Microsoft appears to be playing 4D chess while the gaming industry is stuck on checkers.
A swirling vortex of Xbox rumors, leaks, and speculation paint a picture of a company on the brink of a strategy shift that could either be a masterstroke or a high-stakes gamble in the gaming industry.
Recently, there have been whispers suggesting that Microsoft was pondering a future where Xbox consoles would be a thing of the past. However, the latest scoop, courtesy of the Prime Time Gaming podcast’s guest, MAGG, flips this narrative on its head.
MAGG claims Microsoft isn’t bowing out of the console game. On the contrary, it’s doubling down with a major twist: the next generation of Xbox consoles will come without an internal optical disc drive, opting instead for an external one that gamers can purchase separately.
Sony’s release of a new PS5 model without a disc drive for a slimmer design and an internal upgrade option last year might have seemed like the future, but Microsoft’s counterproposal seems far better.
The potential of a single external disc drive bridging all your gaming needs across consoles and possibly even Microsoft’s greater line of devices is certainly interesting. A unified, cross-device gaming ecosystem could give Microsoft a much-needed competitive edge.
The beauty of an external disc drive is that it perfectly bridges the current physical media world we live in with the all-digital future that seems inevitable. On one hand, it allows for more flexible gaming experiences with potentially lower initial costs. On the other hand, it helps in the preservation of physical media, a topic that’s increasingly relevant in an age where digital storefronts can vanish in a snap.
Now, instead of releasing two consoles with different specs as it did with the Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft can simply launch a single, powerful console without the limitations of lesser hardware. The benefit of this to developers is that it will ultimately streamline game development, as they no longer have to worry about two different systems.
Another rumor is that the previously leaked blueprint of a mid-generation Xbox refresh is no longer on the table. Adding to this, MAGG speculated that Microsoft might have shelved the much-discussed Sebile controllers in favor of whatever next-gen console Microsoft has up its sleeve, but obviously, there’s no official information regarding this.
All of this is to say that the entire world is waiting for official word from Microsoft after Phil Spencer promised a “business update” on the week of February 12.
