The Xbox Series S represents a curious value-based form of digital gaming. And with its popularity, you might find it strange that Microsoft hasn’t provided any form of disc support. But with Microsoft seemingly patenting a disc drive accessory for the Series S, the question only gets more perplexing.
Yet Microsoft shows no signs of ever releasing a disc drive-supported Series S. So if you’re wondering whether the Xbox Series S could get disc support, let’s look at some of the reasons it’s unlikely.
1. Sales of Xbox Series X Could Drop
A disc drive for the Series S might detract sales from the Xbox Series X, which is one of the more obvious reasons why Microsoft wouldn’t want to do it.
When comparing the Xbox Series S to the Xbox Series X, numerous unique properties from both consoles could encourage you to favor one Xbox over the other, whether through price point, power, or storage. But one of the best-selling points for the Series X is its disc drive.
If you want to buy the Series S over the Series X, you’d have to be devoted to playing digital only games. If Microsoft took that obstacle out of the Series S, people’d switch to the cheaper Series S over the more expensive Series X.
While a disc drive-supported Xbox Series S would be hugely beneficial to you and other consumers, for Microsoft it could be a risky move that disturbs the main selling points of its flagship console. After all, if the Xbox Series S remained cheaper but supported discs, the reasons to get an Xbox Series X would narrow.
2. Keeping the Xbox Series S Digital-Only Guarantees Store Sales
A less obvious sales reason the Xbox Series S is unlikely to get disc drive support is because of the console’s heavy reliance on the Microsoft Store. Because all versions of the Xbox Series S are digital only, the way you would purchase games for your console would be through the Microsoft Store. The only caveat is if you buy games from sites that sell digital codes.
So for Microsoft, having more owners of digital-only consoles almost guarantees more users of the Microsoft Store, and retains purchases within Microsoft-owned sites, stores, and products. By association, if an external disc drive or disc drive-supported Series S were available, Microsoft would lose this guarantee.
You may even find some digital sales better than physical ones when you decide to buy a digital-only console. But the likelihood of Xbox releasing a disc drive-supported Xbox Series S becomes less likely with the effects on the Microsoft Store.
3. External Disc Readers Are Disabled on Xbox Series S
There’s more to it than just sales, though, because the Xbox Series S won’t get disc drive support also has to do with its hardware and functionality. Third-party accessories that support discs are unlikely to work with Xbox Series S, since all disc readers are incompatible.
The Xbox Series S will be equipped with a disc drive, but Microsoft filed a patent for how they can do this. While the patent isn’t specific, it suggests that you can validate your physical games so they work on your digital console.
It looks like you’d use an external disc drive to scan physical games to verify them for digital use, according to the patent. Despite its external disc drive support, it does not appear to play game discs, instead validating and playing them as digital files.
You’ll have to wait until Microsoft builds its own external disc drive to get external disc drive support for Xbox Series S. If the patent is to be believed, you won’t be able to play any physical discs.
4. Costs Would Go Up if Xbox Series S Supported Disc Drives
In any case, if Microsoft was to create a disc drive-compatible version, or if they were to release a disc reader accessory like the company’s patent suggests, costs would go up.
With the Xbox Series S, budget gaming got a whole lot better. Putting a disc drive in a Series S would not only affect Series X sales, but also change the Series S’ image.
Series S budget gaming would get more expensive, whether through a higher-priced Series S or an external drive accessory. You may end up seeing the best budget Xbox console less favourably even if Series S prices stay lower than Xbox Series X.
You Can Still Have Fun With the Xbox Series S Even if It Doesn’t Have Disc Support
It still may be possible to play physical games on the Xbox Series S even without a disc drive, based on Microsoft’s patent. However, if disc drive support never comes to the Xbox Series S, digital gaming will continue to outpace physical gaming as a huge trend. It’s possible disc drives for Series S consoles would be less relevant or too expensive.
