A couple of weeks ago, Microsoft unveiled various editions of Avowed ahead the game's release next February - and the move has stirred up some controversy within the Xbox community. Straight after its announcement, fans weren't happy with another 'code in a box' situation from Microsoft, and that's now spilled over into more social media outcry.
Let's start out with the announcement first, shall we? Included in the Avowed lineup is a 'Premium Edition' of the game costing $94.99, and that version of the title contains a bunch of cool Avowed goodies - alongside a digital download code for the game itself. The fact that this isn't a physical disc has caused substantial backlash; just look at some of the replies to this tweet:
Then, Xbox President Sarah Bond tweeted about a completely different Xbox related topic; Microsoft's ongoing saga with Google about its Xbox mobile store. Sarah talked about offering players "more choice" being the aim here - and some of those disgruntled Xbox fans took this as an opportunity to bring up Microsoft's decisions with the Avowed code in a box. TLDR; they're not happy about the lack of choice from these editions of Avowed.
We're not necessarily seeing loads of individual tweets on the digital download topic in response to Sarah, but what's here is getting a fair few likes, and there's clearly something brewing in the community on this particular issue. We've not spotted any sort of response from Xbox — or Avowed developer Obsidian — on this topic just yet.
Anyway, we can definitely see where people are coming from here - especially if you're spending almost $100 on a steelbook edition of a game to get no actual disc for your steelbook to hold. For those who aren't bothered about purchasing this particular game outright, Avowed comes to the Xbox Game Pass library on February 18th, 2025.
Go ahead and give us your opinions on this whole saga down below.
Comments 74
It's pretty obvious which way wind is blowing. And not just on Xbox.
Xbox is just way ahead in share of digital sales. But PS5 Pro already came out with BD drive as optional accessory, and I fully expect that next Xbox and PS6 will both be without BD drive out of the box with option to connect one.
And publishers will move away from retail towards style that Remedy implemented with AW2. Digital only release and then some kind of physical limited release few months after release.
I'm firmly for physical media, and especially for consumer CHOICE.
That said Xbox physical numbers are already pretty tiny, and i'm not sure they will keep it up for long if physical sales keep dwindling. But i'd like to see some hard numbers, not some cherry picked data like Sony's 70% digital that only tells a small part of the tale.
@themightyant 75% console games in Europe in 2024 were sold digitally. And this number only covers AAA/AA games that tend to skew more for physical copies.
On Xbox, only 19% of AAA/AA games in Europe were sold in form of physical copies. 32% for PlayStation. Switch is holding, but digital share is also growing.
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/how-digital-is-the-video-games-market-in-2024
Error in headline. Should read "Some Xbox gamers".
Never understood why a few tweets is somehow news. More on games please.
It sucks for people that want to buy physical disc games but it's the way things are going soon there won't even be a xbox to put any discs in everything including the consoles themselves will be all just streamed or downloaded!
A few vocal holdouts. They'll either need to get with the program or just be forever angry.
Here's the reality. I grew up with physical games. They do not last forever. Disc drives fail. The discs themselves degrade over time. Having a physical copy might mean you "own" the game, but it don't mean you'll still be playing it when you're 90.
Cartridges last longer but aside from Nintendo I can't see them ever being a viable format again. Even the Switch's days are number, in my opinion.
If you are collecting physical games on Xbox then you are just doing it wrong anyway.
The discs often have nothing on them bar a key for the game. With the smart delivery they often have the wrong version of the game for your console and that's before we get into patches.
It's about time we stopped making all this pointless plastic and shipping it around the world anyway.
@Godot25 It's an interesting article that I've seen before. But it contains precisely the sort of data I was talking about that DOESN'T give us the whole picture. There are so many caveats and missing points that it's only a rough guide. It is still useful in comparing year to year to show a decline in physical (assuming their methodology was identical each year), but it doesn't really give us the whole truth either.
For example there are so many games that ONLY release digitally, which skews the numbers in it's favour. If we removed those how would physical actually compare on a level playing field? The physical numbers would certainly go up but would it get a massive boost or only a smaller one?
We've seen some leaked data on other platforms that counters the cherry picked stats they put out. e.g. Sony said in their FY2022 financial report that 66% of sales were digital. Yet in the Insomniac leak we saw that between 2020 and 2022 all games they published was 65% PHYSICAL. I accept Xbox is more digital, but we don't really have data to say by how much, mostly only the cherry picked ones.
Lastly most people who buy physical media ALSO buy digital media. E.g. I am for physical media, but I buy more games digitally in sales. What does the overall percentage actually matter? I still want physical AS WELL as digital even if it's just 10% - 20+% of the games I buy. What percentage of users buy at least ONE physical game? That is your physical market.
Choice is good.
Absolutely right and it's a middle finger from Microsoft with this Code in a Box *****.
Removed - flaming/arguing
The whole situation with most Xbox games got completely out of hand, it's just disappointing to realize that if want to get a physical version of the game I have to count on PlayStation.
I stand in solidarity with my disc brothers and sisters.
I’d say take whoever decided ‘code in box’ is an acceptable business strategy, throw them in a chair and force them to play Starfield or Concord for 72hrs straight, but I’ll wager the Geneva Convention forbids that sort of cruelty.
Don’t understand why Xbox can’t just team up with iam8bit or limited run to do a pre launch physical version pre order. Make it a nice package and charge maybe $80 or so. Iam8bit did a great job with sea of stars and psychonauts 2. I know limited run has its problems but Grounded and pentiment have really nice physical releases from them. Obviously the physical market is a fraction but if you make a more limited version people will still buy it. They don’t need to print millions of discs anymore. People just want options. A good comparison is the vinyl market for music. Make it a good collector's item.
@Balaam_ especially when they are charging. $95 for the steelbook. Like not even the base $70. It was a second kick in the nuts in a way
They already forgot about us.
Newspaper/books first started digital distribution, music was next, movies went after that, and now gaming is completing the move of media to digital distribution.
People can whatever we want but physical distribution is dying off. There are people growing up not even knowing what physical distribution is. I used to do my rounds to EBGames (GameStop) and Best Buy once a month to see the latest releases. I can't remember the last time I did that for games. Have not walked in to GameStop for literally years. Best Buy the only time I go there is to see a physical sample of an electronic I am looking to buy. Then, I order online.
The other issue with physical distribution is game size. As games eclipse 150 GB more and more (for 4K games, 8k games will probable eclipse 1 TB) it requires too many disks for the games to be unfeasible to distribute physically.
I have a collection much bigger then that pictured in the article. My X360 collection eclipses 2,000+ physical games, but I saw the writing on the wall when MS started XBLA and start to move digital. My XB One collection is almost completely digital, and my XB Series collection is entirely digital. I would've preferred physical stick around but it is dying.
There are a lot of advantages to digital. I travel a lot so it is easy just to download some games to my ROG Ally and play them or now play (some of) my games on xCloud. I also have fixed XBoxes where I just download games too. Since storage is not large enough for my entire collection, digital makes it easier to put the games I want to play on my XBox. Don't have to find or have the physical disc. Just go to My Library and decide what I want to download. No matter where I am the whole thing just depends on a decent Internet connection. Which is almost always available if willing/able to pay for it now.
All I need is my Phone, ROG Ally, and iPad and a decent Internet connection and I can access all my digital media anywhere in the world!
@Nintendo4Sonic no thanks and it was in the arcades mainly.
Definitely didn't own anything then.
One other thing about digital distribution is that it is better for the environment. No manufacturing of discs, no physical resources required for distribution, no trucking those discs to stores, and no people buying those discs with physical money anymore. Everything is digitally accessed and downloaded. You are doing the environment a favour by buying your games online only.
Personally, I thing the special editions should just end. To me, there is little value in special editions without the disc. If they want to do collectibles, then they should move digital as well.
Does anyone know if the code only box still has the circle shaped slot for the disk? That would hit me straight in the OCD.
I have definitely bought more digital games over physical in the last decade but with the cost of everything going up I have got back into physical more and more this year. Games can be up to 30% cheaper day one and they drop in price much faster. Not to mention the option to trade in, resell or gift to a friend when I’m done with it, none of which can be done with a redemption code.
@MeanBeanEgg
I still believe in options. XB I think provides the most options for gamers. Especially on how and where I can play my games.
PS: I do really like the controllers having the option for batteries. Makes it easy when my rechargeables die, don't have to plug it in to the console. Just switch rechargeable batteries or put in regular batteries.
There is a reason I moved over to PlayStation as my primary console.
My PS4/5 and Switch shelves of physical games look great compared to my almost empty Xbox One/Series shelves. Why? Because Xbox abandoned physical and I moved my money to those who’d honour my desire to collect physical games.
And it’s a real shame because one of the best features of the Series X was putting in an old game and seeing it upgraded to 4K 60fps.
Xbox now is reduced to a Game Pass machine and that has even expired for me now until there is a game worth resubbing for.
I have 142 purchased games on my series x, all digital & no physical media at all. Cool if you like collecting the physical stuff but it doesn't offer me personally any benefits over digital.
That’s what a lot of PC gamers were saying when Steam launched. Physical games are dying, people vote with their wallets. Crying on X or here won’t change anything. Ditto for making offensive comments about those who are on board with digital games only.
@Medic_alert "It's about time we stopped making all this pointless plastic and shipping it around the world anyway."
Been saying this for years. Nice to hear someone else recognise the truth of it.
I'll quit gaming before I go all digital. It looks like I won't be playing Avowed just like I skipped Hellblade 2. It sucks but I barely have time to play games anyway.
I feel like all should be digital, especially on xbox and maybe there could be some service from MS where you can literally order the game you want and they print it and ship to you. Just to satisfy that 5% of game collectors audience and another 5% of people who likes trading discs.
I am coming from the fact that majority of sales on xbox are digital, many stores stopped selling xbox discs and used market is also small. Digital sales over years became really good, so from the money saving point its also almost pointless. Yeah sometimes you can get a deal but I noticed that 90% of the time discs are more expensive and discounts are smaller compared to xbox store.
@Kienda then you have to switch to nintendo. well PS comes really close to xbox in digital sales. Since player base is larger so is the used market - true. But a 100% they will follow the discless path. They already launching digital consoles and you have to chase the disc drives now.
I would not bet on PS here tbh.
@themightyant the reality is games will be like dvd movies now. Sure its cool and some people like it but it mostly the collectors.
So regardless PC is fully digital, xbox is like 80-90% there, PS is like 50-70% there. Only nintendo holds for physical and honestly they are the only true console. So I would bet on them if you are for physical.
Here's the bottom line. We know there's at least 20 million Xbox Series X/S consoles sold, and half are Series X with a disc drive. Why disregard the people who bought a console with a drive?
We can sit there and say "it's the future" all day long, but the bottom line is people who bought a disc drive based Xbox deserve to be catered to.
@Millionski While I accept physical is shrinking that doesn't mean it needs to go away. I can still buy books, I can still buy CD's (or even Vinyl), I can still buy Blu-rays. So why should game discs go away just because it's market share is shrinking. All we are asking for is CHOICE.
@Titntin @Medic_alert The eco side of it is the one argument I could probably get behind. However as with NFTs not all digital solution are more environmentally friendly than current options. I'd love to see a THOROUGH investigation into how much it costs to run a server farm and distribute petabytes of digital downloads data, including ALL the energy required to run the network infrastructure to get it from A-Z.
Cloud streaming, which is the natural endpoint in an all digital future, this becomes even worse. Eurogamer did an in depth article on this a few years ago during world week referencing a few studies (that frankly all had too many caveats) but the main takeaway was that it slightly depended how long you played a game on which solution was better for the environment. If you were cloud streaming a game for a hundred hours it was much worse than playing it locally on a disc, whereas for a few hours it might be better than disc or download.
I've been very vocal about Antstream Arcade for example which runs retro games that are usually a few kilobytes or megabytes in size and could run on a toaster, but require a whole cloud farm, network infrastructure and your power-hungry console/PC to play. It's MASSIVELY wasteful versus other options.
Ultimately Microsoft are being sensible and strategically reducing the desire for physical media by making digital more appealing by having your whole library on the go on any system, making Game Pass their main offering, and other initiatives to push an all digital future. It's smart on their part, they aren't abandoning physical flat out, they are making it so most don't want it.
"almost $100 on a steelbook edition of a game to get no actual disc"
Screw that.
Wouldn't pay that amount even if it had the disk.
In fact wouldn't pay half that.
These days if I buy physical it's second hand, but mostly digital, because codes can be picked up usually ridiculously cheap.
Don't think I've seen a steelbook for a code before...
@themightyant The usual defence everyone jumps too which doesn't withstand any scrutiny at all.
This is not streaming video on demand and trying to look at network centres designed to stream data on demand is a complete fallacy for this purpose. It's a single download. Guess what? - When you buy a physical version, you will also have to download the game the moment you stick the plastic in the slot. Digital uses the same data resource as buying physical, but without the plastic, printing and shipping involved with buying a disc.
That you might save a few quid is no excuse in my eyes for creating further ecological harm. With DRM, your discs will be useless lumps of landfill in 25 years anyway....
Streaming is an ecological nightmare that I don't support at all unless its to try a product, but thats a completely different argument to digital code distribution. Deep down, I'm sure you recognise this.
Physical should always be an option even if it’s a niche. In no future do I want Sony/MS/Nintendo 100% controlling what I have to buy on their systems.
I got Space Marine 2 on disc for £38 today, it’s still £60 digital, who in their right mind wants to take away that alternative. Options for us consumers are good.
Amazing that so many people are happy to pay higher prices and not have an option.
@Millionski unfortunately I’m not betting on any of them to stay physical in the long run.
But I will fight for as long as I can to keep physical alive. Every game I can buy physically I do buy physically.
I plan on picking up a second hand copy of COD Black Ops Cold War on disc from CEX here in the UK for £15 in the next few days but digitally it is still expensive.
Giving consumers a choice is very important.
@themightyant i agree with you entirely and it is not always straight forward as disc bad, digital good when it comes to environmental concerns.
But in terms of server farms there are elements that can make it much more eco-friendly. For instance basing them in areas with larger proportions of renewables put into the grid.
And they scale better than physical in this regard. I.e. you don't need anywhere near the extra emissions because 1 new user turns up, while making and shipping a disc etc increases the impact substantially.
The flip side of that is that if you buy physical and sell them on, or buy second hand you can half your damage in one go.
@Titntin I am hugely environmentally conscious and a massive lover of all things marine and so the plastic thing is a huge deal to me.
I just cannot justify it anymore and have made every effort to reduce my impact - even when it isn't a directly positive effect on me.
It has been hard letting go of the physical games, it will be harder when we finally realise we are losing the planet.
@Titntin Yes and no. Depending on the game the Day 1 patch is small or large. You DON'T usually have to download the whole game if you have a disc, although Xbox is really bad for this.
I agree that digital download is probably, in many cases, better environmentally than shipping a disc. But I don't think it is a closed case and as clear as you make out. It IS something I have looked into in detail but I haven't seen any conclusive studies that favour one over the other, they all seem to have large flaws and caveats but still generally say "it depends".
E.g. this paper on the Carbon Footprint of Games Distribution by Mayers and colleagues surmised that for games under 8.8GB digital download was better than retail, over 8.8GB retail was likely better. To be clear this data is outdated, the study is from 2014, datacentres will have become more efficient, other factors will have changed, and there are several assumptions made. But it is an example that shows that even then it wasn't clear. How much has changed since. Is a 50GB game better on disc that a digital download?
Other studies like this one from 2020 on Climate change implication of gaming products and services also had some interesting takeaways like the cloud vs download chart I referenced above which factors in game filesize and playtime. You are absolutely right that cloud streaming a trial of a game is more environmentally friendly than downloading a huge download... although that assumes you don't buy the game and download it afterwards. Again "it depends", but it probably has it's place.
I completely agree cloud streaming is an ecological problem if that is all we are doing, especially the more we play. But I don't think it is all that different to digital distribution because, sadly, I think one leads to the other. I think we go all digital and eventually that will lead to all cloud. That is just another reason I am pro-physical to slow that inevitability. But as I keep saying what I am most interested in is CHOICE.
@Medic_alert BTW I massively respect that you love the planet. I do too, which is why I HAVE looked into this in detail. I haven't seen any compelling evidence to say discs are so much worse and have an impact versus the alternatives, to the extent that I should go digital before I change a dozen other things in my life that WILL have a larger impact. If you have evidence to the contrary, other than you are just trying to eliminate plastic (which I respect), I would love to see it.
Or as I want to say to many of my friends when I book a flight "Don't have kids, don't drive, then come talk to me about the environment because my carbon footprint is vastly lower than yours." 😜
@themightyant i went vegan 11 months ago on the back of completely falling in love with the ocean and its inhabitants, something that hits your carbon footprint hard!
@Medic_alert Respect mate. I too strive to do better, though I live in a consumer society. I also live next to the sea and am horrified by what we have done to it already. I try as much as possible to consume local foods from local producers and pay extra to try and ensure better conditions for livestock etc.
I decided a long time ago that whatever I can consume via digital distribution, I will do. Side benefit was I got 1/3 of my living space back which had been stuffed with media, the vast bulk of which I never touched! I'm not a proponent of streaming, but I am of digital distribution. I try my best to not preach, my choices are my own.
@Titntin feels like we have a very similar philosophy.
I found out a long time ago that I prefer space in my home to the short window of enjoyment I get out of having a thing in my house.
I still slip from time to time and nobody is perfect but we can only try and do our bit and put pressure on our governments and the businesses that have the real power to make them fix it.
The plastic disc in 2024 is about as much use as a bit of paper with a code on it. Both are just a licence key. If I was to collect the boxes it would be more for the box art and cool freebees that come inside. At least with the switch most of the games don't require any form of download to pop in and play.
Whichever games you want to own on physical disc, now is the time to get them. I've purchased a few 'classics' in recent years - new and used. My biggest concern other than the inevitable disappearance of physical media is the owner rights and longevity of digital titles due to things like online requirements and licensed music etc. The small print will often let you know your purchase isn't for life or is subject to various changes in policy.
Back to physical - Xbox games in particular have been much harder to find both in brick and mortar stores and online for years now. Look at any game section in Best Buy/Walmart/Target etc. Five year old games are often full price too.
The future of emulation/backward compatibility is the savior, I just hope the big three and publishers make more of an effort so we're not reliant on substandard third party emulators/roms.
@darylb24 ‘ The plastic disc in 2024 is about as much use as a bit of paper with a code on it’
True in some cases but if I can pay 38 instead of 60 for that disc I will. I do not give a fart about its eco impact and I hope those that claim to don’t drive their cars around or fly anywhere.
Not having physical copies will lead to me absolutely leave Xbox.
I'm strictly physical media, games, movies, music, etc.
@NeoRatt Better for the environment? Wonder how much byproduct is wasted due to servers, powering serves, etc?
Great example are the electric cars. They are ABSOLUTELY, TERRIBLE, for the environment. All the resources wasted on mining for copper, constant need power to charge the battery (where that energy come from?), and what is done with battery on end of life? Throw them in landfill? Electric cars HUGE detriment to the environment.
@themightyant it will go away anyways. PC is over with digital. Xbox is next, then PS. Nintendo will be the latest.
They will be just printing less and less until they stop completely.
My point is if there is a solution instead - for example if you can order online to print a specific game and get it delivered to you.
But yea like dvds somewhere in certain collector stores it will exist
No physical copy - no money. It’s simple for me.
I can't own it without a disc Xbawks will steal ma game!
@GuyinPA75 Microsoft already closed their physical disc division. They officially threw in the towel on making discs earlier this year.
Stacking L's. Nobody does it better than Ex-box
@GuyinPA75
Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are all striving to make their data centers carbon neutral. You can see Microsoft's efforts here:
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/explore/global-infrastructure/sustainability/
As for physical discs, oil for the plastics, trees get cut for the paper in the covers, ink is required for the print on them, and discs are made with polycarbonate which requires a bunch of chemicals and gases that need to be acquired. And in the end you still need the servers for the constant game updates developers deliver.
This is a discussion that took place 10 years ago in Japan, where there have been very few packaged games released for the Xbox One and later.
I liked the Xbox 360 packaged games. However, now I can't enjoy the packaged and limited edition versions of my favourite games on the Xbox.
I even buy PlayStation versions of games that I don't even play just because they are limited editions.
Isn’t the only difference one is a code on a piece of paper and the other is a code on a disc…yes with the disc u can recoup some money back on the second hand market but that’s about it…i got over 500 games on Steam and not once was I ever upset about not having a physical disc or box to go along with them idk why consoles should be any different
I remember when PC gamers sounded like this for a little while (myself included). Industry moved on and folks kept buying games. I have less empathy this time around.
Consoles are slowly becoming computers. Personally I welcome it. It is such a hassle moving a large physical collection (let alone the furniture needed to house/display it.)
@TheGameThrifter I have two of those Series X's and the only reason we ever use the disc drive is because it's more fun to gift physical games, so we get one or two a year on Christmas. I have hundreds and hundreds of Xbox and 360 physical games ( two 27 gallon totes jam packed) but maybe 2 dozen Xbox one and Series physical games. S vs X is not equivalent to PS5 disc vs discless, a ton of us have the drive and really don't care. I have always been a PC gamer and hated losing physical but I went through my stages of grief almost 2 decades ago.
I wonder what happens with the PS5 ports (and Switch 2 ports whenever that console arrives). Like we know the Xbox version of Indiana Jones is code in box but will the PS5 version be a proper disc version because it fits more with PS user habits?
@Ryu_Niiyama the issue is the consoles are more of a closed off eco system than PC’s will ever be. If physical goes away on console you’re then limited to each companies store front and pricing with nothing you can do about it. PC has multiple store fronts, although steam dominates, and the threat of piracy is stronger. There are alternatives.
@RiverGenie the benefit of physical is all 142 of those games, if physical, would mean you can sell them and make money off the ones you no longer play.
Digital is convenient. Physical gives you flexibility and potentially saves money.
@Kienda I already made a profit measured by fun per hour that i don't need or want to sell any. The convenience of the digital purchase just increases the fun per hour ratio.
You do what works & is best for your preferences. 🙂
@Grumblevolcano Good question and I've been wondering this as well. Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Pentiment on PlayStation were only offered through Limited Run but Indiana Jones may be big enough to warrant a retail release. It probably will since there will be physical Xbox copies in stores.
Gonna play it on gamepass anyways, I don't like this all digital future any more than the next guy but at the end of the day that's where we are headed especially with the Xbox ecosystem which lets face it, is 90% gamepass.
Also, what is even on a disc these days? I do still collect physical but in my opinion anything past the 6th gen is a waste.
@RiverGenie yeah, we all gotta do what we think is best.
I was just pointing out that reselling games is a benefit of physical that you may not have thought about. But it isn’t for everyone.
I know some people who have bought 2,000+ digital games, 90% they have not and will not play, but they are happy with that. Their collection is there to browse and play at their pleasure and download to any machine they log into. Plus it’s not taking up any room on a shelf.
Personally, I like picking up a game and looking at a box, and I wouldn’t have some of my newer games if I hadn’t sold older ones, especially when cash was tighter. It’s each to their own.
@Fenbops you are making an argument from an economic perspective for the consumer. But your comment doesn’t entirely feel relevant to mine. Consoles have always been closed ecosystems … the “console wars” are built on that.
Gamers have gone increasingly digital either due to convenience (I am in that camp) or price and despite that more and more games are digital only there hasn’t been a lot of price gouging that I have seen (and no games going up 10 dollars every few gens is not price gouging). Meanwhile Sony is slowly eliminating the disc drive altogether and since xbox wants to be device agnostic that is likely next as well. So you are trying to compare why PC gaming went the way it did from an economic perspective (consumer side) when that isn’t what happened. PC gaming unilaterally went digital only. Even with piracy and at the time with far less store fronts. Because it saved the companies money. And since the market didn’t buckle we know that people will bear it. So like I said gamers kept buying games.
The same will happen with console. A vocal minority will complain, some may exit gaming or switch to pc but most will continue on as normal. Which was my point. Economics really doesn’t change that. People will still buy games.
As I said. I welcome it. I have more furniture to keep my physical games organized than I want.
Pretty much everyone preaching what I've said on and off since forever. The worry this gen of current gen games on disc for Xbox games is the last/end. Next gen might have an external disc drive (extra cost) for previous gen games but sounds like that's it at best. If they do any games on disc next gen I'll be completely and utterly shocked then I'll be there for the console to support it.
GamePass 'poisoned the well' for game sales and well more specifically disc Xbox game sales. The less disc based releases happened the less now newer games came to disc so then "Smart Delivery" games are primarily happening with cross gen lasting way too long without Series X builds on a single 50gb disc and here we are in "Xbox Series gen disc botched hell" for new disc releases. You have to go to doesitplay, looked at a reddit list someone put together with community help for testing since doesitplay barely bothers with Xbox, or just take the chance with buying and finding out how bad a new game "on disc" ends up for each release that does make it to disc for Xbox.
Rarely are Series X games full playable start to finish without the internet nowadays for a large download due to the 50gb disc limit unless the publisher pays for 2-4 discs printed. Which happens but not often. Especially 1st party games that you want to keep but nope Microsoft cheaps out to save a few dollars per copy on games Halo Infinite and Starfield without multiple discs, just absolutely shameless.
Trying to remotely play Xbox sucks. I have 400mps and it lays so bad and disconnects. Playing remotely is a easier option for me and it's pointless when that feature doesn't work. I pretty much stick with my switch because of this.
I've been saying this the past month or two now so here I go again.
Last year, Starfield and Forza 8 launched on Xbox. BOTH games came in at launch over 100gbs in size. Xbox series x only uses bluray discs that are single layer 50gb in size. These games came on a single disc. A download from Xbox’s servers, is needed to play these games and its impossible without it. Its not even on the front of the case, its in small text on the back of the game case.
And then slimy Phil and Sarah talk during the Xbox “business update” last Feb saying how they are committed to game preservation? Lies.
And don’t say its the same on PlayStation, this year, GOTY contender, FFVII Rebirth can ONE HUNDRED PERCENT be installed on an offline PS5 console. The game is 140gbs and came on two 100gb bluray discs. Even recently Black Myth Wukong was just over 100gbs when it launched. With the patches since launch, they managed to get the game under 100gbs for the recent physical release.
Its very likely Xbox won’t ever get a physical version of Wukong because
1 There are only 8 million series x consoles sold in 4 years
2 The game will be way over 100gbs on Xbox because of no kraken compression
3 The game will not fit on a 50gb bluray and it isn’t feasible for them to bother with a three multi-disc release because of step 1.
4 going from the last step, why would the developers of Black Myth Wukong be expected to do multi discs when Xbox won't even do it with their own 1st party games. I say this because I saw Xbox fans going after Remedy for the physical 100gbs sized Alan Wake 2 not fitting on a 50gb bluray disc...... like its a shock it doesn't lol.
Go to the website DoesItPlay and they will give you all the details and updates on different games' physical releases and if its all there on a disc, and if it isn’t and how pointless that release is then. Just recently Stalker 2 is 150gbs on Xbox and still came on a 50gb bluray disc lol. And again, don’t bring up PS, I just gave an example of literally the biggest game this year and how it runs offline on PS.
FINALLY people are starting to talk about physical releases and Xbox. Why did it take so long?
Firstly, all 3 console manufacturers would love to get rid of physical but it's very obvious that Xbox will be first and I doubt next gen will have a disc drive. Xbox have been using the wrong size disc for modern games, meaning so many aren't in the disc or even had a chance, as well as releasing some of their games without a disc, the Series S never had the option of physical and now there's even a digital X with no way of adding a drive
It's because of this, that Xbox will be the first of these platforms that I stop using as I want these options
I agree, with us physical gamers or us Xbox console dedicated if they don't care about us we go elsewhere.
If we don't move on to digital or cloud they lose customers right there.
Sure they get new customers all the time but if they really cared they'd want as many customers as possible wouldn't they?
Or does the small amount still not matter? Not surprised but even still.
Xbox would easily because software company and like Office/Edge it on everything, but like Windows 10 I ignore every time they say 'change your settings to suit our services'. I tell them to get stuffed.
Alright happy with OG/360 and other platforms old gens as well. I barely use my Xbox as is and their games lack impact. The variety is there but the impact is weak.
They want money but don't want to actually convince customers just expect them to bend over and give them money, well they have to try harder then that for some of us.
Were my Xbox to break and need replacing I'm leaning more towards a digital only option honestly.
Mostly because the disc drive on the Xbox is awful, and can't reliably play BD-100 disks so if you buy a movie on 4K then there's a good possibility it won't play on a Series X.
Like this article shows the physical game disks are nothing but shelf stuffers now as even with a disk you're still reliant on the servers to host the game files for you to download same as a digital purchase.
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