Microsoft is rumored to be developing a new version of the Xbox One S without a disc drive and that only plays digitally downloaded content. According to a new report from Thurrott. This new Xbox One S is reportedly scheduled to release in 2019.
The move to produce a console without a disc drive was supposedly driven by a decision to make a more cost friendly console. If Microsoft was to downgrade some of the other components without sacrificing performance, we could see a price point in the $200-$300 range.
If you’re worried about having a large library of physical copies and not being able to play them on this console the article on Thurrott had this to say:
In addition to the new console, there will be a ‘disc-to-digital’ program that, as the name states, turns your physical games into digital downloads. The idea is that you can take your disc to a participating retailer (like the Microsoft store) and trade in your disc for a digital download.
In addition, Microsoft is rumored to also have a revised Xbox One S that is expected later in 2019 that focuses specifically on reducing costs but it would feature a disc-drive for those who still prefer the traditional way to buy your games. Microsoft is treading very carefully with this idea of a “disc-less” console as it knows that a large number of Xbox users still prefer to buy physical games and not download them.
We will keep up with this story and post any updates we have. Until then, rumors will remain just rumors.