News MS reported to be building Disc-less Xbox One

[CrazyJuan]

News broke today that MS is working on a reduced cost disc drive-less version of the Xbox One. Along with a program for physical to digital transfer at partner retailers.
Depending on your point of view on digital, this could be either a "finally!" moment, or maybe something more akin to the end of the planet of the apes.

Microsoft's Building a Disc-Less Xbox One for Release in 2019 - Thurrott.com

Personally I've no use for another Xbox One in my home but I welcome the test bubble for a digital only console, and would certainly consider it for the NextBox. I'm curious to find out if this would go for BC games as well.

 

[bbq of doom]

When I built my PC in July I opted against a disc drive due not only to cost, but need. If my library will be Steam and 16 other launchers, do I really need a disc drive for the occasional physical purchase? Hell, the only discs I buy these days are 4K blu-rays--and even that is a rare occasion.

I agree with you, too: I think some folks will decry this as a tacit attack on property rights while others will rejoice.

I'm (obviously?) in that latter camp because I think digital is (i) more convenient, (ii) less wasteful, and (iii) ultimately the path forward. Their disc-to-digital program seems really neat, too.

Next gen can't come soon enough, IMO.

 

[freshVeggie]

Microsoft is going pretty hard into next-gen it looks.
I'm not complaining. The more options (price and hardware config), the better.
Most importantly, their new ideology results in more PC ports.

Everyone wins.

 

[Eriugam]

So long as the console launches with a disc drive counterpart then great all round.

But can you imagine the next generation of consoles that are digital only? Count me out of that!

 

[CrazyJuan]

So long as the console launches with a disc drive counterpart then great all round.

But can you imagine the next generation of consoles that are digital only? Count me out of that!

Its fairly easy for me to imagine, honestly. I've not a single disc Xb1 disc for my Xb1X and i'm just fine. I still have the discs for the BC games that I held on to, but if the physical to digital transfer process seems legit I could give that a go as well and clean that up.

Because for me, physical games just aren't what they used to be. I love my retro collection, but those games are complete games on disc/cartridge. Modern physical aint that. Add to that the fact that I've been gaming purely digitally on my pc since, um... the middle or late 90s and yea I'd be ok with it.

 

[Eriugam]

Its fairly easy for me to imagine, honestly. I've not a single disc Xb1 disc for my Xb1X and i'm just fine. I still have the discs for the BC games that I held on to, but if the physical to digital transfer process seems legit I could give that a go as well and clean that up.

Because for me, physical games just aren't what they used to be. I love my retro collection, but those games are complete games on disc/cartridge. Modern physical aint that. Add to that the fact that I've been gaming purely digitally on my pc since, um... the middle or late 90s and yea I'd be ok with it.

Biggest digital issue for me is ownership. You are always purchasing a licence to access a video game, which can be revoked at any time

 

[Maxi]

Sounds decent for costing and form factor. Hopefully for new gen they will be diskless with an external disc drive sold separately. I suppose that probably won't go down too well with publishers and retailers.

 

[CrazyJuan]

Biggest digital issue for me is ownership. You are always purchasing a licence to access a video game, which can be revoked at any time

I know it, but yea after decades of digital purchases on pc and console both with so few significant losses to games I have access to that I cant honestly recall any... I'm ok with "living dangerously" with it. I mean honestly we've always just been purchasing licences to games in actuality, there just hasnt been any way for it to be enforced before.

 

[Eriugam]

I know it, but yea after decades of digital purchases on pc and console both with so few significant losses to games I have access to that I cant honestly recall any... I'm ok with "living dangerously" with it. I mean honestly we've always just been purchasing licences to games in actuality, there just hasnt been any way for it to be enforced before.

True but with having a digital only console, presents another key issue, digital store fronts.

By having a digital console, you are restricted to purchasing games from one single store front.

Digital games are far too expensive on PSN for starters, always cost £10+ more compared to the physical disc counterparts