The article considers whether Microsoft could use continued support for physical games on its next Xbox, reportedly codenamed Xbox Helix, to gain an advantage over a PS6 that may follow Sony’s planned withdrawal from manufacturing physical games in 2028. It argues that such a move could generate favourable publicity among collectors and physical-media supporters, but is unlikely to reflect the commercial reality of a market increasingly dominated by digital sales.

Digital Foundry’s John Linneman says his sources indicated Microsoft had planned a disc drive, although it may only have been intended to play older games rather than new releases, and the plan may have changed under CEO Asha Sharma. Sony has not detailed PS6 plans and could still offer a disc-drive accessory for existing PS4 and PS5 discs; meanwhile, Xbox physical releases often require major downloads, its retail presence is limited, and physical software represents only a small share of sales—about 15% at most for PlayStation, with Xbox lower still.