Discless Xbox One: Budget friendly or desperation tactic

Microsoft is planning to release a bargain priced Xbox One model without an optical drive, according to reports.

The new console will supposedly feature the same hardware as the already cost effective Xbox One S, all be it without the shiny coaster spinner, and will retail for around $200 US dollars.

Hardware revisions targeting budget conscious consumers late in a console’s life certainly aren’t unheard of. Sony attempted something similar with the PSP Go way back in 2009. Although their download-only handheld received a less than stellar reputation at the time. Though there have been some big changes since then.

According to reports from 2016, digital now accounts for about 30% of total game sales on consoles. Storage has gotten cheaper while download speeds have slowly been rising since the Xbox One originally launched way back in 2013. Thus making downloads a much more viable alternative than they were back then.

Microsoft is also reportedly offering a trade-in program that will allow Xbox owners to exchange physical games at participating Microsoft Stores for download codes. This was one of the major sticking points with the PSP Go, so it seems the boys at Redmond are learning from others past mistakes.

It’s certainly a sound concept and Microsoft has probably been looking at the massive success of digital distribution on Windows as an example of how it can work on console. Though I do have to question who this Xbox is for. 

If you’re targeting budget conscious consumers, digital distribution is not really the way to go. Internet packages needed to download games at anything faster than a snail’s pace are not exactly cheap. Neither are games on console stores, given their monopolistic nature and captive audience. Those working on a budget will be more likely to purchase used games. That’s coming from personal experience. But we all know how Microsoft feels about those. 

It seems like a mild desperation tactic to try and bolster sales numbers before Xbox Scarlet comes out sometime in the next couple of years. However, it should be a good opportunity for Microsoft to test the waters to see just how well received a download-only console will be. If consumers are warm to it, the Next Box may very well say audios to the silver platter.