Microsoft has a new console for the gamer in all of us that sees no real reason for buying digital games and doesn’t mind saving some money: the new Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.
As its name suggests, Xbox One S All-Digital Edition is a new version of the Xbox One S that debuted a couple of years ago. It uses the same accessories and can play all the same games — provided you purchased all your games digitally through the Microsoft Store or plan to buy prepaid codes. Microsoft is able to offer the console for $249.99 by leaving out the Blu-Ray drive that allows other Xbox One consoles to install games purchased at stores or play a Blu-Ray, CD or DVD. For comparison, that’s a savings of $50 in exchange for not being able
To get buyer’s digital games collection started, the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition comes with Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3 and Sea of Thieves. Of course, the company is also using this disc drive-less console as an opportunity to promote Xbox Game Pass. That’s the company’s subscription service. Buy a membership for $9.99 a month and you can download over 100 games directly from Microsoft’s servers to the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition or any Xbox One console.
Expect the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition to arrive on store shelves at the Microsoft Store, Walmart and Best Buy on May 7th. Amazon will also sell the console.
For the record, I’d absolutely buy one of these if we weren’t at the end of the console generation and I didn’t already have an original Xbox One in my bedroom. I mean, at this point, 99.9 percent of the games I’ve played this generation didn’t involve inserting a disc. That being said, I’d think long and hard about whether giving up access to used games — and thus crazy sales during the holiday season — or worth it for the $50 in up-front savings.
