The next console from Microsoft is reportedly going to be a cheaper Xbox Series X in white, lacking the UHD Blu-ray disc drive.
The leaked photos, published by Exputer, depict a white Xbox Series X with the same rectangular design as the current black Series X.
The main difference is the absence of the UHD Blu-ray disc drive. According to the report, it will also feature an upgraded heatsink. Exputer's sources anticipate a launch in June or July, priced $50-100 less than the $500 black Xbox Series X.
Photos: Exputer
As noted by The Verge, this white Xbox Series X bears no resemblance to the planned upgrade that Microsoft itself leaked in documents related to the FTC v. Microsoft antitrust case.
Implications of a disc-less Series X
Last month, Microsoft's gaming chief Phil Spencer, in an interview with Game File, said that Xbox has no plans to abandon physical media.
- "But I will say our strategy does not hinge on people moving all-digital," he said. "And getting rid of physical, that's not a strategic thing for us."
This white Xbox Series X appears to tell a different story. However, it is possible that Microsoft will keep the black Xbox Series X in its line-up for consumers who still prefer physical game discs and UHD Blu-ray movies. Neither of the two Xbox Series S consoles features a disc drive.
Historically, consoles have played a role in driving the adoption of new optical disc formats, including Blu-ray. However, anecdotally, few consumers seem to use their console for UHD Blu-ray discs nowadays.
Sony recently introduced a new PlayStation 5 design where the UHD Blu-ray disc drive is optional. The rumored PlayStation 5 Pro is rumored to also come without a pre-installed disc drive – again an optional thing.
While the optical disc drive has not entirely vanished from game consoles, these developments do indicate a shift in that direction.
- "Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive," Phil Spencer told Game File last month. "And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we're going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact."
- Source: Exputer via The Verge, Game File
