and CUH-71xx Pro models use the three-pin kettle cord; the later CUH-72xx uses a figure-8. Check the socket rather than assuming, because “PS4 Pro” on its own does not settle it.

Fat PS3 and slim PS3 are different. The original fat PS3 is kettle cord; the Slim and Super Slim are figure-8. Same console name, different fitting.

Xbox One is not Xbox One S. The original Xbox One has an external brick and a kettle cord to feed it. The One S, One X, Series S and Series X have no brick at all and take a figure-8 straight into the console.

A notch is not damage. If the socket looks like a kettle inlet with a lump in it, the appliance was built that way on purpose, and forcing a C13 in will not work. You want the C15.

Quick reference

Figure-8 (2 pins): PS1, PSone, PS2, PS3 Slim, PS3 Super Slim, PS4, PS4 Slim, PS4 Pro CUH-72xx, PS5, PS5 Slim, PS5 Pro, Xbox One S, Xbox One X, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Sega Dreamcast, Sega Saturn.

Kettle cord / C13 (3 pins): PlayStation 3 original fat, PS4 Pro CUH-70xx and CUH-71xx, Xbox 360 power bricks (fat, S and E), original Xbox One power brick.

Notched C15 (3 pins plus a keyway): anything with a ridge or notch in the inlet, including some Xbox 360 supplies, networking and IT gear, and hot appliances.

Where to start

Every lead above lives in Power Cables, and each product page carries a short “not sure this is the right lead?” note that points you at its siblings if you have landed on the wrong one. If you want the PlayStation range laid out console by console instead of fitting by fitting, read PlayStation Power Cables Explained: PS1 to PS5; for the 360 specifically, Xbox 360 Power Supply Replacement covers the bricks themselves rather than the mains lead.

Still not certain what is on the back of your console? Send us a message before you order — describing the socket is usually enough for us to name the lead, and it beats waiting on a return.