Xbox plans for Helix physical disc drive revealed in new report

A new report details some specifications about Xbox’s next-gen console, including that it may include a physical disc drive as an advantage over the PlayStation 6.

Following Sony’s recent announcement that it would discontinue making physical discs for new games from January 2028, one big talking point of the games industry right now is how the other console manufacturers will follow.

Nintendo has started to embrace the digital side of the business with game key cards, while Xbox continues to push Game Pass as a service to its users.

New details have now arisen as a result of these conversations, with Digital Foundry’s John Linneman claiming that Microsoft is interested in featuring a disc drive in the next Xbox console as an advantage over Sony.

In an episode of DF Direct Q+A, a podcast run by Digital Foundry, Linneman says “One thing I'd heard from a couple of sources, and this is just kind of like, you know, potential rumour stuff, but at least before the current Xbox reset, it sounds like Microsoft was actually very much going to continue disc support, not because they valued retail disc sales, but because they wanted to ensure that all your Xbox games were still playable on new Xboxes.”

Linneman explains that disc support could have been offered in the form of an external drive, which may be tied into the rumoured ‘disc-to-digital’ feature that is allegedly coming.

However, it's worth pointing out that he said these may have been plans "before the current Xbox reset", meaning they may not be true anymore with the current strategy.

He adds: “I do see a future where Microsoft actually supports discs going forward for users that want to take their library with them while Sony just completely cuts people off.”

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Backwards compatibility has been a major selling point of the Xbox Series X

Backwards compatibility has been a huge selling point of modern Xbox consoles. While PlayStation 5 only has backwards compatibility with PS4 discs, certain PS1 and PS2 games are available as digital purchases.

Meanwhile, the Xbox Series X allows you to play specific games going all the way back to the early 2000s, even allowing you to use your original disc to play it. It essentially means your 25 year-old games will still work on modern consoles.

It seems like an easy PR win for Microsoft to include some kind of disc support for the Xbox Helix, considering the negative reactions aimed at Sony following the announcement.

Many PlayStation users have voiced their opinions on various social media platforms, including in the replies sections for many posts made by PlayStation. Even on posts promoting trailers or games made by third parties, the comments section is an avalanche of negative reactions to the announcement.

PlayStation users are also staging a week-long blackout of Sony and PlayStation-related services starting August 23, 2026.

“We are calling on PlayStation players to participate in an economic and gameplay blackout from Sunday, August 23, at 7:00 PM local time through Sunday, August 30, at 7:00 PM local time,” reads the original post from PlayStation fan and content creator Does It Play.

“Players can participate by turning off their consoles or logging out for seven days. We feel that this period gives publishers and developers minimal impact while still giving players a voice.”