Gaming communities are deeply divided on whether these products are "snake oil" or a miracle cure.

: Some users keep these "antique" discs not because they work, but for the nostalgic and often "hilarious" animations and voice prompts that play during the cleaning cycle. Community Perspectives

: One common "horror story" involves using these on newer, slot-loading consoles like the Xbox Series X. Experts warn that because these drives don't have a traditional tray, the cleaning brushes can get snagged, potentially "fubaring" the entire mechanism.

For many Xbox owners, buying a lens cleaner from Best Buy or Amazon is a final act of desperation before declaring a console dead.

: Most lens cleaners use tiny brushes to "tickle" the laser lens as the disc spins.

While some users at Best Buy swear by lens cleaners for a quick fix, the "story" behind them is often one of high-stakes nostalgia and occasional mechanical tragedy. The Legend of the "Open Tray" Error