So microslop are using their drm to control the digital rights people are permitted to have over the discs they bought and paid for.

This still kills the secondhand games market, it still pushes everyone into a digtial only future that is controlled by the corporations.

How is this being written as some sort of success story?

I dont object to a digital future; my music and video discs have all been copied to digital files but those are my files, my legal right to create backups of my property and to use those backups on whatever damn device i choose to.

A digital future where the consumer has no control over their content is not something to be celebrated, even if it sweeps up a few old discs aling rhe way. Without microslops drm, people could simply copy their disc contents and "have digital"...

All to trap people in their digital ecosystem. They could have easily offered an optional optical drive on their next system.

MS sucks.

To be honest I kind of understand why they want to kill physical discs. What makes it not okay is that at the same time they don’t give you any possibility to fully own your digital media like you used to own your dics (even if these have DRM’s).

That’s why I’m leaving consoles and trying to buy on GOG when possible.

How is this being written as some sort of success story?

Because this is still somehow better than what Sony is doing, as they have no plan for backward compatibility with your disc games. I agree that people portraying this as a success story are very shortsighted.

The real reason to kill disks is to create the zero ownership future that corporations and private equity have been salivating for. They are training entire generations of consumers to accept less and pay more while they will own nothing and have no good choices.

I’d love to see more commitment to actual digital products that enforce consumer-driven digital ownership. GOG would be a good example, but anything could be if legislation forces any web product marked “Buy” to follow a certain standard.

Is there any proof that their next console isn't going to have an optical drive?

I don't think so, but I think pessimism has merged with realism. Perhaps we all just agree that for 2026 tech companies, whatever the question is, the correct answer will be whatever's the worst decision for the public.

Edit: Dude, just FYI since maybe you don't realize we can see downvotes: if you downvote everyone responding to you even in good faith, nobody will want to respond to you.

Is there any reason why you or anyone would give Microsoft the benefit of the doubt?

Expect the worst from MS and you’ll never be disappointed.

If they haven't announced drives being removed, then there isn't any proof that they are planning to do it. There is no benefit of doubt, nor is there evidence to support your claim.

Why would they create the optical to digital DRM program if they were keeping optical drives in the next system?

MS wanted to kill the secondary market since the start of the 8th generation in 2014. Their DRM rules are a big reason why a lot of people dropped Xbox to switch to PlayStation.