Xbox One almost didn't include a disc drive, according to Microsoft's Phil Spencer.
"Obviously, after the announcement and E3, there was some feedback about what people wanted to change," he explained in an interview with OXM. "There was a real discussion about whether we should have an optical disc drive in Xbox One or if we could get away with a purely disc-less console, but when you start looking at bandwidth and game size, it does create issues.
"So we decided – which I think was the right decision – to go with the Blu-ray drive and give the people an easy way to install a lot of content. From some of those original thoughts, you saw a lot of us really focusing on the digital ecosystem you see on other devices – thinking of and building around that."
While there's no doubt that drive-less gaming consoles are an inevitability down the line, I believe the Big M made the right choice, especially after receiving all that backlash regarding its alleged used games and always-online policies.
