Rumors are circulating that Microsoft is working on a version of its current-gen console that lacks a disc drive, a move that reportedly seeks to shave as much as $100 off of the Xbox One’s current price tag of $299.
This rumored digital-only variant of the Xbox One is planned as a 2019 release according to the tech site Thurrott’s conversations with people familiar with Microsoft's plans. As an additional cost-cutting measure, a cheaper (but still disc-friendly) Xbox One is rumored to be in the works as well, with a late-2019 release planned.
On top of all of that, the site reports that Microsoft is planning to kick off a "disc-to-digital" program to help smooth the transition that will let people trade Xbox One discs for digital game codes to be used on the new disc-less console at permitted retailers.
The site’s sources also say that Microsoft hasn’t decided if its next-generation hardware will feature a disc drive quite yet. Those next-gen systems, according to reports from Thurrott from earlier this year, are being developed under the code name Scarlett and are expected to launch in 2020.
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