Xbox Series X Mini Fridge Preorders Sell Out as Scalpers Pounce

The Xbox fridge in all its black and green glory
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Microsoft’s Xbox Series X mini fridge went up for preorder today priced at $99 (£89.99), and it’s already turning out to be a hot seller. Retailers like Target quickly sold out of the small appliance, with scalpers taking advantage of limited early supplies to make a buck or two via third-party marketplaces.

In the United States, there are already nearly 200 listings for the Xbox Series X mini fridge on eBay, with "Buy it Now" prices ranging from around $300 to $350. Searching through the completed listings on eBay shows that over 150 eager enthusiasts have already agreed to pay well over MSRP for the novelty item. It’s a similar situation at eBay UK, where prices are holding firm between £250 to £300. 

There’s no question that the Xbox Series X is a hot-selling game console that is difficult to obtain at MSRP. However, we never would have guessed that interest in its mini fridge counterpart would be so high. 

While it looks cool, the Xbox Series X mini fridge is only large enough to accommodate a dozen drink cans, and it has two small door pockets for loose items. A USB port is included on the front of the device to plug in an accessory for recharging. There are even glowing green LEDs at the top of the console to mimic its $499 console counterpart. The Xbox Series X mini fridge comes with both AC and DC adapters in the box, so you can use it just as easily at home as you can on-the-go inside your car.

Microsoft claims the mini fridge can bring its temperature down to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) — not quite as cold as the recommended 40F (4C) kitchen refrigerator temperature, but perhaps good enough for a cool beverage.

Interestingly enough, the Xbox Series X mini fridge has already racked up nearly 427 reviews at Target.com, even though nobody has taken possession of the device. In a classic case of review bombing, the Xbox Series X mini fridge current has a 2 out of 5 stars rating based on 427 “reviews” from customers. At the moment, only 60 percent of Target shoppers recommend it.

According to Microsoft’s Aaron Greenburg, gaming enthusiasts who missed out on Target’s initial online preorders will still have a chance to score the Xbox Series X mini fridge. Fresh stock will be available in-store when it officially launches in December.

Brandon Hill

Brandon Hill is a senior editor at Tom's Hardware. He has written about PC and Mac tech since the late 1990s with bylines at AnandTech, DailyTech, and Hot Hardware. When he is not consuming copious amounts of tech news, he can be found enjoying the NC mountains or the beach with his wife and two sons.

  • sizzling
    I lost interest when I realised it is not a fridge (refrigerator) and it’s just a cooler. You can buy an actual refrigerator for this price.
    Reply
  • King_V
    I . . uh . . what??

    Why the hell is there that kind of a demand for this kind of a product?
    Reply
  • TheOtherOne
    There's a sucker born every min in this world. :sarcastic:
    And as long as those suckers keep coming, scalpers are never going away. :ptdr:
    Reply
  • SpenReyn
    I hope no one buys any of these from scalpers and they're forced to sell them in six months for half of what they paid. Actually I hope all scalpers die, but that's just wishful thinking.
    Reply
  • Everyone dies. Everyone. So your wish will eventually be realized
    Reply
  • GenericUser
    I'm guessing it's a form of speculation as scalpers hope it's something that ends up becoming desired and that they made the right bet in stockpiling some to capitalize on a shortage. Maybe throw in some scarcity induced FOMO on top.
    Reply
  • Chung Leong
    How many of these are purchased by dads planning to prank their kids this Christmas? :LOL:
    Reply
  • watzupken
    LOL to the max. Scalpers "pounced" on a fridge that looks like an Xbox? Seriously?!:ROFLMAO: So desperate to get something to flip.
    Reply
  • Giroro
    sizzling said:
    I lost interest when I realised it is not a fridge (refrigerator) and it’s just a cooler. You can buy an actual refrigerator for this price.

    Another interesting feature of these small novelty drink coolers, is that they also often use more electricity than a real fridge.


    King_V said:
    I . . uh . . what??

    Why the hell is there that kind of a demand for this kind of a product?

    I mean, they couldn't have possibly made very many of these things.... Right?
    Reply