The Latest Target For Conservatives In The Anti-woke Agenda Is Xbox

First, they came for gas stoves. Then, they came for steak. Now, the "woke brigade" are coming for your Xbox — at least according to several high-profile conservative politicians and media outlets this week.

First gas stoves, then your coffee, now they're gunning for your Xbox. https://t.co/MpaH2ntWAz

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 23, 2023

On January 11th, Microsoft announced a carbon aware mode that will have your Xbox do its nightly downloads and updates during times when the local power grid uses the most renewable energy.

Xbox Series X|S owners are also receiving an update that will automatically put the console in "Shutdown" mode as opposed to "Sleep" mode. This shutdown mode will actually turn off the Xbox during prolonged periods of inactivity, and it will take about 45 seconds longer to reboot as opposed to "waking up" the console from "Sleep" mode. However, using the shutdown mode means the Xbox will consume 20 times less energy than when it's sleeping and Microsoft touts that it could save customers money in electricity bills.

Other than that, there's little difference. Even the "Quick Resume" feature, which allows Xbox players to pick up where they left off in a game upon waking the console from sleep, works coming out of shutdown. Players can also opt out of shutdown mode in their settings.

This small, environmentally friendly change made two weeks ago hit the conservative outrage mill on Monday starting with an article from The Blaze, which stated "Xbox will force gamers to power down to fight climate change" in its headline. Then it hit Cruz, who made a histrionic "First They Came" reference in regards to "the libs" supposedly killing common conveniences in the name of climate change action — subsequently being picked up in the Fox News circuit.

On Monday, Fox ran the headline "Woke brigade is after video games" and on television, a host warned America's parents, "They're going after your children!"

Fox & Friends joins the new MAGA ‘Woke Xbox’ fake culture war talking point (they announced they are adding a power-saving shutdown mode): “They’re trying to recruit your kids into climate politics at an earlier age.” Host – “You’re right – they’re going after the children!” pic.twitter.com/M1ynsAVqmE

— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) January 24, 2023

While some conservatives online spread the critical press coverage, others considered it a massive and bad-faith leap in logic to claim that Microsoft introducing a slightly greener power-saving mode to their Xbox consoles amounted to liberals indoctrinating children into the climate war, and many on social media were seemingly fed up with the latest "nothing burger" made out to be a new frontier in the forever culture war.

Just verified that my Xbox has a power saver mode that is indoctrinating my kids to be woke homosexual environmentalists.

I smashed it right in front of them. They cried but I could see the pride in my wife's eyes as my alpha leveled-up. She even broke up w/ her boyfriend.

— Tim (Parody) (@RealPLUTim) January 24, 2023

smashing my kids xbox because the woke left lowered my electric bill by $4 https://t.co/3r807YcpZj

— nikki mccann ramírez (@NikkiMcR) January 24, 2023

I mean who else isn't mad AF at Xbox becoming WOKE now by checking notes….. giving users an optional power mode to help save money on your power bill and helping the environment in the process. https://t.co/CrDhEiCpiU

— Rand al Thor 19 (@Rand_al_Thor_19) January 24, 2023

At this rate, it's plausible there will be a new corporation or product at the center of "GONE WOKE" headlines by next week, but considering the relatively minor improvement Microsoft made to draw such outrage, it's impossible to know what will suddenly become controversial next.