No more discs and no more cartridges for gamers with this Xbox One codenamed Maverick. You buy a game and download it to play – and it’s not the first time you did it on your console that comes with a disc drive.
On the plus side, the Xbox One has been successful, so why not make it cheaper by ditching a feature not many players use?
Maverick Is the All-Digital Xbox One
What will be special about the Maverick project is that, according to what Thurrott reported, the new console will be a rework of the entry-level Xbox One S which should be a lot cheaper if it goes all-digital.
Xbox Maverick will come with almost the same specs as the Xbox One S, maybe even with the same exterior, but without the optical disc drive. Other components that are not useful to gamers might also be cut.
In the end, players will get the same experience as they have with the Xbox One S, with all the Xbox One and Xbox 360 games playable on it and with similar features and performance. The Xbox Maverick is a purchase option for Xbox newcomers and not for those that want to replace their existing Xbox One S / Xbox One X.
But Microsoft is not ditching the disc in favor of all-digital consoles. They have many other projects which include the drive.
Microsoft is working on two new programs to streamline digital purchases. One of the programs is “disc-to-digital” to let existing Xbox users transition into digital, and the other system is a “digital attach” system that will help new Xbox buyers get used with online services.
The initiative from Microsoft is to go from disc to digital and let Xbox users deposit their disc titles at certain retailers in return for a digital license.
Xbox Maverick Release Date
Microsoft hasn’t gone official with the new disc-less console. According to rumors, the earliest release could be this spring – but we think it will be a bit later, considering it should first be revealed (with not much fuss, as it is a low-cost entry in the Xbox One line). As for the price, we said that it should be cheap, so it could go for $199 or less to be attractive to the casual console gamers.
Robert J. Smith is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including JoyStiq and Android Authority. In regards to academics, Robert earned a degree in business from Fordham University. Robert has passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.
