"Xbox Threatens the Lives of Americans"... The Anger of US Conservatives

MS to Release Xbox Update for Carbon Emission Reduction
US Conservatives Label It Climate Politics

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] As Microsoft announced plans to update its gaming console 'Xbox' to reduce carbon emissions, conservative figures in the United States have unleashed criticism. They mocked that so-called 'woke groups' leading climate movements are targeting gaming consoles after hamburgers, threatening the lives of Americans.

According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 25th (local time), Microsoft announced earlier this month that it would improve the operation of Xbox efficiently to reduce the device's electricity usage. Microsoft expects that this update will save users' electricity bills and also reduce carbon emissions in the gaming industry.

Microsoft's console game console Xbox

In addition, Microsoft stated that future updates for devices and software will be conducted between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., when renewable energy production is at its highest. For older devices, automatic updates will be implemented to switch to energy-saving mode upon game shutdown to reduce power consumption.

Microsoft explained, "Using two devices in energy-saving mode for one year results in a reduction of carbon emissions equivalent to the amount absorbed by one tree over ten years."

However, this climate change response movement has upset conservative figures in the U.S. They criticized Microsoft's actions as a "woke brand." In the U.S., 'woke' means understanding and acting on issues related to gender, race, and LGBTQ+ discrimination. Recently, however, the American conservative camp has used the term 'woke' to mock progressives' moralism and hypocrisy.

Jimmy Failla, a radio host at the conservative-leaning Fox News, criticized, "They are involving your young children in climate politics." Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz also mocked, "They started with gas stoves and coffee, and now they are targeting your Xbox."

On the conservative online site Blaze Media, false information was posted claiming that Microsoft is forcing gamers to shut down their consoles. In response, Xbox's technical manager Blaine Hogle refuted, saying, "Users can turn the power back on whenever they want."

Recently, American conservatives have argued that climate activists' carbon emission reduction campaigns are lowering the quality of life for Americans. Representative items they cite include coffee, hamburgers, and gas stoves. Among these, hamburgers are singled out as foods rejected by climate activists because cows emit large amounts of methane needed to produce burger patties. In 2021, a rumor spread that U.S. President Joe Biden might limit meat consumption to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, earning him the nickname "Hamburger Thief." Gas stoves have also been considered for bans in some U.S. states due to greenhouse gas emissions during cooking.

WP explained, "The conservative camp cites cars and hamburgers as evidence that carbon emission reduction campaigns threaten Americans' daily lives," adding, "Now Xbox has been included as part of that argument."