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Microsoft is reportedly planning an Xbox One without a disc drive for 2019

Xbox One X review controller in front
Mike Epstein/Digital Trends

Microsoft is currently working on its next generation of game consoles, and it has been rumored that one of its new systems will not feature a disc drive. Now, the company appears to be close to making this a reality, as an all-digital Xbox One is reportedly coming next year.

According to Thurrott, the disc-free Xbox One system will cost around $200, down significantly from the standard price of current models. The console will apparently launch alongside a “disc-to-digital” program that gives players the option of turning in their old disc-based games for download codes.

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“As for Scarlett, Microsoft is still trying to decide if that console will include a disc drive but should be making the final decision here shortly,” the report continued.

With the introduction of Project xCloud and the increasing share of sales digital games get over physical discs, it only makes sense that Microsoft would offer a cheaper console alternative. However, with download speeds still not uniformly high across the United States, it seems likely that the next generation of Xbox systems will come with at least one model offering a disc drive. Game file sizes have ballooned over the last few years, with the recent Red Dead Redemption 2 taking up about 100GB and actually coming on two Blu-ray discs.

Project xCloud: Gaming with you at the center

You won’t need an Xbox One console to enjoy the system’s games through Project xCloud, however. The service is designed to run on a number of different devices, including phone. With support for traditional controllers, as well as special touch screen functionality, you can essentially have the full console experience in the palm of your hand.

Microsoft faces some hefty competition in the streaming space from Google’s Project Stream service. Functioning similarly to xCloud, Project Stream lets you play games directly in your Chrome Browser and is currently in a closed beta period — one we’ve gotten access to. Thus far, only Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is available through the program, but it allows you to stream the game in quality fairly close to the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. It supports several different controllers, as well as mouse-and-keyboard setups.

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Microsoft is making AI game-writing tools for Xbox with Inworld AI
The art for Xbox and Inworld's AI partnership.

Microsoft announced a partnership with Inworld AI to assist in creating game dialogue and narrative tools for its Xbox studios.
The partnership is detailed in a blog post by Xbox's General Manager of Gaming AI, Haiyan Zhang. In the post, Zhang confirms that this technology is meant to work in random with Microsoft's own cloud and AI tech to create both "An AI design copilot that assists and empowers game designers to explore more creative ideas, turning prompts into detailed scripts, dialogue trees, quests and more," and "an AI character runtime engine that can be integrated into the game client, enabling entirely new narratives with dynamically-generated stories, quests, and dialogue for players to experience." 
No specific Xbox-owned studios were named, nor were developers from them commenting as part of this announcement, so it's unknown how much those developers are truly interested in embracing this kind of AI technology. In general, AI is a very controversial topic in creative spaces as artists and writers are worried that it will replace their jobs while creating worse art. AI leadership at Xbox doesn't seem to think that will become an issue, with Zhang explaining that the main purpose of this partnership is to "make it easier for developers to realize their visions, try new things, push the boundaries of gaming today and experiment to improve gameplay, player connection and more."
The blog post also teases that Microsoft will be willing to share these tools with interested third-party studios. Ultimately, it will likely take several years before we truly know what the impact or utility of this partnership is for developers at Xbox Games Studios, ZeniMax Media, and Activision Blizzard.

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As part of the massive Xbox leak that came as part of its FTC trial, we got a look at Microsoft's road map for Xbox through 2030. One slide of this presentation outlines the kinds of hardware possible for Microsoft to make (and not make) itself. Most notably, Microsoft states in this document that making a dedicated Xbox handheld is "not in scope for first party."

Microsoft has been an avid supporter of devices like the Logitech G Cloud Gaming Handheld and ROG Ally with Xbox Cloud Gaming, but it was still quite surprising that the company never aimed to release a handheld that competed with those and Nintendo Switch itself. Now, we know that as far back as this May 2022 roadmap, Microsoft did not believe it currently has the resources and scope to make a Handheld.

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Xbox's logo used during the Extended Games Showcase

Unredacted documents submitted and made publicly available to view as part of the ongoing Microsoft vs. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) trial just led to what may be the biggest leak in video game history.
A flood of files have revealed deep secrets about Xbox's upcoming plans for the bulk of the decade, giving us unprecedented insight into what's on the horizon for the gaming giant. That includes information on upcoming hardware refreshes, next-gen consoles, and unannounced Bethesda titles, as well as a further peek into Microsoft's acquisition ambitions. It's a lot to trudge through, so we've rounded up five key revelations that you'll want to know.
A new Xbox Series X model is coming next year
https://twitter.com/stephentotilo/status/1704121068519133313
The most shocking thing to leak as part of the trial is a new Xbox Series X model. Referred to as "Brooklin -- Xbox Series X Refresh" in the leaked documents, this is a diskless, cylindrical version of the Xbox Series X with 2TB of internal storage, a USB-C port, and smaller technical improvements to the system's Wi-Fi, PSU, standby mode, and more. An upgraded Xbox Series S code-named Ellewood may also be in the works and released before Brooklin.
If Microsoft still follows the plan laid out in this "Roadmap to 2030" document created in May 2022, it would release Brooklin in late October 2024 for $500. If Microsoft still plans to release Brooklin next year, it does contradict recent statements from Xbox chief Phil Spencer, who acted bearish on the idea of a mid-gen refresh in Gamescom interviews. It's possible Microsoft's plans have changed since these leaked documents were made, but if not, we now know what to expect in terms of Microsoft's console refreshes.
A new Xbox controller is in the works
https://twitter.com/charlieINTEL/status/1704088621475598345
Throughout that Brooklin leak, a new version of the Xbox Series X controller is also teased. The Xbox Series X controller is great, but lacks the unique features of controllers like the DualSense or Joy-Cons, so it makes sense Microsoft would want to change that. Referred to as "Sebile -- The New Xbox Controller," this controller can seamlessly pair and connect to the cloud.
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First details on Microsoft's next-gen console leak
https://twitter.com/AR12Gaming/status/1704102055206322389
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Microsoft considered acquiring Nintendo and Warner Bros. Interactive
https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1704021807341203802
A leaked email from 2020 gives some insight into Spencer's acquisition ambitions at that point. Namely, it sounds like he'd love to acquire Nintendo as it would be a "career moment" for him.
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It's worth noting that this email is from over three years ago, and these acquisition ambitions might have been quelled following changing economic conditions and the rocky and expensive process of acquiring Activision Blizzard. 

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