Microsoft has plans to launch an Xbox One S that lacks a disc drive, according to unnamed sources in a rumor posted by Thurrott.com.
Under the plan, the console will run less than $200, Thurrott says, and Microsoft Stores will support a program whereby users can take in physical Xbox One media and trade it for a digital download to their Xbox Live account.
“Microsoft is moving forward very carefully with this product as it knows that a sizeable portion of its users do prefer to buy physical games and not download them,” the website says.
The new SKU is meant to save on production and therefore retail cost, so it will be the baseline S model and not the Xbox One X, with greater processing power, 4K and HDR color support. Thurrott says the new console is being targeted for a spring 2019 launch.
Polygon has reached out to Microsoft representatives to ask if it’s true, this console has no disc.
The Xbox One S originally launched in August 2016, dramatically reducing the size of the unit from its launch edition configuration. The Xbox One X followed in November 2017.