It’s pretty wild to think how much things have changed. Not that long ago, the idea of a major console from one of the three main platform holders having a disc drive was a given. Something not even worth thinking about, much less a topic that would deserve an article. Yet, here we are, and some people are wondering if the next piece of hardware from Microsoft, dubbed Project Scarlett, might be going discless. Well, physical game fans (or those with data caps) can take a breath- it will.
Speaking with GamesIndustry, head of Xbox Phil Spencer confirmed that the system would have a disc drive and have physical media. He acknowledges that digital sales are quickly becoming more and more common, but says he understands there’s still a lot of people who either prefer physical or are only able to game that way.
“We know, because we see it, that more and more players are buying digital,” he said. “We think the experience in certain instances, specifically if I am away from my console and everything is on my hard-drive with the entitlements are all there, there are some scenarios that are easy. But we know that people still have discs.
“So even when we put out things like the Xbox One S All-Digital edition, we are very clear with the name because I am not trying to confuse anybody, that if you are somebody that has a library of discs, or that’s the way you want to acquire the content, then you should buy the Xbox One S, not the Xbox One S All-Digital… which is why we put it in the name, and yes I know it says SAD.”
For those still attached to physical media, it’s good news. While digital is clearly becoming more and more prevalent, there’s still a lot us stuck on the disc. If you’re curious about what kind of hardware the machine will boast, you can check out all the information about the system that’s been revealed.