Ashely currently works as a news writer for Polygon. After getting her Translation degree, she was hired as a guide and news writer for GameRant and TheGamer. She enjoyed working as an author for these sites for six years, and in 2026, she started at Polygon, where she is able to continue to do what she loves: writing about video games.
Will Xbox’s next-gen console support physical games?
The end of physical media has been a popular topic of discussion for the gaming community in the past few months. While Sony has confirmed that it will be moving on from physical games and going all-in on digital media, Xbox has not made it clear where it stands. Reports indicate that a recent Xbox Insider survey is asking how important it would be for fans to have physical media support in Xbox’s next-gen console, revealing that there is still hope of Xbox will produce a console with a disc drive.
Sony has been getting a lot of heat for its stance against physical media. But the truth is, besides damaging the relationship it has with fans, ceasing disc production won’t hurt the company much. At the end of the day, physical game sales only account for a small portion of Sony’s sales. Despite many gamers still collecting physical games, the practicality of digital media is undeniable — for both customers and publishers. So much so that it’s become increasingly common for game publishers to skip physical disc releases and either provide a code in a box or take the digital-only route.
Xbox has not confirmed whether it will go all-digital or help keep physical media alive with its next-gen console, Project Helix. It seems that the company might be undecided and is currently probing fans to know what features they value. According to Power Up Gaming, some gamers in the Xbox Insider program took a survey about the next console’s possible features, including physical disc support.
Xbox is reportedly asking Insiders if they want Project Helix to have physical game support
This report comes from a now-deleted post from X user XboxTimDog. The screenshots show that the survey asked the user how important it would be for the next-gen console to let them “install games from a physical disc.” It is unknown if other insiders have received this survey, as each person is given their own set of questions to answer. If you’re an Insider, be sure to take any surveys available on the Xbox Insider Hub app to see if you get any similar questions.
As Sony walks away from physical media, Xbox is in a good position to win over gamers’ hearts, after already earning some brownie points for its disc-to-digital program. Supporting physical media on its next console could give it a big advantage over the PlayStation 6.
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