Microsoft is Asking Fans if They Want the Next Xbox to Support Physical Discs

Ever since Sony announced earlier this year that it would stop manufacturing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in 2028, many have been wondering if Microsoft will follow suit. As of writing this article, the company hasn’t outright commented on whether the next Xbox will support physical media. However, due to its recent introduction of the disc-to-digital program, some have assumed that Project Helix (the codename for Xbox’s next-generation line of consoles) will be digital-only.

On the surface, this does make sense. After all, Microsoft has historically had a haphazard attitude towards physical media. Many of the physical games that it publishes on Xbox consoles do not release complete on-disc, and to make matters even worse, a lot of third-party publishers avoid Xbox entirely when it comes to physical releases. The market for physical Xbox games is pretty small compared to PlayStation and Nintendo titles. Thus, if PlayStation is abandoning physical media, it only stands to reason that Xbox will, as well, right? Maybe, but maybe not.

A New Survey is Asking Xbox Fans What Features they Want in Project Helix

According to images that Power Up Gaming has obtained from a now-deleted post by X user @XBOXTIMDOG, it appears that Microsoft is currently asking fans whether they want the next Xbox to support physical discs. Sources have told us that a survey has recently gone live on the Xbox Insider Hub app on Xbox consoles. The images in question, we’re told, show segments of this survey.

The survey seems to be asking fans want they want from the next-generation Xbox. It includes a list of potential features for the console, and it asks participants to rate how necessary each of these features are. Participants can choose from one of three options for each feature: Not Necessary, Nice to Have, and Must Have. If participants select Must Have, then they are essentially saying that they “won’t even consider purchasing a next-generation Xbox console” if said feature isn’t included.

The survey mentions some interesting features, like “lighting on the console that changes to match the game you are playing” and a system that allows the console to “automatically identify and save gameplay highlights” so that they are ready to share. Of particular interest, though, is the part of the survey where it asks participants if they want the next-generation Xbox to let them “install games from a physical disc.”

Project Helix Having a Disc Drive Doesn’t Necessarily Mean It Will Have New Physical Games

If this survey is legitimate, then it suggests that Microsoft is still considering whether to include a disc drive in the next-generation Xbox. Presumably, if enough people consider physical media support a “must have,” then Microsoft will allow gamers to use physical games on Project Helix, either with a built-in disc drive or a detachable one. That said, even if the next Xbox does have a disc drive, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will have brand-new physical games. For all we know, the disc drive will only be used to play physical Xbox games from previous console generations.

The question of whether Project Helix will have physical games is still up in the air, but this survey does at least indicate that Microsoft hasn’t yet decided to abandon disc drives entirely. This may not be exactly what everyone wants to hear, but it could be a tad reassuring for some Xbox fans.