Xbox One Launches All-Digital Edition In May

Microsoft is launching the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, a console for cord-cutters who prioritise convenience and cloud-based content. In a digital age reinvested in portable gaming, the disc-free One S All-Digital is a way for players to access their library from any Xbox One, pre-install new games on launch day, and generally stay as connected as possible to their saves and backups. In terms of graphics processing power, the One S All-Digital still doesn’t beat the all-powerful Xbox One X — it’s the 4K-compatible twin of the Xbox One S, simply without the Blu-ray disc drive. It will come bundled with three of its best-selling digital games: Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 3.

 

No word on whether this has anything to do with Microsoft’s Project xCloud, their cross-platform game streaming service that will supposedly even work on 4G. Google recently announced their ambitious Stadia streaming platform, which has raised countless questions about performance, bandwidth, and privacy. Early Stadia testers have already complained of input lag, which is a concern for trigger-happy games that require precision and speed.

Pushing all-digital seems to be the way forward for major gaming platforms, conveniently nudging players toward subscriptions and in-game purchases, which can be both a blessing and a curse for people who don’t want to worry about losing access to their content in the case of connectivity problems. This is usually a sore point for fans of single player games who don’t necessarily need — or want — to be online in order to play a game. There’s also the issue of not fully being able to “own” a physical copy of a game or piece of content, as all-digital platforms mean that the consumer has little to no control over whether a company might revoke access to a title.

Nonetheless, cloud-based accessibility has become an increasingly important part of game publishers’ content strategies, especially in light of this new industry research report, which predicts that millions of PC gamers will jump ship for console games as streaming technology develops further. With a new generation of all-digital consoles in development, the Xbox One S All-Digital is a decent option if you’ve got money to burn, aren't fussed about processing power, don’t have an existing Xbox console, and don’t care about playing DVDs.

The Xbox One S All-Digital will be available in Singapore in May, at S$368 via the Microsoft Store.