Rumor: New Xbox won’t have a disc drive

With Microsoft doing their best to maintain radio silence about the next generation of the Xbox, rumors continue to build about what we can expect. Though the console’s codename may have leaked, there’s still no hard evidence that the ‘Durango’ will have an HD touchpad controller, that it will run a version of Windows 9, or that this new console will not be able to play used games. Now a new report from MCV is indicating that Microsoft’s new console won’t even use discs.

According to MCV’s sources, the next Xbox won’t even have a disc drive built in. This conflicts with earlier reports that Microsoft would be adopting the Blu-ray format, but both concepts are still entirely possible. The source also states that there will be some sort of solid-state card storage, though it was unclear what sort of role that tech would play. Supposedly due out in 2013, this new Xbox would clearly strike a bigger blow to the used video game market, and further the importance of digital downloads.

Of course, until Microsoft actually reveals their true next-gen console, all of these reports should be taken with a grain of salt.