New rumor claims Microsoft could launch a disc-free Xbox Series X console

New rumor claims Microsoft could launch a disc-free Xbox Series X console

Microsoft's current-gen consoles are the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. While the smaller and cheaper Xbox Series S does not have a disk drive, The larger and more powerful Xbox Series X does have a disk drive that runs games and also video disks up to Ultra 4K resolution.

However, if a new rumor is accurate, Microsoft could be working on a new version of the Xbox Series X that would not have a disk drive. The rumor was mentioned as part of the latest XboxEra Podcast.

The relevant clip, which begins at the 2:05:27 mark, has co-host Nick Baker claiming that he had heard from "a couple of sources" that Microsoft is "looking into a digital-only Series X, so no disk drive". He did not offer any more details, including when this rumored disc-free Xbox Series X might launch. If this is true, it's more than likely that the design of this new version would be smaller that the current Xbox Series X.

In addition, Baker also claims that Microsoft's Xbox team has plans for "other hardware in 2025". Baker would not go into any details about what this hardware might be like.

This is not the first time we have heard reports about Microsoft working on other Xbox console-like devices besides the current gen Series X and S products. In 2021, the company confirmed it was working on an Xbox TV streaming stick, codenamed Keystone, that would let owners play Xbox and PC games via the cloud.

In May 2022, Microsoft revealed that it had decided to "pivot away from the current iteration of the Keystone device." Even with that announcement, a Keystone prototype device has been seen in the background of images from Xbox head Phil Spencer as recently as October 2022. It's possible that such a product could be one of those "other hardware" devices that Baker mentioned are in the works.

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