Is Xbox ditching its disc-based Series X? Not in 2024, at least

Tonight, Microsoft announced a trio of new Xbox Series X/S consoles, including a digital-only Xbox Series X.

In part, these seemed similar to the consoles seen in leaked plans released into the public domain in error last year that awkwardly trumpeted an “adorably all-digital” future for Xbox – something Microsoft’s Phil Spencer later said was outdated.

But how much has changed? The new digital-only Series X is white, as expected, with are no major performance upgrades under the hood. It’s no longer cylindrical, and keeps the regular Series X’s rectangular design. Most importantly, though, it will be accompanied – initially, at the very least – by a new Series X option that retains its disc slot. This “special edition” 2TB Xbox Series X will be available in “limited quantities”, Microsoft said.