The next Xbox, for now known as Project Helix, will not have a disc drive per reporting from Windows Central. The only version of the console will be discless and not accept physical media.
This news is a double blow for video game preservation and physical game enthusiasts, as just yesterday PlayStation announced they would be ending all physical disc production in 2028. And that news came after Rockstar Games announced there will be no disc version of Grand Theft Auto VI, which is gearing up to be one of the biggest game releases of all time.
The biggest outcry to the news and reporting about Xbox surrounds video game preservation. Digital only versions of games make it difficult to archive games for a variety of reasons, such as games getting consistently patched and updated so their original form is changed piece by piece.
In response to the PlayStation news, which applies also here, the director of the Video Game History Foundation, Frank Cifaldi, made a statement on what this sort of news means for game preservation:
This is unfortunate news for those who still prefer buying games on physical media, and is certainly a hit to consumer rights, the...
