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Home / News / Xbox 720 set to ditch optical disc drive

Xbox 720 set to ditch optical disc drive

Could Microsoft's next-gen console ditch the discs in favour of downloads?

The much-rumoured Xbox 720 could arrive with no disc drive if video game mag MCV’s insider tipster at a ‘Microsoft partner’ is to be believed. As well as restating the almost certain 2013 Xbox 720 release date, the chatty source also hinted that the future console will be a digital centric platform relying on game downloads instead of discs.

Uh-oh. How will a disc-less Xbox 720 cope with our broadband speeds? Chances are, not spectacularly – but remember that the next Xbox won’t be kicking back in our lounges till the end of next year. So BT and Virgin Media could have significantly upped their game by then but there’s still the problem of no Blu-ray to contend with.

Any gamers upset about digital downloads may be relieved to hear that MCV’s source did mention the possibility of the Xbox 720 supporting interchangeable solid-state card storage (though it’s unknown whether this would be SD or proprietary).

This Xbox 720 rumour sparked off much spirited debate in the Stuff.tv office – does it make sense for Microsoft to ditch the optical drive or is it foolish since our broadband speeds are so shocking?

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Profile image of Dan Grabham Dan Grabham Editor-in-Chief

About

Dan is Editor-in-chief of Stuff, working across the magazine and the Stuff.tv website.  Our Editor-in-Chief is a regular at tech shows such as CES in Las Vegas, IFA in Berlin and Mobile World Congress in Barcelona as well as at other launches and events. He has been a CES Innovation Awards judge. Dan is completely platform agnostic and very at home using and writing about Windows, macOS, Android and iOS/iPadOS plus lots and lots of gadgets including audio and smart home gear, laptops and smartphones. He's also been interviewed and quoted in a wide variety of places including The Sun, BBC World Service, BBC News Online, BBC Radio 5Live, BBC Radio 4, Sky News Radio and BBC Local Radio.

Areas of expertise

Computing, mobile, audio, smart home