With the recent release of the Xbox One S All-Digital, some may be worried that Microsoft’s next-gen Xbox, code named Project Scarlett, will not have a disc drive either. However, it seems that won’t be the case. Xbox head Phil Spencer recently confirmed that Project Scarlett supports physical media.
Talking to GamesIndustry.biz, Phil Spencer stated that Microsoft’s goal was to give players choices with their services. This of course extends to their next-generation Xbox, which is due in 2020. Spencer said that physical discs are still part of the equation, stating plainly, “We know that people still have discs.” He also went on to address the Xbox One S All-Digital, using it as an example of giving players choices.
“So even when we put out things like the Xbox One S All-Digital edition, we are very clear with the name because I am not trying to confuse anybody,” states Spencer. “That if you are somebody that has a library of discs, or that’s the way you want to acquire the content, then you should buy the Xbox One S, not the Xbox One S All-Digital… which is why we put it in the name, and yes I know it says SAD.”
“I want to be very descriptive, because I am not trying to confuse anybody about what the options are,” he continues. “I want to give people choice, and right now physical is a choice that millions of people love.”
In recent months, Microsoft has been pushing digital games with initiatives such as the Xbox Game Pass (which is now available on PC), and, of course, the Xbox One S All-Digital console. It’s also launching a game service called Project xCloud sometime next year.
Spencer confirming that Project Scarlett supports physical media allay fears from players who still prefer having discs for their games. At the same time, it also matches similar statements from Sony’s Jim Ryan about the upcoming PlayStation 5, which will also feature a disc drive.
