Major Xbox announcement coming next week

The gaming industry has been in turmoil for quite some time now, but even more so after Sony made the decision to kill physical discs. While Microsoft has made no such announcements yet, there have been talks of a disc-to-digital feature coming to Xbox, and it looks like the company is finally ready to make it public.

Back in May, Windows Central’s Jez Corden reported that Xbox is working on a disc-to-digital feature called Positron. It is believed that this would allow owners of physical Xbox games to convert them into digital licenses. Microsoft has remained silent on this, but Brad Rosetti, the Xbox Insider Program Lead, posted on X last evening (July 9) that a major announcement is coming next week.

While Rosetti doesn’t specify what it’s about, Corden believes it will be the reveal of the Positron program. Since this has been posted by the Insider Program Lead, the feature will likely be available to Xbox Insiders first, before rolling out to the general public. This would essentially be Xbox's step towards the disc-less future. 

Sony’s controversial decision has made gamers believe that the PS6, and even the next Xbox, will not come with disc drives. That said, the latest insider information about Project Helix suggests that Microsoft has not finalized its decision yet, and there may still be hope for physical disc support with Project Helix, either natively or through an accessory.

The disc-less future in gaming has been a contentious subject, and as Sony chooses to stay silent, a petition called Don’t Kill the Disc has already crossed 250,000 signatures. This petition comes alongside mass PS Plus cancellations that forced Sony to offer 50% discounts to those who decided to cancel their subscription.