The next Xbox may drop the disc drive, but players seem ready for disc‑to‑digital — if it's even real

The next Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, is surrounded by questions right now. We have some idea of how the console-PC hybrid will work, but confirmed details are scarce. One question is how the next Xbox will handle physical games.

There's a good chance that the next Xbox will not have a disc drive, though that has not been officially confirmed. If that is the case, Microsoft would need to find a way to make discs from previous consoles playable on the next Xbox.

Microsoft has championed backward compatibility for several console generations. Leaving behind players with physical game libraries would be in stark contrast to that multi-year effort.

Microsoft could support external disc drives instead. PlayStation does this, and since Project Helix is essentially a gaming PC, external USB disc drive support could be feasible.

Whether the next Xbox supports discs or not may be irrelevant to many if the disc-to-digital program rolls out. The poll in our piece covering the program indicates interest in converting discs, at least among our readers.

Out of nearly 800 votes, a combined 79% of participants expressed interest in the idea.

42% of votes said "Yes" when asked if they'd convert their discs. Another 37% said "Maybe" while noting they'd need to learn more about how the program worked.

15% of voters said they would not convert their discs to digital licenses. Another 7% said they did not own any Xbox discs.

I remember when Microsoft first hinted at the possibility of a disc-to-digital program. Back then, many were upset about the concept and fought passionately about the value of physical media.

It's interesting to see opinions shift over time. Many were upset when laptops dropped disc drives as well. Laptop makers would be laughed at now for including a disc drive, except in extremely niche categories.

Over in the Windows Central subreddit, gamers shared their thoughts about the potential disc-to-digital program.

"That's cool," said Reddit user LionAlhazred. "I've been fully digital for many years now because I play on Xbox, PC, and handheld PCs. A program that lets you convert physical games into digital licenses would be really great for me."

A comment on our original post by fatpunkslim makes the case for converting discs:

"It’s a good idea to be able to convert physical games into digital versions for the simple reason that it’s more convenient and because physical media also has a limited lifespan. Depending on how well you take care of your discs (scratches, exposure to light), a disc can become unusable after 5–10 years."

If Microsoft allows gamers to convert discs to digital licenses, there are questions about what would happen to the original discs. Microsoft would need to prevent people from converting discs and then selling the discs, which would effectively duplicate a copy of the game.

On the flip side, selling games is an important option, so Microsoft would need to have a way to deactivate a digital license. Since Microsoft has considered having a disc-to-digital program for several generations, much of the groundwork has been put into place.

Join us on Reddit at r/WindowsCentral to share your insights and discuss our latest news, reviews, and more.