Microsoft has unveiled the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, a new twist on its Xbox One S console which comes without a disc drive. That's right, the physical disc drive has joined the likes of the floppy disk, CD-ROM, and FireWire delivery mechanisms in the input graveyard.
Ditching the physical disc drive from the Xbox One S means you won't be able to play DVDs, Blu-Rays, or Xbox One game discs. Instead, as the on-the-nose brand name suggests, the new games console will only run digital games bought from the built-in online store, downloaded using codes, or streamed using the Xbox Game Pass subscription service.
Xbox One S All-Digital Edition supports 4K UHD video playback, as well as High Dynamic Range (HDR). That should make this new console a seriously impressive streaming set-top box, as well as a competent console. It has a 1TB hard drive built-in.
Stripping out the disc drive has enabled Microsoft to drop the price of the new console compared with the old-fashioned, disc-spinning Xbox One S (£249.99), which will continue to be available. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition costs just £199.99.
Microsoft ships the new console with free digital copies of Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 3, as well as a wireless controller. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will start to ship on May 7, 2019.
It's already available to pre-order from Microsoft, John Lewis, Amazon UK, and a slew of other retailers.
If you're not keen on the idea of having dozens of game boxes cluttering the room, this new console could be a great opportunity to switch to a digital model.
The £199 starting price is also hugely appealing for those who want to access the vast back catalogue of titles available on Xbox One, or make sure they have a console ready for the next raft of blockbuster video games coming later this year.
However, it's worth noting that digital games are typically more expensive than their physical counterparts, since there is no second-hand market, and friends can't swap or borrow titles they've finished with them.
So, while the initial outlay is much less, it could add up over time depending on how many games you're looking to add to your collection.
Find the best price for the Xbox One S All Digital Edition below:
