RUMOR: Microsoft planning to release disc-less XBOX in 2019?

[ResoluteRock]

https://www.thurrott.com/xbox/192184/microsofts-building-a-disc-less-xbox-one-for-release-in-2019#

 

There are rumors going around that Microsoft will be releasing an XBOX sometime in 2019 that has no disc drive, relying solely on digital games.

 

"The goal with the new console is to lower the price point for the hardware. Currently, it costs about $299 to buy into the Xbox One family of devices, Microsoft is looking to lower that price by possibly as much as $100; the new console price point is expected to be $200 or less."

 

And for those that already have an extensive XBOX physical games collection:

 

"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."

 

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It's nice that they're providing that "disc-to-digital" program, but I don't really see the point of it for current XBOX owners. As far as I can tell, it sounds like it will still be a current-gen XBOX being released, but just at a lower price due to its all-digital nature. What do you guys think? I personally think it's nice to see that they're releasing this for current-gen in order to give people who have wanted to try some XBOX games a chance to get the console even cheaper, as long as they don't mind having a digital collection.

 

However, I just hope that they don't make all next-gen XBOX consoles disc-less. I really enjoy having a physical collection and being able to truly own my games, not just purchasing a license for them. I'm okay with digital games, but I always prefer physical over digital. Plus, it's nice to build up a collection you can admire, not just some additional game icons on your screen.

[kdogg_gamer_]

It makes sense but also it better come with a stock storage of at least 2TB.

[Dangisuckatgamin]

This will flop really bad lol

Especially with next gen being so close..

[dottyduke1]

Great for those who don't mind all digital. Just hope it has a heap of storage space included because some games, like Gears of War 4, take up a ton. Plus the disc to digital program may be wise for some, but like myself, there is no Microsoft Store nearby. Personally, I think it's flawed and hope it doesn't speak of the future of gaming. 

[Martain2]

PSP Go 2 anyone?

I've got a feeling Microsoft is testing the waters and trying to get the general public more accepting of the idea of a digital only future just this time not gambling an entire new console generation on it at the same time.

Edited January 12, 2019 by Martain2

[majob]

I wouldn't buy a console that wouldn't accept physical games. I might as well go PC at that point

[SaltyCat]

46 minutes ago, kdogg_gamer_ said:

It makes sense but also it better come with a stock storage of at least 2TB.

 

It doesn't make sense to me in any way. All they would do by doing this is lose quite a bit of customers. 

[MMDE]

Digital-only? Not interested one bit.

[RevengeancePrime]

I wouldn't mind this since I buy most of my games digital, but I still don't have a reason to buy an Xbox One.

[Remilia Scarlet]

45 minutes ago, dottyduke1 said:

Great for those who don't mind all digital. Just hope it has a heap of storage space included because some games, like Gears of War 4, take up a ton. Plus the disc to digital program may be wise for some, but like myself, there is no Microsoft Store nearby. Personally, I think it's flawed and hope it doesn't speak of the future of gaming. 

 

What do you mean "Microsoft store"? Every major retailer that carries electronics sells Xbox One consoles. Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Walmart, etc.

[Feral]

Not keen on it at all, digital only is shit. Trust Microsoft to want it because they'd likely give you a small hard drive so they can make more money flogging you a bigger one down the track.

 

But yeah if it's true then I hope it fails and they give up on this stupidity.

[PooPooBlast]

This is just history repeating itself. 

 

Might as well Sony release the same ad showing how you can share discs with friends when the ps4 debuted

 

20 minutes ago, Feral said:

Not keen on it at all, digital only is shit. Trust Microsoft to want it because they'd likely give you a small hard drive so they can make more money flogging you a bigger one down the track.

Dislike the idea as well but just curious how does that make them more money if most hard drives are from a 3rd party?

[Sofa King]

Since I got my PS4 it's been digital purchases almost entirely for me, but not having a physical option just isn't fair to people that like having discs and are proud of their collection taking up all that shelf space. It's like telling them they don't matter anymore.

[dottyduke1]

1 hour ago, Princess Boo said:

 

What do you mean "Microsoft store"? Every major retailer that carries electronics sells Xbox One consoles. Best Buy, GameStop, Target, Walmart, etc.

As in actual Microsoft Stores like Apple Stores. Since Xbox is Microsoft's, their store is clear for that program, but it also depends on what the other retailers participating would be. I'm not sure on who would willingly want to participate in that. Probably GameStop but I don't know about the rest, even if they do have used games (which are very slim for stores like Best Buy and Walmart).

Edited January 12, 2019 by dottyduke1

[GoldenShaka]

Hmm, I thought months ago they already mentioned that next generation is going to include 2 Xbox models, the one without disc tray and the regular one.

[Conker]

I'm Not a fan of a digital only console so yeah don't expect me buying one ever. though will be curious if it can do better then the PSP GO did  

[Brawler]

As long as disc-less remains an option and not the norm I'm all for it.

[Sydoki]

Microsoft is one of the few companies who are really pushing for a digital only content (including online streaming). It'll be definitely interesting to see what they will show for the next gen (especially if the will give people option to choose between a normal and "disc-less" console.

[MMDE]

2 hours ago, ObliviousSenpai said:

I wouldn't mind this since I buy most of my games digital, but I still don't have a reason to buy an Xbox One.

 

The digital prices are bad enough as they are, with no competition it's certainly not going to get better.

5 minutes ago, Sydoki said:

Microsoft is one of the few companies who are really pushing for a digital only content (including online streaming). It'll be definitely interesting to see what they will show for the next gen (especially if the will give people option to choose between a normal and "disc-less" console.

 

Disc-less option is definitely the way to go. Then you can sell a cheaper console, that you can even knock off a lot extra on the price for because you'll earn money on digital sales down the line.

[Feral]

9 hours ago, PooPooBlast said:

Dislike the idea as well but just curious how does that make them more money if most hard drives are from a 3rd party?

True but couldn't imagine them not having their own hard drives out when their console would pretty much force people to buy them. They're sneaky bastards after all.

Edited January 13, 2019 by Feral
Forgot a word

[Super-Fly Spider-Guy]

First off, this is old news. True or otherwise, the rumour itself is old hat.

 

Second, I'd jump on it in a heartbeat. Given Xbox's commitment to backward compatibility, it's not crazy to think the next Xbox will out the gate play all the games the Xbox One currently can, yeah? Well if they let me ditch all my old ass 360 discs and shit and upgrade to a digital code, 1: I won't need to rummage for discs anymore, 2: Since I GameShare with a mate it means he gets all my games too, and 3: They can all be nice and easily downloaded to my shiny new Xbox 2 or Xbox 4 or whatever the fuck they call it.

 

Third. I think it's a great idea, but the Xbox One S is cheap enough already. We've had multiple sales over the last year, in store and online at places like Amazon, where the S, a shiny new one, with 500 OR 1TB of storage, goes for 199, sometimes with a game or two chucked in as well. Unless you GENUINELY think you can sell this disc less console for 150 RRP MAXIMUM, it's just not worth it, and even then, it would only be worth it in the event it goes on sale and knocks another 50 off because for 50 more you'd do much better to wait on a sale and get a CD player, DVD player, Blu Ray player, 4K Blu Ray player, and the ability to buy significantly cheaper physical copies of games.

 

Forth and final word, if a disc less, but proper digital downloading option comes out for their next Xbox, I would get it. I'd pick up Game Pass and Gold when on super sale, and just play those games, wouldn't bother really buying many digital games, outside the odd thing that really grabs me. Like I have probably a couple hundred games on Xbox, but that's over several years, in the first year of Switch I bought over a hundred games and that was me going slow. So I'm not opposed to buying digital, it's just that Game Pass makes it not worth it for me to buy digital on Xbox anymore. So many games, Just Cause 3 is a recent example, that I've bought are now on the service. It's like when PS+ USED to be good, and I would be scared of buying certain games for fear of them hitting that service. 

 

Fifth and actual final word, talking about Game Pass got me thinking. I think if you sold that new console for 150 (remember it's all relative, so take whatever the lowest sale price of an Xbox One S console is for you, and knock a quarter off, that's where I'm at right now), and threw in a year of Gold and Game Pass, it would be a veeeeery tempting deal. Even for me, with the disc trade in shit, if they actually do that here, I'd think about jumping on it. My old original Xbox One is hella slow on the menus if I leave rest mode on, I have to full on and off it or else the menu will chug along slower than a retarded Thomas the Tank Engine. I'm not opposed to upgrading if the price is right, but like, I'll be buying the next Xbox day one, so the price HAS to be right, otherwise I can sit on my Xbox One until it's entirely redundant happily.

[RevengeancePrime]

1 hour ago, MMDE said:

 

The digital prices are bad enough as they are, with no competition it's certainly not going to get better.

 

Digital prices aren't very different from physical at least in Canada. Just looking at the most recent holiday/black Friday sale, sales prices on games in the PSN store weren't much different from those at Best Buy, Wal-Mart or Amazon. There were even cases where I could get the games cheaper on PSN. Granted, those are the only places I look to buy physical from - perhaps there's a better option that I'm unaware of. But you are right that having digital-only will most likely result in higher prices. 

[Frozen_Guardian]

Giving Microsoft the disc to get the digital copy might be a good deal. You can trade them a pre-owned copy from Gamestop and get the full game. 

[MMDE]

1 minute ago, ObliviousSenpai said:

 

Digital prices aren't very different from physical at least in Canada. Just looking at the most recent holiday/black Friday sale, sales prices on games in the PSN store weren't much different from those at Best Buy, Wal-Mart or Amazon. There were even cases where I could get the games cheaper on PSN. Granted, those are the only places I look to buy physical from - perhaps there's a better option that I'm unaware of. But you are right that having digital-only will most likely result in higher prices. 

 

It shouldn't be the same, it should be much cheaper. You can always buy used or sell your game afterwards to earn some of the money back making the game cheaper for you to have bought.

 

In any case, you know the prices won't be better when it's digital only. It just means they can control the price and there's absolutely no competition. MS wants this as they could probably take a greater cut when there's no other option to release on the platform, and they wouldn't compete with retail stores over who gets to distribute the game. They wouldn't need to improve their method of distribution either, as there wouldn't be any competition. This is just really bad for consumers, even if you buy digital only yourself.

 

You'd also have the unfortunate effect of a generation of games going lost when nobody re-release them later and there's no way to purchase or download the games anymore.

 

If I was Microsoft, I'd go for an optional, much cheaper, digital only console.

[RevengeancePrime]

1 hour ago, MMDE said:

 

It shouldn't be the same, it should be much cheaper. You can always buy used or sell your game afterwards to earn some of the money back making the game cheaper for you to have bought.

 

In any case, you know the prices won't be better when it's digital only. It just means they can control the price and there's absolutely no competition. MS wants this as they could probably take a greater cut when there's no other option to release on the platform, and they wouldn't compete with retail stores over who gets to distribute the game. They wouldn't need to improve their method of distribution either, as there wouldn't be any competition. This is just really bad for consumers, even if you buy digital only yourself.

 

You'd also have the unfortunate effect of a generation of games going lost when nobody re-release them later and there's no way to purchase or download the games anymore.

 

If I was Microsoft, I'd go for an optional, much cheaper, digital only console.

 

I don't buy used games and I don't resell or trade my games most of the time. That's why I only focused on sales. It certainly is cheaper for people that do buy used and resell. I do agree that this is bad for consumers, I'm just saying that I wouldn't mind paying for a cheaper digital only console in the current market. 

 

As for generations of games being lost, it could happen if the digital stores are shutdown, but this may be less likely to occur with a shift to digital only. Overall, I believe physical should stay, I just find digital more suitable for myself personally.