Microsoft reportedly following Sony’s footsteps with disc drive add-on for Xbox

Microsoft could be set to follow a path set out by Sony to issue a disc-drive add-on for Xbox Series X|S, according to reports.

Ahead of the holiday season, Sony has announced a “slim” PlayStation 5 that features an attachable Ultra HD Blue-ray Disc Drive—providing better options for players who don’t want to stick solely with digital purchases.

It seemed Microsoft was set to go a different way entirely, as documents revealed in the FTC vs. Microsoft case, reported by The Verge, showed a new spherical design for the Xbox Series X reportedly set to launch in 2024 that featured 2TB storage and was “adorably all digital”.

However, it appears that Microsoft won’t be moving away from disc drives entirely as it’s now been claimed that they too are set to launch an add-on that could be plugged into their consoles that do not have an embedded drive.

Speaking on the XboxEra Podcast, Shpeshal Nick revealed he has heard that Microsoft is providing a disc drive add-on as part of the Xbox Series X|S console refresh—with Tom Warren adding that this is something Microsoft should look to add.

The discussion then shifted to how a disc drive add-on could be incorporated, perhaps clipping onto the bottom of the console, although they added that it wouldn’t necessarily look good if used with the Xbox Series S.

Whether a disc drive add-on for Xbox Series X|S will come to fruition remains to be seen but it would be the right move for Microsoft, as it would provide players with more choice on how they access their games library.

I am, admittedly, a gamer who has fully embraced the digital landscape and I cannot remember the last time I bought a physical edition of a game, though I do miss reading the game manual on my way home after buying a new game.