Microsoft's disc-less Xbox One S reportedly launches next month

[Shawn Knight]

Rumor mill: Microsoft’s rumored disc-free Xbox One is reportedly nearing completion and could launch within a matter of weeks. If true, it'd likely be the last variant of the Xbox One we see before Microsoft announces its next-gen console, perhaps as early as E3 2020 alongside the PlayStation 5.

First detailed last November, the new console – codenamed Xbox Maverick – will launch as the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Sources familiar with the matter tell Windows Central that pre-orders are scheduled to open in mid-April ahead of an early May 2019 launch.

The publication believes Microsoft could be planning a simultaneous global launch in all existing Xbox markets.

Windows Central didn’t have any further information regarding potential pricing. When plans first leaked last year, it was reported that a disc-less Xbox could sell for up to $100 less than the standard console.

Arguments can be made for and against a disc-less push.

In addition to cheaper hardware, going digital means you wouldn’t have to worry about lost, stolen or scratched discs. There’s also virtually zero clutter to deal with and refunds are much easier to process. Conversely, some people like to collect physical games. What’s more, digital games have no resell or trade value whereas you can still barter with a physical copy of a game.

Lead image courtesy Anthony McLaughlin via Shutterstock

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/79049-microsoft-disc-less-xbox-one-s-reportedly-launches.html

 

[kira setsu]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

 

[bas416]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

And build a 1k usd gaming pc? You pay games there too...

 

[Toju Mikie]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

And build a 1k usd gaming pc? You pay games there too...

You only have one place to buy games on console for digital, while on PC you have multiple digital storefronts. And gaming PCs don't have to be $1k either... This $100 you may be saving will be lost in cost due to mandatory purchases from the Xbox store

 

[m4a4]

As long as they have both the disc-less and disc versions for sale, they can do whatever they want (this goes for the next gen too).
Also, I hope they at least give decent storage options to choose from. Nothing lower than 1tb, and maybe as high as 4tb for starting out...

 

[Vulcanproject]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

And build a 1k usd gaming pc? You pay games there too...

The downsides of console gaming in general with the downside of a fixed price from one locked down platform?

Pass.

Digital games are excusable on PC because there are so many different places to buy, and so many sales. Literally the one thing going for consoles is the ability to buy and sell used games easily for reasonable return.

Take that away and they are a very, very, very poor man's PC.

 

[Bluescreendeath]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

And build a 1k usd gaming pc? You pay games there too...

1) You have to get a computer for work/school/etc anyways regardless of whether you have a console. You might as well take that money for a regular computer and add some more money upgrade it to a gaming computer.

2) You can build a decent new budget gaming PC for around half that price.

Eg. Ryzen 5 6 core/12 thread: $160
Motherboard: $50
RX570 - $120
8GB DDR4 - $40
Antec/Corsair/EVGA 400-500W: $30
Case: $30
1TB Harddrive: $30
Linux/Ubuntu/spare key or copy of Windows OS: $0
= $460.00 total

or $540-$560 if you buy another copy of Windows.

 

[bas416]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

And build a 1k usd gaming pc? You pay games there too...

1) You have to get a computer for work/school/etc anyways regardless of whether you have a console. You might as well take that money for a regular computer and add some more money upgrade it to a gaming computer.

2) You can build a decent new budget gaming PC for around half that price.

Eg. Ryzen 5 6 core/12 thread: $160
Motherboard: $50
RX570 - $120
8GB DDR4 - $40
Antec/Corsair/EVGA 400-500W: $30
Case: $30
1TB Harddrive: $30
Linux/Ubuntu/spare key or copy of Windows OS: $0
= $460.00 total

or $540-$560 if you buy another copy of Windows.

So about 100-200 bucks you save with an xbox one s, but you get the lockdown. And you get a sleek unit that is just working.

Don't get me wrong, I'd never buy a console, it's not my thing... Just looks more logical, as far as you are not into rts. I will buy a one s as soon as I can wipe the OS off an pur something proper on it

 

[Bluescreendeath]

So about 100-200 bucks you save with an xbox one s, but you get the lockdown. And you get a sleek unit that is just working.

Don't get me wrong, I'd never buy a console, it's not my thing... Just looks more logical, as far as you are not into rts. I will buy a one s as soon as I can wipe the OS off an pur something proper on it

Well, people with consoles usually need to buy a regular computer anyways for their other activities, so the price difference is negligible. Of course, the best option is both console and PC. I have both a PC and bought a used PS4, and I use the PS4 only for VR/PS4 exclusives.

 

[pcnthuziast]

If you're a gamer and you only or at least primarily game on a console, you're not a gamer. That is all.

 

[dangh]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

I think you have missed PlayStation store sales. Often games are cheaper than on Steam sales. Not sure how it work on ms store though.

 

[ZackL04]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

I take it you dont own a console....

 

[Evernessince]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

And build a 1k usd gaming pc? You pay games there too...

1) You have to get a computer for work/school/etc anyways regardless of whether you have a console. You might as well take that money for a regular computer and add some more money upgrade it to a gaming computer.

2) You can build a decent new budget gaming PC for around half that price.

Eg. Ryzen 5 6 core/12 thread: $160
Motherboard: $50
RX570 - $120
8GB DDR4 - $40
Antec/Corsair/EVGA 400-500W: $30
Case: $30
1TB Harddrive: $30
Linux/Ubuntu/spare key or copy of Windows OS: $0
= $460.00 total

or $540-$560 if you buy another copy of Windows.

Those are off the shelf prices as well. Can't tell you how many times PC parts go on sale you can easily snag a deal for less. When next generation Ryzen launches first generation Ryzen CPUs and motherboards are going to be dirt cheap. Not to mention that graphics card comes with 2 free $60 games you can resell.

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

And build a 1k usd gaming pc? You pay games there too...

A 1K gaming PC would blow the consoles out of the water in power and functionality. Consider these factors though

1. Console games and controllers are expensive. Games go on sale more often on PC and there are tons of places to shop. Controllers are $60 on console while on the PC there is a wide variety of controllers at lower prices. For example, I got 4 off-brand xbox one controllers that are ironically better quality then the official controllers. I had 2 official controllers fail on me, complete trash compared to the 360 controllers.

2. PC does not have an fee to play online games. You are paying $10 / month to do something that every PC gamer does for free.

3. PC does not have any barriers to publishing your game. You want to make a game on PC? You just do it. On console? Better hope big brother Sony says it's ok first.

4. PC has infinite backwards compat

5. PCs are modular. You don't have to buy an entire new PC every 3 years like when a new console drops. Once you have a PC an upgrade is as simple as dropping in a new graphics card. The more facts you look at in the PC vs Console debate, the more you realize that buying a PC is a smarter long term investment and cheaper. I would know, I was a broke kid once who built and upgraded his PC over time.

6. PCs are not just gaming machines. If you look at consoles from a value perspective, being mostly gaming machines does not do them well. If you are after a media center, a PC with KODI installed is far better and more versatile then any console. If you need to write a paper are you going to use a console? Good luck, you need a PC. The point being, a PC gives you options.

7. When a new console generation drops, many games will only release for the newer console meaning you aren't able to play games on your now worthless dust box. The PC has no such limits and many games run on ancient potato computers. You get a general guarantee that you will be able to continue to enjoy gaming even if you don't upgrade to the latest hardware when some big company tells you to.

8. PC has far more input devices then consoles. Want to use your feet? There are foot paddles and control boards. Keyboards, pen mice, trackballs, wireless air mice, Wheels, throttles, and of course hundreds upon thousands of mice, keyboards, and controllers. Once again, PCs are open while consoles are not.

Those are just the obvious perks of PC gaming. There are many other disadvantages to locked down consoles who's support depends on a company intent on selling it's next big console but hopefully the point is evident by now.

 

[OortCloud]

Those are just the obvious perks of PC gaming. There are many other disadvantages to locked down consoles who's support depends on a company intent on selling it's next big console but hopefully the point is evident by now.

I like my PC as much as the next guy, but you completely miss the point of a console. It sits under your TV, is nice and convenient, it plays games that just work on a great big screen while you and your friends/family sit back on your great big comfy sofa and play Madden/FIFA. Its a different vibe to sitting at a desk and booting a PC. Console games, just like PC games, have sales and the preowned market is great for older titles. You can buy cheap third party controllers - like the one you bought - for consoles. I could go on.

 

[dangh]

Those are just the obvious perks of PC gaming. There are many other disadvantages to locked down consoles who's support depends on a company intent on selling it's next big console but hopefully the point is evident by now.

I like my PC as much as the next guy, but you completely miss the point of a console. It sits under your TV, is nice and convenient, it plays games that just work on a great big screen while you and your friends/family sit back on your great big comfy sofa and play Madden/FIFA. Its a different vibe to sitting at a desk and booting a PC. Console games, just like PC games, have sales and the preowned market is great for older titles. You can buy cheap third party controllers - like the one you bought - for consoles. I could go on.

I agree, but at the same time there is no reason to not put your pc under TV in living room. Same stuff, you can log in directly to Steam big screen and pretend it's console sitting on your couch.

 

[trgz]

Hmm, clearly the fact it costs 'a lot less' is not down to the cost of the componentry but more that it's an attempt to lock you in to the XBox world/marketplace/store. And whatever happened to those people that wanted an XBox as a games machine and a handy way to play any old DVDs that might still be kicking about?

 

[ET3D]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

That's not at all true. The SRP goes down over time, and the price goes down more during sales.

Well, except for Nintendo games.

But for Xbox, there are regular discounts, free games with Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass -- lots of way to get digital games without breaking the bank.

For me though, given my DVD/Blu-ray library, which I still watch and still occasionally add to, I'm kind of glad I bought a One S recently.

 

[Evernessince]

I like my PC as much as the next guy, but you completely miss the point of a console. It sits under your TV, is nice and convenient, it plays games that just work on a great big screen while you and your friends/family sit back on your great big comfy sofa and play Madden/FIFA. Its a different vibe to sitting at a desk and booting a PC. Console games, just like PC games, have sales and the preowned market is great for older titles. You can buy cheap third party controllers - like the one you bought - for consoles. I could go on.

Um you do realize that a PC can hook up to a TV right? There's even an entire case market dedicated to HTPCs. I pointed that out in my original comment which you seemed to have glazed over. Stream big picture mode has been around for awhile and KODI accepts a huge range of remotes, something the consoles cannot do.

It sits under your TV, is nice and convenient, it plays games that just work on a great big screen while you and your friends/family sit back on your great big comfy sofa and play Madden/FIFA.

Not a single thing here that can't be done on PC. Only at least with the PC, you aren't confined to the newer madden games, which are trash. At least with the PC, you can play some actual good football games. And have you seen the multiplayer library for the modern consoles? Yeah, I'd wager there are more split-screen PC games then there are on both the PS4 and Xbox One not even counting emulators. The number of local co-op games on this generation has been abysmal.

Also more convenient? Consoles lost their convenience factor when they started requiring installs just like PCs. The fact that they still use HDD makes them far slower and inconvenient to use compared to any PC with a cheap $20 120GB SSD or better. Or are you talking convenient as in injecting forced adds into your xbox start screen? Oh, or how about having to wait more in loading screens then playing the game? Yeah, real peachy.

Console games, just like PC games, have sales and the preowned market is great for older titles. You can buy cheap third party controllers - like the one you bought - for consoles.

I never said console games don't have sales, I said PC games go on sale more often and there are more choices to buy from. Of course that should be obvious, there's only one marketplace for each console while the PC has hundreds of game key retailers.

Yes, you can buy cheap controllers on console. Once again though, the number of controllers usable on any single console is a fraction that's available on the PC. That's only controllers too, there are dozens of different input devices for PCs.

I could go on.

I'd like to see you correct your first point before going ahead. Not knowing that PCs are able to hook up to TVs is pretty basic stuff. I've been doing it for at least 10 years and there is an entire app and case ecosystem built around it.

 

[Lounds]

$100 less for just not having a Blu-ray drive. That seems a bit optimistic.

 

[kira setsu]

After seeing how digital games never go down in price on console I'll pass.

I take it you dont own a console....

gaming is my hobby, so yeah I own them, but I mainly play on pc, I have my ps4 for its exclusives and a wii u for mario kart(gotta have my kart racer) and ninty exclusives.

but I've been playing games for so long that the gradual lockdown of consoles and their features being stripped away in games pushed me to pc gaming which ended up a blessing because playing on pc is such a free and open experience.

I agree that a good well-made game deserves it's money but that doesnt mean when you go to look at games that you should accept things like seeing a new box copy of a game for 19.99 and the digital version for 59.99, that's not right and gamers should fight it. parents and people not in the know may see this discless console for cheap and think it's saving them money when it actually wouldnt be in the long run.

And I didnt drop thousands on my rig, I studied up and aimed at 1080p60fps and bought what was the best for it.

If you only game on console, be happy, I'm not judging, I stay on it for various reasons
-use of any controller
-free online
-cheaper game prices
-better performance
-game mods

I didnt mean to start a war here, I just wanted to point out that the game industry will pull any tactic it can and after years of dealing with them I've noticed they NEVER make a move without an ulterior motive and in the case of this system the motive is game pricing by taking away used ones and new boxed copies, both of which would be cheaper than a digital version.

also, xbox games pass, they'd love to get more people hooked to yet another subscription, but hey if you fully understand that and accept it then go right ahead, for people that just play warframe, fortnite, apex and free games like that then maybe this is the right system, but for a serious player it would be a mistake.

and with a new gen xbox lurking in the shadows this move just proves they're looking to maximize profits, so when the xbone is old and it's games are too they can still hold top tier prices in a digital store.

 

[elementalSG]

I'm going to miss having a shelf where I (and my friends) can see, browse and hold the physical game cartridges and discs I own. Displaying the digital "collection" on a screen just isn't the same...

 

[ZackL04]

gaming is my hobby, so yeah I own them, but I mainly play on pc, I have my ps4 for its exclusives and a wii u for mario kart(gotta have my kart racer) and ninty exclusives.

but I've been playing games for so long that the gradual lockdown of consoles and their features being stripped away in games pushed me to pc gaming which ended up a blessing because playing on pc is such a free and open experience.

I agree that a good well-made game deserves it's money but that doesnt mean when you go to look at games that you should accept things like seeing a new box copy of a game for 19.99 and the digital version for 59.99, that's not right and gamers should fight it. parents and people not in the know may see this discless console for cheap and think it's saving them money when it actually wouldnt be in the long run.

And I didnt drop thousands on my rig, I studied up and aimed at 1080p60fps and bought what was the best for it.

If you only game on console, be happy, I'm not judging, I stay on it for various reasons
-use of any controller
-free online
-cheaper game prices
-better performance
-game mods

I didnt mean to start a war here, I just wanted to point out that the game industry will pull any tactic it can and after years of dealing with them I've noticed they NEVER make a move without an ulterior motive and in the case of this system the motive is game pricing by taking away used ones and new boxed copies, both of which would be cheaper than a digital version.

also, xbox games pass, they'd love to get more people hooked to yet another subscription, but hey if you fully understand that and accept it then go right ahead, for people that just play warframe, fortnite, apex and free games like that then maybe this is the right system, but for a serious player it would be a mistake.

and with a new gen xbox lurking in the shadows this move just proves they're looking to maximize profits, so when the xbone is old and it's games are too they can still hold top tier prices in a digital store.

If you have a PS4 then you know that there are ALWAYS heavy discounts on digital games. So your original comment is invalid.

 

[QuantumPhysics]

One of the most disappointing aspects of Xbox One X for me was the lack of a user replaceable HDD.

They should have learned their lesson by now:

Put the OS main drive as a M.2 or a sata SSD or HDD and then allow us to put in our own drive.

That's how I treat my PC.

A 1TB SSD can be had for just $100 now. 2TB is less than $290.

You can use a 120GB SSD (less than $25) as an OS main and then add in multiple larger drives for high-speed access.

It's amazing that you can get 3TB of storage for less than $300. My Xbox One has up to 4TB, but I needed an external Western Digital HDD.

I hate externals.

 

[Sausagemeat]

The fact that in 2019 consoles still rely on the ancient practise of inserting optical media in them to play games is reflective on how poor the online stores really are for consoles. For most users the advantages of digital downloads outweigh the advantages of physical media but if the stores selling the games are locked down with high prices then you can’t blame users for preferring the outdated practise of buying a disc with a game on it.

MS and Sony need to make it easier for people to buy, share and download games to their platforms if they expect any mass adoption. Consoles are definitely better under the tv than a PC (or steam link) is but it’s annoying having to get off my *** to change the disc!

Somehow I feel MS and Sony will simply release a disk drive console and force users to use their store. As I can’t see them allowing users to buy digital games and then sell them on, share them etc. Not even steam allows users to sell their games to other users.

 

[kira setsu]

gaming is my hobby, so yeah I own them, but I mainly play on pc, I have my ps4 for its exclusives and a wii u for mario kart(gotta have my kart racer) and ninty exclusives.

but I've been playing games for so long that the gradual lockdown of consoles and their features being stripped away in games pushed me to pc gaming which ended up a blessing because playing on pc is such a free and open experience.

I agree that a good well-made game deserves it's money but that doesnt mean when you go to look at games that you should accept things like seeing a new box copy of a game for 19.99 and the digital version for 59.99, that's not right and gamers should fight it. parents and people not in the know may see this discless console for cheap and think it's saving them money when it actually wouldnt be in the long run.

And I didnt drop thousands on my rig, I studied up and aimed at 1080p60fps and bought what was the best for it.

If you only game on console, be happy, I'm not judging, I stay on it for various reasons
-use of any controller
-free online
-cheaper game prices
-better performance
-game mods

I didnt mean to start a war here, I just wanted to point out that the game industry will pull any tactic it can and after years of dealing with them I've noticed they NEVER make a move without an ulterior motive and in the case of this system the motive is game pricing by taking away used ones and new boxed copies, both of which would be cheaper than a digital version.

also, xbox games pass, they'd love to get more people hooked to yet another subscription, but hey if you fully understand that and accept it then go right ahead, for people that just play warframe, fortnite, apex and free games like that then maybe this is the right system, but for a serious player it would be a mistake.

and with a new gen xbox lurking in the shadows this move just proves they're looking to maximize profits, so when the xbone is old and it's games are too they can still hold top tier prices in a digital store.

If you have a PS4 then you know that there are ALWAYS heavy discounts on digital games. So your original comment is invalid.

the fact they have sales doesnt invalidate my opinion, a sale can help but that doesnt mean it'll stay at that price forever, I don't live my life around when a game is now affordable.

the bottom line is that as of now when games get older the physical version cost less, I don't mind the digital versions but I'll loudly debate pricing because digital versions vary so wildly when it comes to it. sure you'll see a sale for a week, then its full priced again for 2 yrs while the physical copy is in a best sellers bin for a 10.

the day I see digital copies slowly go down in price like the physical is when I'll hush up.