Reliable leaker Kepler_L2 debunks viral Xbox Project Helix rumor with 2+ million views

On July 16, @iiamcloudman claimed on X that the earlier rumors of the next-gen Xbox Project Helix coming with a physical disc drive now seem confirmed. The user asserted that this meant the next-gen Xbox Helix will come with a disc drive while the Sony PlayStation 6 will not. The post went viral and has since garnered around 2.2 million views. This goes to show how big a topic the presence of a physical disc drive on next-gen consoles has become.

To the possible dismay of many, reliable leaker Kepler_L2 has dismissed this rumor entirely by essentially calling those who believed the rumor stupid. While there is still hope for the next-gen Xbox Helix to have a disc drive, since the console is still under wraps and things can change during development, all signs point to Project Helix being digital-only.

For instance, the existence of the Xbox’s disc-to-digital “Positron” program is a clear indication that Microsoft wants to move away from physical discs.

So, both the Xbox Project Helix and the Sony PS6 are likely to be digital-only. In the case of the PlayStation 6, the decision to cut a disc drive out of the PS6 could’ve been a part of Sony’s strategy to keep the price of the PS6 down. This move might end up getting us a PS6 that costs much less than what many are currently expecting.

In the end, a nice middle ground for Microsoft could be to sell a separate disc drive for gamers who want one. Sony already does this with the detachable disc drive for the PS5. So, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Microsoft could adopt a similar strategy.

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