For context, a number of viral videos have been surfacing across the internet showing Xbox Series X consoles with smoke coming out of the top vent. This caused a number of Twitter users to panic, worried their console would do the same.
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This phenomenon can be seen in a tweet by Culture Crave, where two clips within one video show a cloud of smoke flying out of the top vent on the console. These viral videos managed to mislead a number of people, with one Twitter user commenting “NEVER buy a product on launch day. This should be known by now.” However, this turned out to be fake. Twitter user Xbox Studio made a video showcasing how to accurately recreate the effect by blowing vapor into the console, which would cause it to smoke even if it’s turned off. Thankfully, this tweet seemingly blew up, which helped to educate a number of consumers. Not long after, Xbox responded to the situation in a tweet, writing “We can’t believe we have to say this, but please do not blow vape smoke into your Xbox Series X.” Afterward, Xbox responded to its own Tweet saying, “For any non-vape related support questions please check out the info here.” It’s a bit worrying that so many users tried to fake the Xbox Series X malfunctioning for the sake of publicity. Stunts like this take priority away from a company’s ability to assist users with actual technical issues, so for the sake of everyone else involved, please don’t fake console hardware malfunctions. If you’re curious about the performance of Xbox Series X, check out our Xbox Series X review.