Coca-Cola Byte Is Now Available. Here's Where to Buy Coke's New Pixel Drink

Coca-Cola's brand-new flavor is now available, and it tastes nothing like the Starlight "space" flavored Coke that was released in February. It's called Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte and according to the soda giant, it tastes like pixels. I decided to give it a try, because who doesn't want to taste pixels? 

The company says it's the first Coca-Cola flavor born in the metaverse and that it's been hidden in plain sight. "An early look at the beverage appeared in a new island created in Fortnite," Coca-Cola said.

"What I find especially exciting about this Coke Creation is the intentional air of mystery in defining the taste of a pixel," Oana Vlad, Coca-Cola's senior director of strategy, told me. "We know that any new Coca-Cola Creations expression will provoke debate and curiosity, which we welcome."

Coca-Cola said it'll release more limited-edition beverages later this year, but the company expects Byte to be the drop of the season. Here's what you need to know about the new Coke Byte.

Here's how my Coke Byte taste test went

I received a tall, slender can of Coca-Cola's new Byte Coke and upon opening it, it had quite a loud fizz -- much more carbonation than the Starlight Coke. This one has a brown hue like a regular Coke Zero (I expected it to be purple), with a very sweet smell. When I took a sip of the Coke Byte, the fizziness was so strong that it reminded me of when I would eat Pop Rocks as a kid. Maybe that's what pixels taste like? The flavor was soft but still tasted like a Coke Zero. I could taste the sweetener used to replace the sugar... possibly Splenda? 

See my experience with the Coca-Cola Starlight "space" flavored drink, which I thought tasted like a ginger soda. If I had to choose between the two, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte would be my choice, since the flavor is more normal.

Can I buy the Coca-Cola Byte now?

Yes. Coke's new Byte drink went on sale May 2 and you can now buy a two-pack for $14.77, with a max of three boxes per customer. Note that you may have to wait in line to grab yours.

Where can I buy Coke Byte?

Though Starlight was available in stores, Coca-Cola Byte is only available for purchase on Coke's website, at the link above. The company says it'll be available in "super limited quantity" on a first-come, first-served basis.

How long will the pixel-flavored Coke be around?

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte will be available in extremely limited quantities, and the portal for purchase will be open only for a limited period of time while supplies last. 

Why did Coca-Cola come out with a pixel-flavored drink?

Coca-Cola says it was inspired by the creativity of the global gaming community and decided to create Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte to bring the flavor of pixels to life.

"This new Coca-Cola Creations flavor is an amazing nod to gamers from one of the most iconic brands in existence," Lachlan Power, a professional gamer and founder of esports team PWR, said in the press release.

What's on Coke Byte's Fortnite island?

The Fortnite Pixel Point island is an area in the game where you can interact with other players. It has four multiplayer minigames: The Castle, The Escape, The Race and The Tower.

What is the Coca-Cola AR game?

In addition to the Fortnite Pixel Point island, Coca-Cola is launching an augmented reality experience. You'll be able to access it by scanning a Byte Coke on the Coca-Cola Creations website.

Here's how Coca-Cola describes it: "The game tells the story of BYTE, an 8-bit pixel who was left behind when Coca-Cola Byte entered the metaverse. Using fingers to hold down arrows, players will guide BYTE to 'jump' up a spiral staircase so the lone pixel can rejoin the Coca-Cola logo. Players' finish times will be recorded in a virtual leaderboard that can be shared on social media."

For more on soda, check out this limited-edition Pepsi Maple Syrup Cola. And here's more about the metaverse.