Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
It was one of the odder, yet cooler (no pun intended) stories of the year. In an effort to further get into the spirit of its new console, Xbox wanted to offer a new Xbox Series X-shaped mini fridge, a perfect complement to any gaming space. Unfortunately, just hours after it went up, it appears to have sold out. Truly, Xbox has underestimated the fervent demand for mini fridges among the gaming populace. No, I'm just kidding, of course, it's sold out because of scalpers and bots.
Reporters like PCMag's Michael Kan (tweet embedded above) have observed that scalpers and their bots sprung into action as soon as the Xbox Mini Fridge went up for sale at Target. And, of course, because nobody ever seems to learn anything when it comes to this sort of thing, there was never a limit instituted on how many of these items could be purchased in a single transaction. That means bots were collecting up to 16 of these at a time.
Dreams of an Xbox Mini Fridge first began formulating back at Microsoft's E3 showcase back in June. Undoubtedly dreaming of convenient beer cans within arms' reach, excitement for this console-shaped icebox soon hit a fever pitch. Created in partnership with Ukonicl, the Xbox Series X-shaped mini fridge contains LEDs and can hold up to 10 cans of any 12-ounce beverage. There are two shelves along the side, in order to hold smaller snacks. It also contains a USB port and a DC power adapter.
The good news is, this isn't the end for the Xbox Mini Fridge. The bad news is, it's going to be a while before average users get another crack at one. Microsoft stated late last week that the miniature appliance will expand to additional markets and retailers in 2022, at which point everyone should probably brace themselves to take this ride all over again. Or, if you absolutely have to have this thing ready for the holidays, you can always surrender to these fiends and pay their exorbitant demands.