Digital Foundry: Microsoft Will Not Abandon Discs in the Next Xbox

Amid reports that Sony will cease physical game releases for PlayStation from 2028, rumors suggest that Microsoft will choose a different path.

According to Digital Foundry expert John Linneman, the next-generation Xbox console will still support discs. He claims that before the latest reorganization of Microsoft's gaming division, the company planned to retain an optical drive in the system codenamed Project Helix.

The disc drive is needed not so much for selling new games as for supporting backward compatibility. This will allow physical copies of games for the original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One to run on the new console.

This data aligns with earlier reports about the Positron program, which allegedly will allow linking physical copies of Xbox games to a digital account license. In such a case, the drive would also be needed to confirm ownership.

It is possible that Microsoft will share details in the autumn during events dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Xbox brand.