Xbox mini fridges started as a meme. Now they're real, and all sold out

Turns out Xbox fans need to chill — literally.

Microsoft released its "Xbox Series X Fridge" for online preorder Tuesday after months of memes and anticipation. The mini fridges sold out almost immediately, with some gaming sites reporting they were gone in 15 minutes and others putting that time closer to 30 seconds.

So what's the hype about? As many cultural moments do, it all started on Twitter.

Many in the gaming world had already noticed that the Xbox Series X console bore some resemblance to a refrigerator when Xbox went up against Skittles in a Twitter "battle of the brands" championship this past April.

Aaron Greenberg, general manager of Xbox Games Marketing, promised that the company would make those mini-fridge memes a reality if Xbox won.

Xbox won by a nose, and the company delivered. Greenberg announced last week that the Xbox Series X Replica "Mini Fridge" would be available in time for holiday shoppers.

For $100, fans can get their hands on a fridge that holds up to 12 beverage cans and features two in-door shelves for snacks. The front of the matte-black fridge also includes a USB port to charge devices, and the fridge comes with a DC power adapter that enables it to work on the go.

"The mini fridge, created in partnership with Ukonic!, gives 'Xbox and Chill' a whole new meaning," the announcement read. "With LEDs and surface-features made to resemble the Xbox Series X, your friends will be amazed while their thirst is quenched!"

The fridges, available exclusively at Target in the U.S., were snapped up right away, as expected. The products "quickly sold out, got review-bombed, and emerged on auction sites at a huge premium," Game Spot reported.

Roughly three-quarters of reviewers on Target's website have given the fridge one star (out of five), which Game Spot says is presumably because people are frustrated that they weren't able to order one in time.

Members of that club can turn to eBay, where the fridges are already being listed with prices in the $300 and $400 range.

Or they can wait until December, when Xbox says more will be up for sale.

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.