Microsoft is following through on a promise to release a fridge based on the design of its Xbox Series X video game console.
The computer giant made the announcement at the end of its E3 2021 showcase on Sunday, June 13.
Xbox fans will be delighted. And possibly fridge fans, too.
The announcement was accompanied by a 60-second promotional video (top) featuring the fridge. In the ad, Microsoft touts the upcoming product as “a new system that leaves others cold.” After getting that painful pun out of the way, it went on to describe the appliance as “the world’s most powerful mini-fridge,” though rival mini-fridge makers may have something to say about that.
According to Microsoft’s video, the mini-fridge should be able to hold up to 10 small cans of beer or some other beverage, and/or various snacks.
The company said it will start selling the Xbox Mini Fridge this holiday season, though it held back from revealing the price tag.
From meme to actual product
The Xbox Series X-inspired fridge started life as a popular meme that appeared soon after the machine was unveiled in 2019 when fans noticed how the new console looked a bit like a refrigerator.
Microsoft apparently loved the idea, with the Xbox executive Aaron Greenberg promising a couple of months ago that the company would launch the fridge if it won a Twitter brand contest against Skittles.
After beating the candy maker in a close contest that saw more than 340,000 votes, Greenberg confirmed he would keep his promise to make and sell the mini-fridge, adding that the first one off the production line will go to “our friends at Skittles.” Sunday’s announcement was the first time that Microsoft mentioned the product’s launch schedule.
This won’t be the first time that Microsoft has built a refrigerator. In fact, it’s already created a fridge based on the design of the Xbox Series X, though that particular product was full size. Microsoft didn’t commercialize it, but instead delivered one to Snoop Dogg on his birthday while offering another to an Xbox fan as a competition prize.
