Microsoft has wavered on whether the console will support Blu-ray discs, but the company may have changed its mind due to Sony’s actions.
Shortly after Sony announced its decision to stop producing PlayStation discs in January 2028, Jez Corden, an editor at Windows Central, reported that Microsoft is leaning in the same direction with its next Xbox, codenamed Project Helix. However, in the latest episode of the DF Direct Q+A podcast, Digital Foundry editor John Linneman shared a rumor suggesting that, prior to the major Xbox overhaul led by new CEO Asha Sharma, Xbox had likely planned to continue supporting discs on its next-gen console for backward compatibility.
“What’s interesting, Rich, is that I’d heard from a couple of sources that, before the current Xbox reset, Microsoft was actually going to continue disc support. It’s not because they valued retail disc sales, but because they wanted to ensure that all your Xbox games would be playable on new Xboxes.
It’s like, ‘Oh, we could offer an external drive or some other means.’ I think that might tie into the disc-to-digital stuff as well. But I get the feeling that, especially given the reaction, they’re not going to solve problems or make drastic changes. But I see a future where Microsoft supports discs for users who want to take their library with them while Sony completely cuts people off,” Linneman said.
This would be an easy way for Microsoft to score points with hardcore gamers, who are currently upset with Sony. At the same time, the more sensible business decision from a purely financial standpoint would likely be to abandon discs entirely, just as Sony intends to do despite the backlash.
After all, Sharma received a clear mandate from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella: the Xbox division must resume growth in the next fiscal year.
Source: WCCFTech
