Beware of those viral Xbox Series X smoking videos, they’re mostly fake

Xbox Series X
(Image credit: Microsoft)

With the release of the new Microsoft Xbox Series X, a new kind of video started going viral. These videos showed smoke coming out of the top vent holes of the Xbox Series X. 

At first instance these videos appeared to suggest that the insides of the Xbox were on fire. But soon the narrative cleared and it was obvious that the effect was from blowing smoke from the bottom of the device.

Xbox Series X smoking videos: Easy to make using vapes 

Early adopters are the first to notice and suffer launch issues, but misinformation only hurts the brand. But Microsoft seems to have taken this tirade of Xbox Series X smoking videos in its stride.

But soon, people in the tech industry explained how this effect can easily be created by blowing vape smoke at the bottom of the air inlet. Some even made videos showing this whole process to explain things.

Microsoft, for its part, wrote on Twitter, “We can't believe we have to say this, but please do not blow vape smoke into your Xbox Series X.” It even put out a statement on this whole thing saying, "We take all product safety reports seriously and our products meet or exceed industry standards. We are in the process of investigating further."

In other instances it took a more jovial approach and even replied to a tweet saying, “We're sure we'll look back on this and laugh.” The company confirmed that this effect would also work even if the console was turned off which means that the fans in it were not working. In fact if the console was turned off the smoke would continue to rise for a while.

While there were some quick to claim how their Xbox Series X console has started smoking, others have started to make a meme out of this.

Bodhisatwa Ray

Hardcore gamer, gadget enthusiast & cinema buff | Gaming, tech correspondent & reviewer at TechRadar

Latest in Xbox Series X | S
Xbox Series X Digital Edition deal
Stop what you're doing and check out this Xbox Series X Black Friday deal – it probably won't be beaten
The three new Xbox Series console variants on a stand at Gamescom 2024
Where to buy the new Xbox Series X and S consoles - including the gorgeous Galaxy Black 2TB machine
Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Series X|S will require Xbox Game Pass to play when it launches in full
Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion
Baldur’s Gate 3 Xbox missing save problem will soon be fixed for good as firmware issue has been found
Final Fantasy 14 Y'shtola
Final Fantasy 14 Xbox open beta will kick off next month says director
The Xbox series X on a blue background with the words "Price Cut"
Save $120 on the Xbox Series X in the second-best deal we've ever seen
Latest in News
Metroid Prime 4
I reckon the Nintendo Switch 2 could launch with Metroid Prime 4 – here’s why
Pebble smartwatch countdown
Pebble confirms its smartwatch announcement is just hours away
Logo of YouTube Shorts
Is YouTube auto-playing Shorts when you open the app? Well, you’re not alone - here’s how to fix it
Google DeepMind panel discussion
“More sovereignty and protection” - Google goes all-in on UK AI with data residency, upskilling projects, and startup investments
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 expected to have AI upscaling and I can't wait to finally play Tears of the Kingdom with upgraded graphics
PowerColor Red Devil AMD RX 9070 XT graphics card shown side-on
Your next GPU could be from AMD, not Nvidia, if Team Red’s success with PC gamers continues