A notorious gaming insider reports that the Xbox Project Helix console may not have a disc drive, and that the company may be considering the end of physical discs. While Xbox has been silent about the news so far, one of the biggest headlines in the video games industry this week was that PlayStation is abandoning the production and sales of physical discs starting January 2028. This hit fans like a freight train, and many are wondering what the ownership of video games will be like when 2028 comes, and consumer protection authorities are wondering what they can do about this.
This comes shortly after the reveal that GTA 6 won’t have physical discs, and none will be made for the monumental Rockstar release. In fact, physical copies of the game will only have a digital download code, to the point that some retailers are refusing to sell the game because it goes against their policies. The industry seems to be moving to a digital-only era, and Xbox seems to be following suit.
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Say Goodbye to Physical Discs in Xbox’s Project Helix Console
Jez Corden, a renowned insider who specializes in Microsoft and Xbox-related reporting, shared on the Xbox Two Podcast that Project Helix may not have physical disc drives and may now be considering not supporting physical games. Previously, Corden stated that “Project Helix was never planned to have a disc driver,” but a subsequent article from Tom Warren alleged that nothing had been decided for sure about Project Helix yet. Corden followed up on the news with his sources, and no confirmed stance has indeed been taken. However, Corden wonders what Xbox’s silence about PlayStation no longer supporting physical discs means, and he thinks it may be wiser for the company to say nothing right now if Xbox is also “considering the death of physical discs” as a possibility for Helix.
“The fact that Xbox hasn’t done anything to capitalize on it yet,” says Corden about PlayStation’s no-physical disc approach, “probably says it all.” “I still think there’s very little chance that Helix will have a disc drive natively,” continues Corden, “because I just think the economics of having a company that prints discs have become unviable.” This is not dissimilar from an analyst’s comments about PlayStation saving costs with its digital-only approach, saying that prepaid game cards could be a valid alternative to physical discs. Considering that Corden strongly believes Project Helix won’t have a disc drive, and considering Xbox’s silence on the matter in an industry with increasing costs, it seems very likely that physical games won’t stay.
It makes all the more sense when considering the high cost of RAM and producing consoles nowadays, with analysts predicting that the memory shortage could last well beyond 2027. In this scenario, it seems plausible that video game companies will try to cut costs where possible, and physical discs seem to be the prime candidate for this.
Scratch & Peek
Identify the cover art while scratching off as little foil as
possible.
Fans are hoping that Xbox’s Project Helix will be more PC-like, in the sense that it may not have a disc drive, but allow users to insert a detachable drive or something of the sort. Whether this will be the case remains to be seen, but Xbox’s silence is not encouraging. Still, Xbox is reportedly testing a feature to digitize physical games, and it could be what Project Helix needs to win fans over after the PlayStation debacle.