Xbox Project Helix: Disc Drive or Digital-Only? Here's What We Know

Ever wondered if the next Xbox will still let you pop in a physical disc? With Sony already going all-digital, the big question is: what's Xbox doing? In a recent chat, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma played it coy about whether Project Helix will have a disc drive, but she dropped some hints about the future.

"This next generation, we have to be thinking about efficiency and affordability alongside performance," Sharma told the BBC. "All of the industry needs to start to innovate on affordability and efficiency. That is something that we have not had to do [previously]. But with the crisis that's currently happening in hardware and components, it is absolutely something all of us need to be thinking about, innovating on, and giving people more choice in terms of how they play their console and how they purchase their console."

So, no straight answer on the disc drive, but she did talk about giving players choices. "I want to make sure people have a choice. There are stacks of games on everybody's shelves," she said. That's a nod to physical collectors out there.

Xbox has been easing us into a digital future for a while now. With Smart Delivery, Play Anywhere, and the recently announced disc-to-digital program, they're making the transition smoother while still keeping physical options on the table. In contrast, PlayStation's digital-only future is looking a bit bleak with no refunds or gifting, which has gamers up in arms.

So, could Project Helix be the hero physical media needs? It's still rumored to be a digital-only console to cut costs, but it's also said to be backwards-compatible. If it does lack a disc drive, that disc-to-digital program might be your best bet to keep your old games. So, what do you think? Will you be holding onto your physical collection, or are you ready to go all-digital with Project Helix?