Reports: Microsoft’s Project Helix may be digital-only without a disc drive

Next-Gen Xbox May Not Have Disc Drive, Disc-To-Digital Feature Coming, Reports Say

Following Sony's announcement that it will not support PlayStation discs starting in 2028 and conjecture that the PS6 won't have a disc drive, it's now been reported that Microsoft's next-gen Xbox, Project Helix, won't have a disc drive either. Jez Corden of Windows Central reported today that Project Helix will not have a disc drive. The report did not include any further details, but this would not be a surprising development given the increasing percentage of games sold digitally compared to physical, along with existing precedent. The Verge, meanwhile, reported that Microsoft has not decided yet about if Project Helix will have a disc drive. The report also said Microsoft is working on a disc-to-digital feature that would allow users to transition their physical games to digital ones. This feature, which Xbox employees are now reportedly testing, will allow users to convert Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S discs to digital copies; there will apparently be no support for Xbox 360 and original Xbox discs. "Getting a digital copy of a game works simply by inserting a compatible disc and installing and playing the game. This will require a Microsoft account on an Xbox console and will grant a digital entitlement for physical games," the report said. "This digital entitlement is tied to the specific disc, and it will move from account to account if you swap the physical game with a friend or log in to a different Xbox profile and try to play a disc-based game." Not all existing discs will be supported, though, the report said. Supported discs for the disc-to-digital program will continue to work as discs even after being digitized, the report said. However, the entitlements are tied to specific consoles and the entitlements will end if people give away their discs. .  Project Helix may not have a disc drive. Microsoft already offers a digital-only version of the Xbox Series X, while all Xbox Series S consoles do not have disc drives. Microsoft has been plotting a future for consoles with no disc drives for more than a decade, as the company considered doing away with the disc drive for the Xbox One. While many millions of games continue to be sold physically on discs, the share of digital games compared to disc-based games sold continues to grow in favor of digital. Sony had its highest-ever quarterly digital game sales period just before it announced it was abandoning discs. Companies like EA, Capcom, Nintendo, and others have reported increased shares of digital game sales, too. Sony said it was ending support for discs because the majority of its users buy games digitally, and that's likely true for Xbox as well. Sony publishes this data in its quarterly reports, but Microsoft is much more secretive and doesn't share much in the way of concrete data for how its Xbox division is performing. Not much is known about Project Helix, apart from Microsoft touting it as a system that will "push the boundaries of rendering and simulation." At Summer Game Fest recently, Xbox's Matthew Ball said Microsoft remained committed to releasing Project Helix, despite ongoing concerns about component and memory pricing due to the AI craze.

4 hours ago

Xbox’s Project Helix Is Reportedly a Fully Digital‑Only Console, No Disc Drive

Following PlayStation's digital shift, a new report claims Microsoft's Project Helix is a fully digital-only console. The post Xbox’s Project Helix Is Reportedly a Fully Digital‑Only Console, No Disc Drive appeared first on VICE.

5 hours ago