SINGAPORE — Durian lovers may be happy to know that they can not only buy the thorny fruit from regular fruit vendors, it is now also available in claw machines. 

One may get a chance to win the prickly fruit at reportedly S$1 a pop from Play United’s claw machines, which can be found at various pasar malam (night markets) and malls such as Hougang Mall and Tampines 1. 

So what are the chances of winning durians from a claw machine?  

Content creators in Singapore published a video on a YouTube channel named “DancingBacons” of their exploits in getting their hands on some durians.

After many attempts, the duo managed to snag three durians of various sizes from the claw machine.

The video, posted on June 7, has since gone viral with more than 430,000 views and 480 comments. 

In the nine-minute-long video, the YouTube content creators documented the process of playing at the claw machine and showcased their durian haul — including how much they spent, as well as how many seeds each durian yielded.

To "catch" three durians, they spent a total of about $18.70.

Earlier this month, it was reported that a 45-year-old man had successfully won five durians from Play United’s claw machine in just 15 minutes at a Toa Payoh pasar malam.

Several people who responded in the video’s comments section were impressed by how they managed to get the durians. 

One YouTube user whose comment that has at least 300 likes wrote: “The (claws in the) machine seemed too weak to pick up the fruit (probably by design). The fact (that) you managed to win some is very impressive.” 

Others, however, were still sceptical of the durian claw machines, regarding them as “scams”. 

Another YouTube user said: “This was tough to watch. (It is) next to impossible to win any of those fruits. (This is) a borderline scam in my humble opinion.”

Someone else commented: “What a scam these machines are. They should be illegal.”

On online forum Reddit, a post on the claw machines also drew thorny reactions among users. One of them wrote: “Those scam claw machines’ claws (are) always very weak. (They) can’t even pick up the normal soft toys. Can (they) pick up durians?” 

People have also taken jabs at the durian claw machines, referencing the fruit’s distinct aroma. 

One YouTube user said: “That must be the most pungent claw machine.”

Some online users even described the durians in the machines as “disgusting” and looked “old”. 

Ms Alice Goh, Play United's spokesperson, told The Straits Times that lower durian prices allowed her team to introduce the novelty fruit to the claw machines. 

On Play United's Facebook page, it was stated that the durians were hand-picked daily. 

According to local media reports, several durian varieties such as D13 and D101 were spotted in the claw machines.

TODAY has reached out to Play United for comment. 

Quirky claw machines are not an entirely new concept in Asia. In Zhejiang, China, claw machines reportedly offer live Chinese mitten crabs that are up for grabs; while in Taiwan, claw machines offer lettuce, cucumbers, corn, and carrots as prizes.