American technology giant Microsoft is asking people to stop vaping into their Xbox Series X consoles.
This ironic request comes after a series of viral videos on social media depicting the brand new next-generation video game console “overheating” and giving off some sort of vapor from the exhaust vents built into the top of these devices to ventilate air.
“We can’t believe we have to say this, but please do not blow vape smoke into your Xbox Series X,” reads a Twitter post published by the Xbox social media team. Shortly after the initial plea on social media, a marketing official for Xbox, Aaron Greenberg, added that players should “put down the vape and pick up the controller. A whole new generation always!”
This comical viral event has been labeled as “fake news” by Microsoft, fact-checkers, and our own team here at Vaping Post. A Spanish-speaking Twitter account called “Xbox Studio” debunked the myth that Xbox consoles are emitting this “smokey effect” that many people are claiming to see due to overheating and extreme use. The user behind the unofficial Xbox Studio account showed that the effect happens when people exhale and blow vape aerosol into the console’s exhaust.
When asked by the technology news website CNET, Microsoft declined to comment on the veracity of the viral videos depicting the smokey effect. Instead, a spokesperson for Microsoft said that they are investigating whether there is a safety risk with the new Xbox Series X consoles and will take any and all safety complaints seriously.
Still, there is really no way that this happens. Some outlets say that there are likely extremely rare isolated instances of catastrophic console damage, but the origin of this viral video claim is all tied to the activity of vaping and the use of e-liquids.