With the next generation of Xbox consoles rumoured to cost more than $1,000 at launch, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has touched on future affordability amid a shortage of computing components and a gaming culture that is becoming increasingly digitised.
In an interview with the BBC, Sharma spoke on rising computing prices driven by AI data centres, which have been popping up with speed across the UK.
"AI is fundamentally changing a lot of things," Sharma shared. "Our job as Xbox, as we continue on in our next generation, is to take into consideration what's happening in the world and build the best experience for our players."
On the rising costs, which have affected Xbox already with a price hike earlier this month, Sharma stated "we’re in the middle of RAMpocalypse" before expanding on the ways Xbox is trying to make gaming more affordable.
The first step? For next-gen Xbox consoles, Sharma wants to allow players who own physical copies to also be entitled to a digital version.
As Sharma explained to the BBC: "There are stacks of games on everybody's shelves. We're announcing the ability for players for 1,000 titles with physical discs to be able to have a digital entitlement."
This reveal comes after PlayStation announced that they are ending physical disc production in 2028, which has been met with much backlash.
An increasingly digitised gaming culture has also been embraced by some developers, as seen with Rockstar launching arguably the biggest game of the year, GTA 6, without a physical disc.
"I know players love physical media, and I know there's a lot of benefits in digital media, and I want to make sure people have a choice," Sharma added.
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This will allow players to swap and sell games at their leisure – however, when a disc is bought second-hand, the idea is that the digital licence is then transferred over to the new player.
Sharma also hinted that this feature would allow players to play older titles on the next generation Xbox console: "We've long pioneered baccentkwards compatibility and so you'll continue to see that as we go forward in the generations."
Overall, with gaming slipping into inaccessible territories centred affordability, such promises are hopeful for all generations of gamers out there.
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