Xbox CEO avoids answering one question about upcoming console that everyone wanted to know
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma appears to be avoiding the question on everybody's lips, as she refuses to clarify whether the company's next generation console will feature a disc drive amid the ongoing PlayStation controversy.
It's hard to ignore how much PlayStation has surged ahead of Xbox over the last decade, yet the former's recent decision to end production for all physical games after January 2028 has opened up a potential pathway to success for Microsoft.
Much like how Sony capitalized on the catastrophic Xbox One reveal with its own statement on used games, Xbox could use this opportunity to get gamers on its side — yet the reality might not necessarily be quite as simple.
Speaking to the BBC, Sharma appeared unwilling to commit in either direction when pressed on the potential for a disc drive in Project Helix – Xbox's next generation console – reaffirming the company's desire to provide persistent libraries.
Will the next Xbox console have a disc drive?
There has been no public announcement either way when it comes to the physical potential for the next Xbox console, as while Sharma has reaffirmed the company's commitment to persistent libraries, the lack of any explicit clarification has left many gamers worried for the future.
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When asked about the danger that people could lose access to games they have bought over the years – implicitly hinting towards the preservation of physical copies in a new generation – Sharma indicated:
"Look, whether you play physical games, digital games, it's really important that your libraries can go wherever you are. And we're really committed to preserving great gameplay.
"If you think about all around Europe, there are stacks of games on everybody's shelves. And so today, we're announcing the ability for players, for a thousand titles with physical discs, to be able to have a digital entitlement," Sharma continued.
"And so they get the wonderful goodness that comes from digital libraries, but in the form of physical libraries that they also have [...] We've long pioneered backwards compatibility. And so you'll continue to see that as we go forward in the generations."
Sharma repeatedly refused to offer concrete clarification despite being pushed, stating that she will 'share more soon' about Helix, but did offer one hopeful declaration on the matter.
"I want Xbox to be where the world plays," Sharma asserted. "And in order to be where the world plays, I know that players love physical media, and I know that there's a lot of benefits in digital media, and I want to make sure that people have a choice in that."
Xbox's disc-to-digital program explained
Seemingly key to the future of physical games on Xbox is the new 'disc-to-digital' program which allows players to convert their game discs into digital licences at no extra cost.
This likely offers a middle ground between the two polar opposite ways of playing, allowing people to retain the benefits of having a physical library while also adding the convenience of digital access.
You only need to put the disc in once for the digital licence to be added, yet that licence is locked to your account and cannot be added to another user if you lent them the disc — although they can still play the game providing that they keep the disc inserted at all times.
Not every game is currently eligible for this program, with major publishers like Ubisoft, Bandai Namco, and Square Enix blocking most, if not all of their games from being converted to digital.
It's not a perfect solution, and some might cynically view it as a temporary band aid to appease people who have large pre-existing physical collections, but it's certainly a lot better than what Sony have offered PlayStation owners for the time being.