There have been rumors surrounding a disc-less Xbox One making the rounds for quite some time. We’ve been hearing about this for a few months and talked about back during November 2018. This would effectively make this a digital-only console, which many (including myself) is the future of consoles. Now the rumblings are getting louder and harder to ignore.
According to several sources, including WindowsCentral, Microsoft is readying a disc-less Xbox One S. Codenamed “Xbox Maverick“, this would be completely identical to the current Xbox One S, meaning this console wouldn’t see any upgraded power features. The except being that it would be an all-digital console since it would be impossible to use a DVD or Bluray without a disc-drive. Not to mention this would be the first console to ever forgo a way to use a physical media format.
On the Windows Central, Jez Corden calls this an “experiment” and I’m inclined to agree with him. It would also make sense why this is being restricted to the Xbox One S and not the Xbox One X. Why? It’s quite simple, actually. For as much as people are asking for a disc-less console, there are those who would be 100% against it. Especially those who aren’t fans of purchasing their games via digital means. Those who are heavily invested in physical gaming and high definition movie-goes (4K). As well as those who are on capped broadband or spotty ISPs.
A disc-less Xbox One S would also (supposedly) be cheaper, but not by much. I can’t imagine the drive costing or reducing the price much. Which is why this is again referred to as an experiment. Keep in mind, Microsoft does have another disc-less console, a much more powerful one that is set to launch later this year – supposedly. So this would likely let Microsoft test the waters and see the reception. If these rumors are to be believed, this console will go see pre-orders going live sometime during mid-April 2019. With the console releasing in May 2019.
That said, this likely is a bit too late in my opinion. If this happened sooner, I could see this being a better test. Right now, with the lack of games available for the Xbox One family. Yet, on the other hand, this would also make for a really compelling set-top box for a living room or family room. Combine that with Xbox Game Pass and you have a cheaper alternative to gaming on your hands. Either way, none of this has been confirmed, so until it does this will remain a rumor.
What do you think about a disc-less Xbox One S? Is this something you’d jump on or are you not willing to give up the disc drive? Let us know in the comments section.
Source: Brad Sams, WindowsCentral
