Microsoft is planning to launch its first games console without an optical drive, and will do so as soon as next month, according to a new report.

Windows Central sources says the disc-less machine will be called the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will be available for pre-order next month. This is the rumoured console previously known under the codename Marverick, according to the report, with sales set to commence in early May, in all existing markets.

That would place a launch well ahead of the E3 show in June, where many folks expected Microsoft to unleash the new disc-less Xbox console, ahead of a release later in 2019.

There’s no word yet on how much this digital-only version of the console will set back gamers, but presuming there’s no considerable power or specs boost here, we might be able to expect a cheaper starting price.

One of the main selling points for the Xbox One S was the presence of the optical drive offering compatibility with 4K Blu-ray discs. An absence of this would significantly bring down the cost of building the console.

Microsoft would use the console to push its Xbox Games Pass subscription service, which offers access to over 100 Xbox games. Meanwhile, the wider Project xCloud streaming service is likely to begin public trials later this year.

The cloud-based technology is set to be available on a much wider range of devices, but a dedicated machine from Microsoft, complete with the official controllers, would be preferable for some users seeking familiarity as they embark upon the cloud-based future of gaming.
A dark future indeed. I've known for years that Microsoft has wanted the Xbox's to be disc-less and always-connected to the Internet. (Read: "Damn filthy pirates, the lot of you!") Previously they didn't launch consoles with these requirements due to the poor quality of Internet connectivity in much of the world and outcry from the gaming community. (See their backtracking over the always-connected requirement for Xbox One which was upgraded to "only" having to be on the Internet at least once per week.) Well, I guess worldwide Internet connectivity has improved enough or Microsoft's greed and power-hungriness has increased enough for them to now launch this monstrosity.

I suppose when Microsoft disconnects the Xbox One servers just like it disconnected the original Xbox servers and no-one can phone Microsoft for permission to run software, all the Xbox One things will be practically worthless. I guess the upside is that this blasphemous console, the "Xbox One S All-Digital Edition," at least won't fill up a whole corner of a landfill with both worthless discs + cases and their worthless hardware, just the console and controllers. I suppose at least the old cases could be used for keeping safe the useful discs for other platforms. And the nearly worthless Xbox One paraphernalia will be cheap to collect for the completionist collectors.

Over time the game companies have instituted regional lock-out, increased costs with price-fixing, removed printed manuals, increased their game prices by selling part up front and part as DLC, increased the amount of DRM in hardware and software to restrict user's abilities more and more, removed useful features which were once included as part of the console's offerings, track and surveil users as part of their telemetry and analyses, and diminished the number of games which get physical releases to control distribution and pricing which in turn removes the users' abilities to buy, sell, and trade with whomever they please for prices they themselves set or the free market sets. So I just don't understand why anyone would want to play the meta-game which companies like Microsoft are playing when they could choose the freedom of retro games and/or DRM-free computer games. I guess marketing campaigns are really just that powerful.

I mean, if you are going to put up with frequent updates and DRM, then at least go with Steam: the sale, holiday, and regular asking prices are far cheaper than what is offered by the console-makers; and at the end of the day, your hardware and peripherals are still functional this year and for many years yet with no artificial end-of-life in their future.

Source: https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/...o-disc-3670793