Xbox One Digital: Games, UK release date, what's new and more

Here's what we know so far about the next Xbox console release 
Microsoft could be unveiling a disc-less version of the Xbox One S (pictured here) in the next few months
Microsoft
Amelia Heathman17 April 2019

The gaming rumour mill has gone into overdrive with the news that a new Xbox console is on its way. The most exciting part? It’s going to be disc-less.

As reported by Windows Central, the new console, set to be called “Xbox One S All Digital Edition”, would allow gamers to ditch discs and play completely digitally.

Fans would be able to buy games via a streaming platform, like its Xbox Game Pass digital subscription, to make gaming more like Netflix and Spotify where no one really owns anything.

Here's what we know so far.

What is the new Xbox One S All Digital Edition?

The Xbox One S All Digital Edition is Xbox's next-generation console.

According to leaks by WinFuture.de, the new console is spearheading disc-free gaming, so from now on gamers will have to buy games digitally or subscribe to Microsoft's digital subscription in order to access new titles.

Luckily, the device will have 1TB of memory to store all those new games.

The new console is set to come pre-loaded with three of Microsoft's biggest games: Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3, and Sea of Thieves, to help players get started.

In keeping with the classic Xbox design, the new console looks pretty much exactly the same as the current Xbox One S, but is presumably thinner thanks to the lack of a disc drive.

When is the new Xbox One S release date in the UK?

WinFuture says that the official unveiling of the new console could be as early as tomorrow (April 16).

As a result, the new console could be available to buy in Europe, and presumably the UK, on May 7, so you really don't have to wait that long for the device.

The previous Xbox, the Xbox One S, was launched in 2016 at E3 (Kevork Djansezian / Stringer / Getty images )
Kevork Djansezian / Stringer / Getty images

What will the new Xbox One S price be?

Price-wise, you're looking at around €230, which is about £198 but it's unlikely the Xbox One S All Digital will cost less than £200 in the UK.

One benefit of a disc-less console is that it would make it much cheaper.

When the Xbox One S came out in November 2017, prices started at around $299, so already innovation is making gaming slightly more affordable.

Games

The new Xbox will arrive with a forward-thinking 'Game Pass' service, similar to how Netflix operates.

Essentially, players will have access to hundreds of games.

To make things even more exciting the Xbox One Digital will launch with Forza Horizon 3, Sea of Thieves and Minecraft.

How does the new Xbox One S work without a disc?

Thanks to the new Xbox One console being all-digital, it demonstrates that there is no need for discs when it comes to gaming anymore.

It's how the times are moving: streaming dominates most of our lives now, and Xbox rival PlayStation offers a similar service in the form of PlayStation Now.

It makes sense that Microsoft would go this way for the next Xbox. Last year, news leaked that the global tech company was working on a new project, codenamed Scarlett, which was Xbox’s version of a game streaming platform.

Microsoft's gaming head, Phil Spencer, hinted something along these lines at the company’s E3 conference in June, saying: “Our cloud engineers are building a game streaming network to unlock console gaming on any device.”

In a recent interview with GeekWire, Spencer added some more weight to Xbox’s cross-device plans, saying: "We want to bring Game Pass to any device that somebody wants to play on. Not just because it's our business, but really because the business model allows for people to consume and find games that they wouldn’t have played in any other space."

However, the major issue is internet connections. Not everyone will have a good enough connection to facilitate cloud gaming, and latency is a problem, particularly in something like gaming.

One solution could be 5G. At Mobile World Congress in February, Chinese phone company OnePlus had its prototype 5G phone on show, demonstrating how cloud gaming will be possible with 5G speeds.

The next generation in mobile technology will allow people to stream large-sized games online, experience high definition, and almost no latency. There’s nothing to suggest that this is the tech Microsoft is going to be banking on for its version of cloud gaming, but it's one option.

A Microsoft spokesperson told the Standard the company wouldn't comment on rumours or speculation.

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