Microsoft may release a cheap ‘digital only’ Xbox One next year

We are coming towards the end of this current generation of consoles but Microsoft apparently has one more hardware revision to get out of the door first. In order to create a cheaper model, Microsoft is reportedly planning to launch a disc-less Xbox One console.

This would be a revision of the original Xbox One,  rather than the more powerful Xbox One X hardware. According to sources speaking with Thurrot, Microsoft will be releasing this ‘digital only' Xbox One in 2019, with pricing expected to be below the $200 mark. Apparently, there may also be a new Xbox One S revision, which will be a bit more expensive but still contain a disc drive.

Microsoft tried this ‘digital first' strategy back when it first announced the Xbox One in 2013. It didn't work at the time but nowadays, a lot of console gamers have made the shift over to digital, with physical sales starting to shrink. Still, if you own an original Xbox One with a lot of physical games, then Microsoft is apparently planning a program to make the transition easier for you.

According to the report, Microsoft is considering a ‘disc-to-digital' trade-in system, which will allow people to send in their physical games and receive digital versions instead. Ultimately, this wouldn't be a bad move as the Xbox team has committed to maintaining backwards and forwards compatibility in the future, so your current Xbox One digital library should carry over once next-gen launches.

KitGuru Says: These new console revisions are not to be confused with ‘Scarlett', which is the reported codename for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox. I expect that the next-gen Xbox will still use a disc drive, but offering a cheaper, digital-only alternative doesn't seem like a bad idea. 

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