A report from Thurrott today suggests Microsoft isn’t done with creating new hardware for its Xbox One line of consoles. The company is apparently considering the launch of a disc-less unit as a cost-saving measure, possibly moving its price point below $200.
Earlier this year, rumors of a Microsoft streaming box called Scarlet surfaced, but that isn’t expected to launch until at least 2020. Next year, the company will instead focus on continuing to make its Xbox One hardware more appealing to a wider market, and that means reducing the cost of entry.
We’ve already seen Microsoft leverage innovative subscription services like Game Pass and Xbox All Access to offer players unrivaled value for money this generation. The rumored disc-less hardware would certainly fall in line with that same strategy.
But if you’re part of the camp of gamers that have stuck with physical hardware this generation, the report also makes mention of a physical-to-digital trade system, allowing players to trade-in their discs for digital codes.
If that still doesn’t sound like your thing, Microsoft is apparently also set to introduce a revised Xbox One SKU with a disc system; an Xbox S “Slim,” if you will. The company is apparently acutely aware that many gamers still prefer physical media.
Certainly, if the report turns out to be accurate, the future of the Xbox One brand is looking very positive, indeed. The past twelves months has seen Microsoft ramp-up the initiative to stay competitive with its rivals, and this latest console revision would certainly produce an extremely tempting offer both for first-time buyers and current owners of Sony or Nintendo products.
