Microsoft Reportedly Preparing Affordable Xbox Console Sans Disc Drive

Microsoft is still working on a next-generation Xbox console that'll be more affordable to the public – due to the lack of a disc drive.

Sources speaking to Kotaku revealed that Microsoft is still planning on releasing a disc-less version of its upcoming next-generation Xbox gaming console. This is in spite of previous reports saying there will only be one Xbox Scarlett in the near future.

According to the unnamed sources, the cheaper Xbox version codenamed “Lockhart” is still in the works. The console will be a more affordable alternative to the more powerful Xbox Scarlett, but will come as a digital-only gaming system without a disc drive.

A game developer that has been briefed on Lockhart told the site that while the new console can be compared to the Playstation 4 Pro in terms of raw graphical processing power, it has some features that makes it a more powerful gaming console. One of these features, as per older reports, is a solid-state drive that will allow for faster processing and loading times.

Furthermore, Lockhart is also said to feature a CPU that's faster than the CPUs powering other current-gen gaming consoles. At the moment, Lockhart's CPU clock speed and cooling methods remain unknown. What's known about it is that it will be capable of higher frame rates.

Previous reports said Lockhart will have a custom eight-core CPU backed by 1TB of SSD. It is said to have a custom Navi GPU, capable of 4+ teraflops, and backed by 12 gigabytes of GDDR6 memory. For comparison, the more powerful Xbox version, dubbed “Anaconda,” boasts of a custom Navi GPU capable of 12+ teraflops.

Kotaku noted that Lockhart is seen as the successor to the digital-only Xbox One S, while Anaconda will be the successor to the gaming powerhouse known as the Xbox One X. Microsoft is said to target performances of 1440 resolution and 60 frames-per-second for Lockhart and 4K 60fps for Anaconda. It's easy to understand that the two will perform differently from one another.

Lockhart might be sold, or promoted, with the Xbox Game Pass and xCloud game streaming service. This is due to the fact that the game company has already bundled the Xbox Game Pass with the Xbox One S. Microsoft hasn't confirmed anything about this, though. Stay tuned for more details as they come.