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1469680cookie-checkDisc-Free Xbox One Potentially Leaked, Looks Mediocre
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2019/04

Disc-Free Xbox One Potentially Leaked, Looks Mediocre

The latest rumors have the Xbox One S All Digital model pegged for an official reveal later this week and, assuming the reports hold up following an official reveal, some folks might feel underwhelmed by what’s up for grabs.

We’ve been hearing buzz for a while now that Microsoft was getting ready to reveal a disc-free version of the Xbox One S. That already seems a bit strange since the console is so deep into its life cycle and, based on everything we’ve been hearing, they’re set to announce a brand new generation of Xbox hardware at E3 in about a month. Still, there are some folks who might want to get in on Xbox One gaming without dealing with discs, the latest hardware and whatnot, so maybe there’s a bigger market for this than I realize.

All of that aside, I can’t help but feel a bit underwhelmed at this point. Again, this is all speculation until Microsoft officially pulls back the curtain but, according to WinFuture (via Engadget), the disc-free system is slated to be 1TB, come pre-loaded with a trio of “meh” games and still cost about $250.

Again, this is an all-digital system, so the decision not to bump the hard drive up to a full 2TB is kind of shocking, especially when games regularly clock in at the 100GB mark these days. Also, the console comes pre-loaded with Forza Horizon 3 (old, but fine), Minecraft (that’s got to excite someone, right?) and Sea of Theives (poor launch but at least it looks like updates are making the game better).

It seems like Microsoft basically wants to offer a box you can use to access their admittedly stellar Game Pass program but, again, $250 seems a little pricey this late in the game and, since you have to download those games rather than stream them, the 1TB hard drive feels a bit cramped. Also, there’s no disc drive, so why does this thing cost about the same as the One S, which has that extra hardware built in?

According to the latest info, the One S All Digital is set to be announced on Tuesday, April 16, so here’s hoping the picture looks a little brighter when the final details are made available.

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