The rumored disc-less Xbox One S could be out by May 7
Get your salt shakers out: It's time for something that might not be true!
Microsoft's rumored disc-less Xbox One S -- or the Xbox One S All-Digital, as it will apparently be called -- could be coming on May 7. That's what Windows Central claims, citing product photos and supporting documents it received from an unnamed source.
The site's coverage uses Photoshop mockups of the product photos in order to protect the source, so you'll have to take their word for it. The digitally recreated console looks like you'd expect it to: an Xbox One S without the opening where a disc would go.
The disc-less Xbox One S would also reportedly pack in a bundle of download codes for three games -- Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 3, and Minecraft -- as well as a 1TB hard drive.
Microsoft is reportedly planning an April reveal, ahead of the global launch on May 7. There's no word on price, but previous reporting (as well as common sense) suggests that the disc-less Xbox is meant to be a cheaper option in the Xbox lineup.
The current Xbox One S sells on Microsoft's website for $300 with a bundled game, though a quick look at Amazon shows older bundles selling at closer to $250 (and in some cases lower than that). A disc-less S would have to sell for no more than $200, though an even lower price isn't out of the question.
That's because Microsoft's big bet these days is on Xbox Game Pass. The subscription service gives all users access to a large library of on-demand games -- more than 170, as of March 2019 -- that they can download whenever they wish.
The Game Pass library includes a number of major games released by publishers other than Microsoft, but perhaps the biggest draw is access to new releases. All subscribers are able to play Xbox One console exclusives the day they come out, from small-studio indies like Below to the future next chapters in the Halo and Gears of War series.
A disc-less Xbox One S would obviously have no problem connecting users with Xbox Game Pass. Microsoft probably wants to make it feel like subscribing to the $9.99/month service is a no-brainer -- which, really, it is for any newcomers to the Xbox ecosystem.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
