Xbox Series S With Optical Drive? Microsoft Has a New Patent
Microsoft may be working on an external device for the Xbox Series S. It would enable us to run physical, not just digital copies of games.
- Microsoft may be working on an external optical drive for Xbox Series S;
- The company has filed a patent application showing a schematic of how the device would work;
- Whether it will make it to the market remains to be seen.
The current generation of Xbox consoles has two variants: Series X and Series S. Only the former has a disc reader.
Owners of the cheaper version of the console are forced to use digital copies of games. However, it is possible that this will change.
Microsoft's new idea
Microsoft has filed a patent application (via Game Rant), which shows a diagram of how a very interesting device would work. The company is apparently working on an external optical drive for the Xbox Series S.
The hardware would be used to verify physical copies of games. After completing the process, the owner of the console without the reader would receive access to the digital version of the title in Xbox Games Store.
This device would be a very good solution for people who still own a lot of Xbox One game discs. With it, they would be able to continue using them.
It would also be useful for other players. Having an external reader wouldn't limit their shopping options - they could hunt for deals on both digital and physical copies of games.
For now, however, we don't know much about the new device. The patent doesn't say whether the reader would work wirelessly or not. It also doesn't say whether or not Series S owners would receive a digital version of a game to keep in their library after using the reader.
However, the most important issue is that we don't even know if this device will come into existence. This is because many patents end up on paper forever.
