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About

The Xbox Mini Fridge is a mini-fridge product from Microsoft that copies the design of the Xbox Series X gaming console. Inspired by memes that compared the design of the console to a fridge in late 2019, the Xbox Mini Fridge was announced at E3 2021 in June, resulting in memes and viral discussion about the product. Upon release for preorders in October 2021, the scarcity of the item led to viral backlash from hopeful buyers online who blamed scalpers for the lack of stock.

History

Xbox Series X Parodies

On December 12th, 2019, Microsoft unveiled[1] the Xbox Series X, its next-gen console in its Xbox series, during The Game Awards 2019, announcing the upcoming release in late 2020 (premiere video shown below).

Starting on the same day, users on social media created memes that compared the console's rectangular design to various household appliances and other items, similar to the PS5 design parodies. Within the trend, multiple memes that compared the design of Xbox Series X to a fridge were created. On December 12th, 2019, YouTuber[2] Troydan created one of the first memes to compare the design to a fridge, with his tweet gaining over 210 retweets and 2,800 likes (shown below, left). Later on the same day, Redditor[3] xgamestv posted a photoshopped image of an Xbox Series X as a fridge (shown below, center), with the post gaining over 21,900 upvotes in the /r/pcmasterrace subreddit in six months.

Troydan O @Troydan Microsoft just sent me the new Xbox X Series early! MESIH SORIBIR 10:14 PM · Dec 12, 2019 - Twitter Web App

In December 2019, several news websites posted articles about the fridge memes and Xbox Series X parodies in general, including articles by GeekWire[4] and TechWeez.[5]

Mini Fridge Announcement

On October 28th, 2020, Aaron Greenberg,[6] general manager for Xbox Games Marketing at Microsoft, held a Twitter poll to scope public interest in buying an Xbox mini fridge. The tweet gained over 3,400 likes, with nearly 60 percent of poll participants replying that they would buy the fridge given the opportunity (tweet shown below, left).

On March 18th, 2021, Greenberg tweeted[7] that Microsoft was giving away a limited amount of Xbox Series X / ZOA fridges to fans. In an additional tweet,[8] Greenberg wrote that the company was testing the mini fridge market with the promotion (tweets shown below, center). On April 1st, 2021, Greenberg wrote[8] that if Xbox managed to beat Skittles in Twitter's #BestOfTweets poll, Microsoft would put Xbox Series X mini fridges into production, adding a disclaimer that that was not an April Fools' joke (tweet shown below, right).

Aaron Greenberg @aarongreenberg ... Help me out here for some market research. Q: Would you be interested in buying an Xbox Mini-Fridge if we made one for sale? Yes, take my money now 59.2% No, not interested 11.1% Maybe, depends on price 29.7% 51,598 votes · Final results 5:40 PM · Oct 28, 2020 · Twitter for iPhone
Aaron Greenberg VUO We had some fun working with The King of Xbox @TheRock & @GoldenboyFTW on this one for the launch of @ZOAenergy. Also we are giving away Xbox Series X / ZOA mini fridge to fans via MS Rewards! @aarongreenberg - Mar 18 IEVEMENT NLOCKED Game Up with The Rock, ZOA and Xbox See Goldenboy Game Up with The Rock and ZOA – you can Buy Now at zoaenergy.com/xboxSubscribe. S youtube.com 27 50 35 681 Matt @GamemasterYado · Mar 18 ... Please tell me the mini-fridge will end up being a purchasable thing? That would be amazing! e 1 16 Aaron Greenberg @aarongreenberg ... Replying to @GamemasterYado @TheRock and 2 others Think of us as testing that mini fridge market with this promotion. We know fans also would love to be able to purchase a Series X mini fridge in the future! 10:53 AM - Mar 18, 2021 · Twitter for iPhone
Aaron Greenberg @aarongreenberg ... Ok...here goes. Help @Xbox win this and we'll put into production this year REAL XBOX SERIES X MINI FRIDGES! Yep, you read that right. Not an April Fools joke. Not clickbait. #Xbox( #BestofTweets Twitter Marketing O @TwitterMktg · Apr 1 You voted to see @Skittles and @Xbox in the championship. Now let's settle it. Which brand deserves to be the first-ever #BestOfTweets Brand Bracket champion? @Skittles Vs @Xbox Vote now! Show this poll 10:03 PM · Apr 1, 2021 · Twitter for iPhone

On June 13th, 2021, at E3 2021, Microsoft unveiled[9] the Xbox mini fridge, with its exterior design virtually identical to an Xbox Series X console. The announcement video received over 1.6 million views on YouTube in one day. On Twitter,[10] the announcement video gained over 926,000 views, 8,200 retweets and 41,100 likes in one day.

Release and Preorder Drama

The Xbox Mini Fridge was expected to go on sale on October 19th, 2021, with no hard set time for the expected drop, and the retailer Target being the exclusive retailer to carry it. On the day of preorders, many online were focused on the product preorder page spamming it until it would show the product as available. As the product went live shortly after 9 a.m. EST, it sold out in under 15 minutes, with reports from multiple people stating the item was removed from their cart mid-checkout process. There were then reports of the mini-fridge popping up on eBay for triple the MSRP as scalpers attempted to resell the rare item. This was noticed by Twitter[15] user @TommoTheCabbit, who gained 80 likes in five hours with an image depicting resellers and the caption "And scalpers are already selling these Xbox mini fridges on eBay. Didn't take long. IT'S JUST A MINI FRIDGE" (shown below).

NEW LISTING Xbox Series X Mini Fridge 12 Cans Limited Edition *PreSale* Target Ex Confirmed Target Order placed 837am Today Brand New $299.00 s9.99 aty 1 Oct-19 08:03 Xbox Series X Replica Mini Fridge Buy It Now +$20.00 shipping NEW LISTING PRESALE - Xbox Series X “Mini Fridge" 12 Can Storage - Ships In DECEMBER Brand New $295.00 or Best Offer Oct-19 08:01 XBOX MINI FRIDGE Free shipping NEW LISTING XBOX Series X - Mini Fridge - 12 Cans - Limited Edition PreSale *CONFIRMED* "MINI FRIDGE Brand New PRE-ORDER OCT 19 $325.00 or Best Offer Oct-19 08:00 Free shipping NEW LISTING Xbox Series X - Replica Mini Fridge 00 CONFIRMED PRE-ORDER Brand New "MINI FRIDGE PRE-ORDER OoCT 19 $275.00 or Best Offer +$25.00 shipping Oct-19 08:00 NEW LISTING XBox Series X Mini Fridge 12 Cans Limited Edition PreSale *CONFIRMED* Brand New $310.00 or Best Offer +$10.00 shipping Oct-19 08:00

On the Target product page,[16] those who attempted to preorder the fridge started to give it reviews and ask questions, with some of them being rants and a few being memes, similar to Steam User Reviews, such as the one posted by Target users OnlyGeysBuyXbox and Daddy6969420 (shown below).

PS5 fridge better **☆☆☆ Only Geys buy Xbox - today PS5 fridge is better
Q: Does this fit newborns? Daddy6969420– today Answer it

Fandom

Following the announcement, users on Twitter and other social media posted humorous posts about the product. For example, on June 13th, 2021, Twitter[11] user @its_menieb posted a How It Started vs. How It's Going meme that gained over 280 retweets and 3,600 likes in one day (shown below, left). A same-day tweet[12] by eSports player hungrybox received over 280 retweets and 3,600 likes in the same period (shown below, right).

Mohamed Enieb ... @its_menieb Replying to @Xbox How it's going: (An actual fridge) How it started: (Meme) 2:30 PM · Jun 13, 2021 · Twitter for iPhone

The announcement of the product was covered by multiple news outlets, including articles by The Verge[13] and Polygon.[14]

Razer Toaster

Razer Toaster is an electrical toaster announced by American gaming hardware manufacturer Razer. Started as a Facebook joke and reused by Razer as an April Fools joke in 2016, on April 29th, 2019, Razer officially announced that the product will be put in production.

KFConsole

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