Hold on to your butts. A fresh rumour has surfaced claiming that Microsoft's next Xbox console will not feature a disc drive, instead offering compatibility with some form of solid-state based card storage.MCV reports the rumour, noting that, "the briefings have been issued under what MCV’s source describes as “the strictest NDA” they have ever encountered." So much for that, then. "Furthermore, a 2013 launch date for the hardware has been confirmed."
It's not known whether the card storage media will be the standard for all games being released on the new console. But the rumour, reported by MCV, appears to highlight further industry moves towards a future free of physical media.
Sony's PlayStation Vita was recently launched with a strategy that sees games launched on proprietary cards and PlayStation Network. It is implied that the next Xbox will follow a similar strategy.
Microsoft did not provide comment.
Source:
MCV