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Psht, who needs them?
Microsoft plans to release a diskless version of the Xbox One by next spring, according to a report inspired by author Brad Sams of Thurrott.com (which was reliable with previous Xbox-related information).
The report suggests that the diskless version of the system would not replace the existing Xbox One hardware, but would represent "the lowest possible price for the Xbox One S console." According to Mr. Sams, the price could reach $ 199 "or less", which is a significant reduction from the current system start price ($ 299) (but not as convincing as the $ 199 for the Xbox One and the PS4 scheduled for Black Friday this year). Buyers will also be able to add a subscription to the Xbox Games Pass program for only $ 1, according to Sams.
For players who already have games on disk, Sams claims that Microsoft will offer a "disk to digital" program in association with participating publishers. Players will be able to transfer their discs to participating retailers (including Microsoft stores) and redeem them for a "digital fee" that can be applied to their Xbox Live account.
Sams said the new hardware did not mean that Microsoft would stop distributing games via a disc. In fact, according to Sams, a lower cost revision of the traditional Xbox One S, with some accessory features removed, is also scheduled for next year. The new diskless hardware is also separate from Microsoft's announced plans for a streaming box called Scarlett, which is currently scheduled for 2020.
The idea of a diskless Xbox One does not appear unannounced. Microsoft's Phil Spencer said in 2014 that the company was seriously considering removing the Xbox One's disk drive in mid-2013, just months before it was launched. This consideration was of course taken in the middle of Microsoft's confusing and confusing switch on used game rights and digital game ownership in general at about the same time.
The idea of an inexpensive, download-driven system also joins Microsoft's recently announced All Access program, which offers users free Xbox One hardware with a two-year subscription to Xbox Live and Xbox Games Pass. In both cases, the goal seems to be to reduce the cost of entry to access a vast digital library of Xbox games, including backward-compatible titles from generations of older consoles.
The prevalence and market for games for purely downloadable consoles have certainly increased since 2013, when a Gamestop survey found that 60% of customers would not buy a system that would not play games. opportunity. More recently, 50% of initial sales for Destiny 2 On the consoles, the download takes place instead of the disk, suggesting that the transition from a physical medium has reached a critical point. It has now been more than six years since EA announced its intention to become a "100% digital company" and that the eventual end of game sales for retail is "inevitable".
Here in Ars, we publicly discussed the pros and cons of a console without physical support in 2015 and again last year. Although the market is not ready for a completely diskless console Platform for now, having a less expensive diskless hardware, option could be just an idea whose time has come.
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