KFC (yep – KFC) unveiled a new gaming system to compete with the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in June 2020, and the gaming world was welcomed with a finger-lickin’ revelation. As it was officially known, the KFC gaming console claimed 4K resolution and frame rates of up to 240 Hz.
However, the console’s innovative Chicken Chamber is its most notable feature. This is a heated compartment within the console that keeps your fried chicken — or any other food item, for that matter – sizzling hot while you play.
So, what is this console, how did it come to be, and how can you get your hands on one? Read on to learn everything you need to know about KFC’s newest gaming creation, including the KFC Console’s pricing, release date, controller, games and gameplay, and pre-order information.
Table of Contents
What is KFC Console?
The KFC console is a future gaming system developed in collaboration with Cooler Master, a prominent custom-PC hardware business. As a result, KFC’s new gaming system is more of a high-powered bespoke gaming PC than a console. It has an Intel NUC 9 Extreme Compute Element with a 9th-Gen Intel Core i9-9980HK CPU under the hood.
This is paired with an ASUS RTX graphics card that can be hot-swapped. The console comes with two Seagate Barracuda/Firecuda 1 TB SSDs for storage. This adds up to a VR-ready, ray-tracing-powered gameplay experience produced in 4K quality at up to 240 frames per second.
In addition, the box is as remarkable as the contents. KFC’s Bargain Bucket inspires the design of the new console. The design is overseen by ‘Timpelay,’ a Swedish craftsman who employs a custom build of Cooler Master’s NC100 chassis. It sports a stylish cylindrical black chassis with a red-backlit power button and top-mounted cooling fans hidden behind a grill. The Chicken Chamber heating section, which makes the console as distinctive, takes center stage.
Specifications for the KFC Console
The following console is equipped with a robust set of components to deliver a buttery-smooth gaming experience in the most recent games. It hopes to provide 4K quality gaming at 240 frames per second and extras like ray tracing and VR support. Here are the elements that bring it all together.
- Intel NUC 9 Extreme Compute Element with 9th-Gen Intel Core i9-9980HK
- Custom Cooler Master NC100 chassis
- 2 x Seagate Barracuda/Firecuda 1 TB SSDs
- ASUS RTX Graphics Card
Is the KFC Console Real?
As absurd as it may sound, we must verify that this fantastic innovation is fundamental. It was first announced in June 2020 and then revealed formally in December of the same year. Furthermore, Cooler Master’s involvement with the product offers it considerable legitimacy. Forbes, BBC, and The Independent were among the publications that covered the news.
Although unexpected, the KFC gaming console is hardly a complete departure for KFC. The fast-food company has already dabbled with the gaming industry. In May 2015, KFC debuted ‘Colonel Quest,’ a retro-inspired video game in which players could play as Colonel Sanders. In addition, the game included limited-edition drumstick-shaped controllers! KFC then released a dating simulator called ‘I Love You, Colonel Sanders!’ on Steam in September 2019. ‘A Finger-Lickin’ Good Dating Simulator.
Plus, there’s more. KFC also released a fried-chicken keyboard, mouse, USB stick, and a themed controller for the Xbox Series X console. It recently released the Gamer’s Box 2.0, a takeout box that can also be used as a Bluetooth controller and phone dock when gaming! ‘The Hard Way: A KFC Virtual Training Escape Room,’ a virtual reality experience, was also released by KFC.
How Does The KFC Console Work?
The Chicken Chamber, which is simply a container within the system designed to keep your fried or baked goodies warm during intense gaming sessions, makes KFC’s newest gaming announcement appear like another console until you look at its trump card. But how does this Willy Wonka-like creation work in practice?
The compartment does not have built-in heating elements, contrary to popular belief. Instead, it uses the heat generated by the console’s components to heat the meal. If you’ve been gaming for a while, especially on PC, you’re well aware of how much heat your GPU and CPU generate. They require complicated cooling systems like heatsinks and even water-coolers to dissipate the heat adequately.
We expect the components of the KFC console to consume between 600 and 700 watts of power at full performance. The parts convert the majority of this energy into heat. Comparing that to the big food heaters used in fast-food restaurants, which typically require around 250 watts of power, you can see how the Chicken Chamber should have plenty of heat to perform its job. Overall, KFC’s new gaming console is unquestionably a stroke of brilliance.
KFC Console Controller
KFC has previously released a limited-edition Xbox Series X controller, but no bespoke controller for its game console has been disclosed. Users began to wonder if such a device was even in the works. Regardless of whether or not this is the case, the console may operate with any keyboard and mouse. This confirms that the console is more of a custom PC than a console, as it runs on pre-built Intel and NVIDIA hardware.
If KFC’s console behaves like a PC, controllers from other consoles, such as the PlayStation 4 and 5 and the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, may be usable on it. But be warned: the lure of fried chicken during a game will undoubtedly grease up your controller like nothing else!
KFC Console Games
With a new system on the horizon, it’s natural to consider what games you’ll be able to play on it. Every new PlayStation and Xbox console has come with a slew of exclusive games to entice gamers to purchase the system. However, this has not been the case with the KFC Console thus far. KFC has yet to reveal any exclusive titles that will be compatible with the system.
Nonetheless, because the console is intended to be built on a PC-like architecture, it might run Windows. If that’s the case, the KFC system should be able to run almost any game that a regular PC can, but with a lot more ‘oomph’ because of those powerful specs.
Similarly, no gameplay from KFC’s gaming console has been seen. However, if the rumors are true, the console should have no trouble running the most recent games at 4K resolution and incredibly high refresh rates. The system’s robust hardware also backs this. Furthermore, because gamers will be able to ‘hot-swap’ the graphics card, their KFC gaming console should be able to stay up with new games for quite some time.
KFC Console Price
We don’t know how much the KFC Console will cost customers yet. However, KFC’s new system should come with a hefty price tag considering the internals.
The Intel NUC 9 Extreme Compute Element included in the console, for example, costs roughly $1000. The graphical options for the console, which will be based on RTX, are expected to cost between $250 and $500. This is in addition to the SSDs, which are roughly $200, and the bespoke Cooler Master NC100 chassis, which is also around $200.
Finally, the new KFC game console will cost around $2,000. As a result, we anticipate that it will appeal to collectors rather than the typical gamer.
5 Things You Should Know About The KFC Console
The KFC console is the fast-food chicken company’s latest creative PR effort, and I think it’s cool. Since it’s a Kentucky Fried Chicken video gaming console, will miracles never cease?
The KFC console has already won the hearts and minds of gamers everywhere, and for a good reason: it is by far the strangest video game console I’ve ever seen. It was first revealed in December with a pretty hilarious video (making fun of this kind of silly tech gadget commercial).
The following are five things to know about the KFC Console:
1) Working System (Don’t expect to see many of them)
Yes, you will get the opportunity to spend your hard-earned money on a KFC console at some point. This is a joke, but it’s a practical joke. The KFC console is accurate, and real gamers will play real games on it one day.
When friends and family come, they will be awestruck by this bizarre, unique gadget and scratch their brains in perplexed astonishment.
If you can find one, that is. I doubt we’ll see many manufactured and assembled. These days, finding a mass-produced PS5, Xbox Series X, or RTX 3080 is difficult enough. I expect getting a KFC console to be even more complex. Only a select few will be able to keep their chicken warm within their PC. This leads to the conclusion that.
2) Keeps Your Chicken Nice and Toasty
The KFC console has a fried chicken warming chamber built into the chassis, which no other PC or video gaming system has. You can play Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War or Cyberpunk 2077 while keeping your oily, crumbly chicken warm just inches away.
The heat generated by the KFC console flows into the chamber to keep the chicken warm, so the more you push your rig, the warmer your dinner stays.
This sounds like a poor idea. It’s hardly a good idea to store food inside your computer, especially greasy food, though I suppose it won’t matter too much if the chamber is created just for that.
3) Very Beefy “Console”
Yes, I came up with a way to call a KFC product “Beefy.” That almost certainly means I’ve won the internet.
- Yes, I used scare quotes around the word “console.” Why?
- It’s not a console, after all. It’s a one-of-a-kind computer with some great specs, including:
- a Cooler Master NC100 chassis that has been customized
- Intel Nuc 9 Extreme Compute Element with Intel Core i9-9980HK CPU
- 2 Seagate CarraCuda 1TB PCIe NVMEe SSDs
- A hot-swappable GPU (an Asus RTX card, but we’re not sure which one, and it can be swapped out for future improvements)
- Up to 240 fps and 4k resolution, VR-ready, Ray-Tracing-ready
On paper, all of this is more powerful than the PS5 or Xbox Series X in terms of specs, the unique SSD technology, the PS5’s Dual Sense controller, and sophisticated sound design.
4) KFC isn’t the one that Creates the KFC Console
The KFC console was designed and manufactured in collaboration with Cooler Master. Cooler Master is a well-known name in the custom PC industry as a manufacturer of whole systems, computer cases, and other components.
The design is being handled by Cooler Master’s mod team, led by Swedish modder “Timpelay.” This is terrific news for those concerned about the KFC console’s quality. This will be one of the most beautiful consoles ever created, with a chicken warmer, of course.
5) It Will Be Costly
Sometimes we have to admit that there are some important facts that we don’t yet understand. For example, we don’t have pricing for the KFC console, but based on components alone, we should expect it to cost well over $1,500, and most likely much more considering that this isn’t a mass-produced system. I’d guess anything in the $2000 area, aimed solely at collectors.
We don’t know when the KFC console will be available, but we’re hoping it’ll be finger-lickin’ fantastic when it does. Or something like that. If you manage to get your hands on one, make sure to wash it between bites.