UPDATE: March 7, 2024, 11:05 a.m. EST The Xbox Series X Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Bundle ($699.99), which included a SpongeBob SquarePants-themed console, sold out in under two minutes after it went live on the Best Buy app. Chances of a restock are virtually nil, but we'll keep you posted if that changes. Our original story follows.
Two words, SpongeBob: X. Box.
Microsoft has partnered with Best Buy and Paramount on a new limited-edition console bundle that includes a goofy custom Xbox Series X that looks like SpongeBob SquarePants, complete with "his iconic smile, Krusty Krab uniform, and ecstatic arms," per an Xbox Wire post. It comes with an Xbox Wireless Controller featuring a collage of different SpongeBob SquarePants characters plus a digital copy of Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2, a 2023 crossover fighting game starring The Sponge and other Nick personalities.
Oh, and it's priced at an eye-watering $699.99 (or $200 more than a standard, standalone Series X system). I'll remember you in therapy, Phil Spencer.
Unlike other custom Xbox consoles, which have historically been reserved for X/Twitter giveaways, the Xbox Series X Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Special Edition Bundle will soon be available for purchase — albeit in limited quantities. You'll find it exclusively on the Best Buy mobile app starting at 11 a.m. ET today (March 7) as part of the tech store's Best Buy Drops program.
For the uninitiated, Best Buy introduced Drops last fall as a new way for shoppers to snag limited-time deals and hard-to-buy products during the holidays, though it seems to have been extended indefinitely. Featured items are available in short supply through the Best Buy app from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET on the day of their Drop, though they often sell out long before then. A Drop that brought the Shark FlexStyle down to $200 lasted less than 20 minutes, for example.
While its stupid-high price tag will be a big deterrent for some, we're expecting the SpongeBox bundle to sell out fast — possibly within the hour — as this is shoppers' one and only chance to purchase it. As previously mentioned, it's also a very rare opportunity to snag a custom Xbox outside of Microsoft's usual X sweepstakes. (The company actually gave away a similar SpongeBob-themed console back in 2021.) That probably explains the markup.
Heed the advice Xbox doled out in its Wire post: "[Make] sure you set a notification and act fast." Signing into a Best Buy account and confirming your location for shipping or pickup ahead of time will also nudge the odds in your favor.
For more details and a close-up look at the SpongeBob Xbox Series X console, head to the Best Buy blog.
