Inside Xbox confirms an all-digital Xbox One S is on the way

By Gabe Gurwin Published April 16, 2019

The reports and rumors regarding an all-digital Xbox One S console turned out to be true. During the latest edition of Inside Xbox, Microsoft officially announced the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, but that wasn’t the only piece of news the company had to share. Even if you’re waiting to see what Microsoft has in the works for the next generation of devices, it has plenty to offer Xbox One players now as well. Here is the biggest news from the episode.

Xbox One S All-Digital Edition

Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition will be identical to the Xbox One S in every way except for the omission of a disc drive and will be available on May 7 for $250. This $50 price difference will be maintained going forward, and the console comes with the games Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 3 pre-installed.

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It will also come with a “special offer” for Xbox Game Pass, and Microsoft has another bundle that is perfect for new Xbox One owners …

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate

sea of thieves sailing guide designate a captain — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Xbox Game Pass gives subscribers access to dozens of great games for the console, which can be fully installed and enjoyed without needing to stream. With Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, service is bundled with Xbox Live Gold for $15 per month. As the latter is needed to play online multiplayer in nearly every game, the bundle will make it easier to fully enjoy your Xbox One S All-Digital Edition without having to manage two separate subscriptions.

Speaking of Xbox Game Pass, six games have received Xbox One X enhancements today. These are Splinter Cell Double Agent, Splinter Cell Conviction, Splinter Cell Blacklist, Ninja Gaiden 2, Fable 2, and Fable 3. It brings the total of enhanced backward-compatible games to 62.

Eleague Gears Summer Series

Gears 5 Kait Hero — Image used with permission by copyright holder

For esports-obsessed players, Microsoft has partnered with Eleagueto create a six-part TBS series called Eleague Gears Summer Series: The Bonds and Betrayals of Brotherhood. The series will begin on June 14 at 11 p.m. ET and will include an inside look into the lives of six professional Gears of War players. It will also chronicle their transition from Gears of War 4 to Gears 5, and the series will offer the debut of Gears 5 multiplayer.

The show leads into the Gears Summer Series live tournament, which will see eight teams compete in the upcoming game. You’ll be able to watch it on Twitch and B/R Live on July 13 and 14.

Contributor

Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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The best Xbox games of 2024: Indiana Jones, Hellblade 2, and more

Best XBOX Games of 2024

2024 was a year of metamorphosis for Xbox. The long-gestating acquisition of Activision Blizzard finally finished toward the end of last year, and in 2024, we saw the fallout of the biggest gaming company acquisition of all time. A year of high peaks and low valleys for Microsoft's gaming brand followed.

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3 new Xbox Game Pass games that you should play this weekend (December 13-15)

Indiana jones buried in the sand.

Xbox Game Pass has had a wild year of ups and downs. While the introduction of new tiers with different game offerings has made subscribing a more confusing process, lots of fantastic games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 have still come to the service the day they released. Over the past couple of weeks, we saw the launch of the last few of 2024's day one Xbox Game Pass titles. These range from early access indies to a new Indiana Jones game from the developer of the Wolfenstein series. If you're wondering what you should be playing on Xbox Game Pass this weekend, look to these titles.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Gamescom Date Reveal Trailer - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | gamescom 2024

The last major Xbox exclusive release of the year, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, is a first-person action-adventure game based on the iconic Lucasfilm series. Wolfenstein: The New Order and The New Colossus developer MachineGames managed to create a licensed game that still retains a unique gameplay identity, infusing puzzle game and immersive sim gameplay elements into what easily could've been an Uncharted knockoff. If you've ever enjoyed an Indiana Jones film and are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, then Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a game you should definitely check out.

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3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (December 6-8)

Crash Bandicoot in Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled.

Microsoft outlined the last batch of games coming to Xbox Game Pass this year in a post earlier this week, and many of those titles got added to the service later in the week. One surprising trend in this final Game Pass game batch of 2024 is that three great racing games came to different subscription service tiers. Running (or I guess driving) the gamut from extremely cartoonish to overtly simulation-focused, fans of racing games have many new options to choose from this weekend on Xbox Game Pass.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Reveal Trailer

In the wake of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy's success, Activision had its studio Beenox remake Crash Team Racing for modern gaming platforms. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is undeniably the king when it comes to the best cartoon kart racers available nowadays, but Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is the closest any game has come to taking that crown. The wacky world and characters of Crash Bandicoot are a perfect fit for a Kart Racer, and this game even features some crossover content featuring Spyro the Dragon and extras from Crash Team Racing games other than the PS1 original. Its adventure mode also gives it a meatier single-player offering than most racing games, so there's a lot for Game Pass subscribers to sink their teeth into here.