It’s April Fools’ Day, canonically the worst day to be in the business of writing news. Today is all about trying to trick the general public with fake products, bad takes, and typical internet pranks. Some of these jokes are better than others, because some simply suck. But I’m always pleasantly surprised by the memes of April Fools that give us a good chuckle. So here are some of my favourite April Fools’ Day jokes of 2022.
Hyper X’s Touch Grass Key Caps
One of my favourite comebacks at the moment is “touch grass”. It’s a saying which basically means, give over and go outside. You’re thinking too much about internet drama, getting too angry at insignificant things, too deep in the Twitter doomscrolling, get outside and just touch some grass. You’ll feel better for it, I promise.
So HyperX presents their April Fools joke, the Touch Grass Key Caps. The press release for this eco-friendly piece of kit says: “In your most intense matches, you can finally feel soft grass tickle your fingertips as you’re nailing those clip highlights. Premium options also include a grass scent to throw off anyone who can’t mind their own business. Embrace nature and ‘Touch Grass’ with HyperX on Earth Day 2022.” Good stuff HyperX, good stuff.
NZXT’s H-AND Steam Deck Parody
Introducing NZXT H-AND, take PC gaming anywhere!Packed with industry-leading specs and components, it’s time to go beyond.Featuring:• 32 core 64 thread APU• 800 DPI 12″ display• Tenkeyless pullout keyboard• Plenty of RGB• And more!Can you handle it? ✋ #NZXTHAND pic.twitter.com/Rd1m5JqEN2March 31, 2022
Mysteriously posted on the 31st of March, NZXT announced the H-AND, a portable PC gaming setup which looks rather like the Steam Deck but like… worse. The tweet announcing the product claims the hardware boasts “32 core 64 thread APU, 800 DPI 12-inch display, Tenkeyless pullout keyboard, Plenty of RGB” and more. The only problem is that the keyboard in question comes out the left side of the screen, making it impossible to see the screen and use the keyboard. Oh and the mouse function on the right side is built in, so wouldn’t be functional as a mouse. Something tells me this isn’t a real product folks.
House Flipper Friends Update
House Flipper’s April Fools’ Day update may remind you of two pop culture apartments. Something seems very friendly about these places, I can’t quite put my finger on it. It would be a great place to hang out with mates and maybe watch a sitcom, right?
If you’ve somehow not got the hint by now, the House Flipper update is based on the American sitcom, Friends. The two apartments where the majority of the show is set are available to flip and update to your liking which is a pretty cool idea. What’s even better is that this is a real update available now. April Fools’ Day creates many fake products that will never be available so it’s cool to see something tangible to come from a developer.
Overclockers Retro Range and Elgato Cam Link Retro
It seems retro is in this year. These two jokes have the same punchline, producing ’90s aesthetic products for the modern day. Overclockers tweeted a video celebrating a ‘new’ line of PC towers and monitors that will transport you back to the 90s, just in case you’re sick of all the RGB of modern set ups contain.
Tired of super-slick, futuristic, RGB-heavy tech? 🤔💭Forget the fluff! Return to the perfection of cubes and beauty of beige and dial-up in retro style! 📞✨reBoot by Overclockers UK, the past is now! ⏲🔮 Find out more! 🔎➡ https://t.co/QzV9Mo9W6s pic.twitter.com/Z1SZG6DyPlApril 1, 2022
And what could pair better with an old monitor and tower than an old cam recorder? Elgato’s April Fools is the Cam Link Retro, a play on its Cam Link product which content creators wildly use to connect their cameras to their streams. As it’s only HDMI capable, old cameras with RCA or composite cables aren’t able to connect. But with the Cam Link Retro, that could all change.
Introducing Cam Link Retro.It’s time to level down your webcam. 🎥Learn more: https://t.co/aupLYy13jj pic.twitter.com/bRqkrKdLozApril 1, 2022
Royal Albert Hall NFTs
Annoyingly, NFTs continue to make themselves known. I’m not the biggest fan. But what I am a fan of is the Royal Albert Hall’s announcement that it’s getting into the crypto game. If you’re unaware, the Royal Albert Hall is a large concert hall in London and a prestigious space for all sorts of performances. But even with its classic reputation, someone on the team had the genius idea to joke about getting into NFTs. The full post can be read here, but just to quote my favourite line: “For too long, too much of what the Hall has offered has been fungible—and has been avidly funged by our audience. That’s where NFTs come in. Honestly, I would like to see somebody try to funge these.”
Goat Simulator: The Musical Motion Picture directed by Steve-O
I’m not sure what to say about this one that isn’t said in the subheader. Goat Simulator has announced its debut film, Goat Simulator: The Musical Motion Picture, which will be directed by the one and only Steve-O. The press release also claims other celebrities will be starring in the movie like The Inbetweeners’ James Buckley, Harry Potter’s Tom Felton, and Hot Fuzz’s Nick Frost.
The synopsis says the movie is about *ahem*: “A small town goat, Pilgor works on the farm like the other animals but dreams of becoming a big-time musical movie star.” Pigor is shunned by other animals for getting into accidents all the time, but carries on pursuing their dream of “a huge barn full of the finest hay…. and someone to milk them daily.” Ew.