Xbox Series X viral photo seems to show it levitating a ping pong ball, but it's probably fake

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Having a ball with the new console

Xbox Series X seemingly levitating a ping pong ball
(Image credit: Unknown photographer)

Xbox Series X has the power to levitate a ping pong ball as well as the power to play games at 4K and 60 frames per second, if a questionable viral photo is to be believed.

An image of the console in its vertical orientation, with the vents on top being used to keep a ping pong ball floating in the air, has been circulating on the internet recently. I haven't been able to lock down the original source for the photo, but it looks like they were playing the Japanese version of Forza Horizon 4 when they decided to give their Xbox Series X a lung test.

The immediate response to this photo making the rounds has been demands for Microsoft to start packaging a ping pong ball with every Xbox Series X console, ideally a green one so people can recreate the original Xbox console's floating goo intro at home. However, as IGN observes, another video shows the vents just barely ruffling a feather placed on top of the console as it plays Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which would presumably make the console run harder. This puts the veracity of the original photo into serious question.

It's a shame, because this could make for a handy way to see what kind of strain your console's under at a glance. Presumably the fans would need to spin less quickly for lighter weight games, leaving the ping pong ball at a lower height, and they'd speed up for more intensive experiences, pushing the ping pong ball up higher and higher.

At some point the wind tunnel effect would degrade to the point that the ball tumbles and bounces off behind your TV... but that would just be your console's way of telling you it's time to suspend whatever you're playing right now and quick resume your hunt for Forza Horizon 4 Barn Find locations.

If ping pong ball antics have finally pushed you to make a buying decision, here's a guide to the best Xbox Series X deals.

Connor Sheridan
Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and was formerly a staff writer at GamesRadar.