Why You Can Trust CNET Yes, the Xbox Toaster Is Real and You Can Buy It at Walmart
X marks the toast with this Walmart-exclusive kitchen appliance.
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year" award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
The Xbox toaster imprints the Xbox logo on the bread.
Ever thought the Microsoft Xbox Series S game console looks like a toaster? You're not alone. And now, there's actually a real toaster that's designed to look like the Xbox -- and it even imprints the Xbox sphere logo on the bread it toasts. Game on!
The Xbox toaster is available only at Walmart online, where it's priced at $40 (though it's currently out of stock). It includes a wide slot that accommodates bagels, Texas toast and more, plus a six-setting shade selector and digital LED countdown timer so you know just how long it'll be before your toast pops up.
A defrost button allows you to toast frozen items, and the cool-touch exterior means even younger gamers are safe from burns. There's also an anti-jam function, automatic temperature control, removable crumb tray and nonstick coated plates.
A Microsoft representative confirmed that the toaster is sold at Walmart online in the US, and at the French video game store Micromania. The representative said the toasters will come to other global retailers over the next month.
The Xbox toaster has six browning settings.
But the two coolest things about this gamer-ready toaster are its Xbox-mimicking appearance and the Xbox sphere logos it imprints on your toast.
Strictly speaking, this isn't part of the Xbox-PlayStation rivalry, but if it were, Microsoft would be winning. When the PlayStation 5 came out, many gamers joked that it looked like an ice cream sandwich -- and they weren't wrong. So far, Sony hasn't come out with a PS5-themed ice cream sandwich maker, although some creative types have made ice cream cone skins for the console.
In the real world of console sales, the PS5 is outselling Xbox by nearly a 3-to-1 margin, selling 22.5 million units in 2023 to 7.6 million for the Xbox Series X and S consoles, according to a Financial Times report. But in the kitchen world, it's the Xbox that's toasting the competition.
This isn't the first Xbox-themed kitchen appliance. An Xbox mini fridge came out in 2021, following the brief appearance of a larger Xbox-themed fridge. Now, you can cool your Xbox jets in three sizes -- there's a cooler, a mini fridge and the larger compact refrigerator.
The toaster features a wide slot to accommodate everything from Texas toast to bagels to waffles.
One of the reviewers on Walmart's site was delighted that what was once a gamer joke has turned into a real, usable appliance.
"Haha, so they actually did it," a reviewer going by Roberto wrote on Walmart.com. "They made another meme come true ... I wasn't sure this would even toast well, but to my surprise it actually performs really well as a toaster."
But be warned, gamers: You're going to have to crank up the heat in order to get X to mark the spot.
"The X logo on the toast only really appears if you really toast it," the reviewer said.
The creative minds behind Xbox seem more than willing to play with products. In November, the company held a giveaway of an Xbox console and controller themed to fit the Wonka feature film. The console that was given away was only chocolate-colored, but one of the controllers included was made of pure chocolate, while another was a real controller in burgundy, meant to match Willy Wonka's coat from the film. Sweet!
