Xbox One S All Digital review – I get it – but why?

I can see this new Xbox console being a polarising one for the gaming community. Here it is, a brand new Xbox console – without a disc drive! THE SHOCK!

Here’s why that’s an issue. You buy a game at the shops, or online and you take it home – the box sits in your shelf alongside your many other games, the disc you carefully take out and insert into the console so you can install the game fast and get going.

Fast forward a few months, or years, and you look at the box and realise “I haven’t played that in ages” – so you head to EBGames or somewhere and you sell it – a few bucks, and a down payment on your next game.

No longer possible. Once you’ve finished a game, or your space on the 1TB included hard drive is full, you delete it – and you’re not downloading it again – let’s face it, that’s done. You can’t sell your digital games.

Big drama for many people.

Here’s the thing though, the All Digital Xbox One S is not for you. And Xbox is not going All Digital on their consoles – just this one (for now).

As a much more casual gamer, I’m more likely to buy a game in the Xbox Store on the console and download it. With NBN at 100mbps, Downloads might take a little while, but about the same as heading to the shops and back give or take.

Plus, any disc I’ve ever inserted and installed has required a software update to be downloaded before I can play it anyway!

So I get what Microsoft are doing here. Makes sense.

However, the value proposition just isn’t there. $349 for the 1TB Xbox One S all Digital edition.

At JB I can get a 1TB One S with drive at $379 – $399 at EB Games, so it’s a $50 saving.

The reason I’d spend that $50? The One S is a bloody good 4K Blu Ray player too! So you can buy 4K Blu Ray discs and not need a separate player.

The One S All Digital says “4K” on the box, and that’s true – it can output 4K, but only on Netflix and similar streaming services, there’s no 4K gaming.

So, while I see what you’re doing Microsoft – I think you got the price a bit wrong. This needs to be a $249 or at least $299 prospect.

To be clear, it does come with three games, including Minecraft and Forza Horizon 3 – which is added value for sure – but probably only for the younger audience.

In the lead up to Christmas, this would be a cracking great deal – we just need to see how the cards fall on pricing as the retail wars kick in.

It’s available to pre-order now online and at JB and Harvey Norman. It ships August 1.