Quick Links
Microsoft justannounceda new Xbox One without a disc drive.
Unfortunately, it’s too expensive.
But take a step back: Microsoft’s digital gaming strategy was smart.
All Xbox One games would be digital games—even physical ones!
After you inserted the disc, your Xbox would rip the contents and, effectively, digitize the game.
You wouldn’t need the disc inserted to play the game.
Microsoft
It’d be associated with your Microsoft account, just like any other digital game.
Doing so would remove the game from your digital library.
And you’d never have to swap the disc to switch games.
Microsoft
Eventually, Microsoft abandoned that plan.
The dream of buying digital games in any store andsharing themwas gone.
All the games you’ll play on this console are digital.
Microsoft
With an All-Digital Xbox, Microsoft ultimately achieves the same goal.
All your games must be digital.
This is an Xbox One where you never have to swap discs.
Of course, you could’t buy used games for it or sell your old games.
That benefits Microsoft and game developers.
An all-digital library could benefit you in interesting ways in the future, too.
Microsoft wasexperimentingwith running Xbox One games on Windows 10 PCs during theMay 2019 Update’s development process.
Or a future game-streaming service could stream your licensed Xbox One games to any rig.
That generation of console wars had both surprises and stumbles.
The Wii shocked everyone with a family-friendly console incapable of high-end graphics that sold incredibly well.
Sony’s PlayStation 3 didn’t fare as well.
While it ultimately did sell in decent numbers, it stumbled hard out of the gate.
If any of that sounds familiar, that’s because you remember what happened next.
Microsoft preceded to announce the most expensive console of the new generation.
That originally announced Xbox One was packed with features and requirements gamers didn’t want or understand.
As gamers pointed out, high-speed access wasn’t as common in 2013.
It’s still not pervasive throughout the USA today.
When confronted with that fact, a Microsoft Executive famously quipped that those usersshould stick with the Xbox 360.
It took too long, but Microsoft finally started listening to their audience.
As was often the case,Microsoft may have been too far ahead of itself.
But we’ve seen digital downloads take over the PC space.
In the meantime, Microsoft has done everything it can to win back gamers.
Digital is good for Microsoft’s business, too.
It won’t have to share a cut of the revenue with retail stores like GameStop.
That leaves the two consoles effectively priced the same.
The third, Forza Horizon 3, doesn’t—but its sequel, Forza Horizon 4, does.
Retailers likeAmazonandBest Buyare already selling the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition for $250.
But, even if they were selling it for $200, that still sounds like a hard sell.
4K Blu-ray players are expensive, ranging in price between$100and$300.
That puts Microsoft between a rock and a hard place.
Realistically speaking, the tantalizing price for an All-Digital Xbox is $200 or less.
