Microsoft's disc-less Xbox One arrives on May 7 for $249.
The company on Tuesday officially revealed details about the console, which it's calling the Xbox One S All Digital Edition. You can pre-order it now on Microsoft's website and at select retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
Microsoft is calling the console "the most affordable way" to play Xbox One games. The $249 price is $50 less than the standard Xbox One S, which comes with a Blu-ray player.
It's (finally) official! Now get all the details on the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. #InsideXbox
Dropping May 7: https://t.co/Rxs7yNdLzL pic.twitter.com/NanCoFe7H6 — Xbox (@Xbox) April 16, 2019
Still, the disc-less console can stream 4K HDR video playback from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime. For storage, it comes with a 1TB hard drive, which Microsoft says should be enough space to hold all your downloaded games. To get you started, the product will come bundled with three downloadable games: Minecraft, Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 3.
On top of all this, buyers will be offered a 3-month Xbox Game Pass for a mere $1. With the pass, you can download titles from a selection of more than 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 games to play during the subscription period. (The same deal has also been given to new subscribers interested in trying the Netflix-like service for the first time.)
Details about the disc-less Xbox One S have been leaking for months. But on Tuesday, Microsoft's announcement finally confirmed the price, which hasn't been received well by all. Some gamers were hoping for a lower price point at $199 or $179. You can actually even find standard Xbox One S consoles sold for $249 on Amazon right now.
Still, expect the new disc-less console's pricetag to eventually fall. When the standard Xbox One S gets a discount, Microsoft's Xbox team said the All Digital Edition will get a price drop as well to maintain the $50 cost difference. You can find more details about the console here.
The news comes as Sony unveiled details about its PlayStation 5, which is expected in 2020.
Update: In response to Amazon already discounting the standard Xbox One S to $249, Microsoft told PCMag: "Microsoft sets a suggested retail price, but specific pricing and offers vary by retailer. The suggested retail price for the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition is $50 USD less than Xbox One S and we expect to maintain at least this price difference between the two consoles following launch on May 7."