PlayStation users will reportedly get a disk with the physical edition of recently announced Xbox games, but Xbox isn’t getting the same treatment.
In May, Microsoft stirred up controversy by raising the prices of games to $80, starting this holiday season, and also raised the prices of hardware, effective immediately. Fans and developers both questioned the decisions, as The Outer Worlds 2 Game Director pointed the blame at Xbox for the price increase.
Microsoft hasn’t restored good graces, as upcoming games will only be available on disc for PlayStation.
Xbox-Announced Games Aren’t Including a Disc, Whereas PS5 Are
Gaming insider CharlieIntel reported, “Recently announced Xbox games are only offering a disc, physical version for PS5, per retailer listings. PS5 versions have discs included in the box, while Xbox versions of the same games are only including a digital code.”
This removes much of the incentive for Xbox users to purchase physical editions of games. A significant appeal for physical media collectors is the ability to have permanent ownership of the product, but only providing a code removes that benefit.
The decision also makes it less necessary to spend more on a disc drive version of the Series X, because most first-party games won’t come with one.
It’s unclear which games this will impact, but The Outer Worlds 2 is once again in the news, as it’s included.
In other console news, PlayStation 6 is at the top of Sony’s priorities, the first-party Xbox Handheld is “essentially cancelled,” and PlayStation responded to growing competition from the Nintendo Switch 2.
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