Join for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation plus sign you up to our newsletter.
By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over,
have read our
Privacy Policy
and agree to the
Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.
Stay On the Cutting Edge: Get the Tom's Hardware Newsletter
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
Join the club
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
McDonald’s debuts one-finger gadget that lets you move your character to 'keep you in the game' while you chow down — Pro Gamer Menu's ‘Archie’ designed to keep you from being kicked for inactivity
Gamers are running into AFK issues when they need to take a meal break in the middle of their matches, resulting in them getting kicked for being inactive. Because of this, McDonald’s Türkiye decided to release a solution — the “Archie” widget. According to the press release, this M-shaped contraption will hook onto the joysticks of your controller, allowing you to move your character with just one finger as you eat your burger. It’s only available with the fast-food restaurant’s Pro Gamer Menu, which includes a Big Mac, medium fries, medium Coke, and 8-piece onion rings — for delivery.
“Being away from the screen during online gameplay—especially in high-intensity moments—can directly disrupt the flow of the game. That is why many players turn to different workarounds,” McDonald’s Türkiye CMO Özdeş Dönen Artak said. “We transformed this behavior into a gamer insight and made Archie part of the McDonald's experience by offering it as a gift to customers who order the Pro Gamer Menu.”
We’re unsure how effective this gadget will be at preserving your character in the middle of a heated match, especially since the only thing it can do is make it easier to put random inputs on your controller without transferring the grease from your fingers. And unless you find a good hiding spot, your character will likely be dead anyway by the time you finish eating your Big Mac. You’ll also likely annoy your teammates for a few minutes, as you take your sweet time finishing those fries and onion rings.
This isn’t the first time that a fast-food chain has leaned on the gamer demographic for marketing. As far back as 2020, we’ve seen Microsoft give away a full-sized Xbox Series X fridge and KFC launch the KFConsole — an Intel NUC mini PC with a built-in fried chicken chamber. McDonald’s UK also launched a McCrispy gaming chair with a built-in fry holder and sandwich warmer in 2022, while Asus partnered with KFC China to give away limited-edition Fortress of Faith keycaps paired with a burger that sports the ROG logo burnt on the bun.
Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.
The fact that it's come to this is just sad.
They saw what most people do while eating, which is staring at their phones, and instead of promoting social interaction, they stimulate isolation .
This is the definition of "out of touch" corporation.
"How do we attract the gaming community? By advertising meals associated with popular games? Nah thats too expensive. What are all gamers known for doing? Eating mcdonalds while holding their controller! Let's make a product for them to use so they can eat while gaming!"
While I do not condone eating while gaming, I guess this solves the issue of getting a controller dirty...until some starts shooting at you and you instinctively grab the controller and fail to save yourself lol
