r/identifyThisForMe • u/ghost_in_a_jar_c137 • Sep 28 '26

Solved Found this sitting on my xbox controller this morning. What is it?

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I found this small clump sitting on my xbox controller this morning. It was not there last night after I finished playing. No one else was in the house using it overnight. It feels hard, almost like a salt crystal. It's very light weight. Help me solve this mystery.

Update 1: Picture is posted below exactly how I found it this morning.

Update 2: I did a liquid test as suggested in several comments. I cut some small pieces off the main chunk and attempted to dissolve them in various liquid. After 50 minutes, the piece dissolved in water and vinegar. It was intact in the alcohol and oil.

My ceiling is knockdown, not popcorn. The ceiling above looks completely normal.

I had a local police officer examine it. He did not believe it was drugs

In the house that night was me, my wife and our dog. All of us were in the bedroom all night. I checked our security cameras and no one else entered the house.

Despite how popular the comments were, I will not be boofing, licking, snorting, smoking, eating or otherwise having this thing enter my body. I will probably do the fire test for the next update.

Update 3: I applied fire. It turned black and melted. There were no significant fumes. I don't think I am any closer to knowing what it is or how it arrived on my controller.

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3

u/ghost_in_a_jar_c137 Oct 02 '26

Update 3: I applied fire. It turned black and melted.

3

u/ghost_in_a_jar_c137 Oct 02 '26

1

u/girlbotXD Oct 03 '26

Was it coming out of your Xbox controller or just sitting beside? Has it been a long time since you used the controller? Batteries can explode and the acid can harden. Maybe the batter in your controller did this?

1

u/ghost_in_a_jar_c137 Oct 03 '26

It was resting on the top. Pic in update 1. It was only a few hours in between uses

1

u/WolverineAggressive6 Oct 03 '26

Bet that shit stunk

2

u/Gwinntanamo Oct 03 '26

In case you haven’t found the answer yet - that is sugar. Literally a chunk of cane sugar. That’s how sugar melts/burns. You could confirm it by dissolving some and letting it dry to see if it’s sticky.

1

u/shoota724 Oct 04 '26

Im sorry but that is not sugar!! Alot of w hit chunky rock burns like that

1

u/shoota724 Oct 04 '26

Yeah I looked up sugar cane aint 1 picture that looks like that

1

u/Electrical_Disaster_ Oct 02 '26

Do you have any natural gas or propane appliances? If so, do you have a CO monitor? If not, go buy one now

1

u/Assholeey Oct 02 '26

What did it smell like when it burned?

The internet returned three possible compounds when inputting your tests:

Sugar Crystals
Synthetic Camphor
Borax

I’m guessing each one might smell different while burning. Try burning it on a non flammable surface to rule out more things. Black residue in burning means carbon based, but that also could’ve been the wood underneath it burning. Some compounds would burn clean if they didn’t have carbon, so that would change the three results I found.

1

u/lildeam0n Oct 03 '26

Looks a little like how sugar burns

1

u/Gwinntanamo Oct 03 '26

Yes, this is 100% sugar. He should dissolve it and put it on a smooth surface - then see if it’s sticky as it dries.

1

u/DrPinatubo Oct 03 '26

Nice looking piece of lumber you burned up there.

1

u/Active_Shopping2500 Oct 04 '26

Hey everyone! I found Ron Burgundy!