Microsoft doesn’t seem to have given up on Xbox yet, but the current direction is becoming less and less like the “traditional game console” that everyone was familiar with before, and more and more like a large-scale cross-platform digital service ecosystem.
According to the latest news, multiple new codenames have recently been discovered in the internal program code of the Xbox PC App, including a new Xbox Game Pass solution suspected to be targeted at the Chinese market, and a service called “Disc2Digital.” It seems that Microsoft has begun to rethink the “digitization of physical discs.”
“Project Saluki” codename appears inside Xbox
According to Windows Central and The Verge, a group of codenames called “Project Saluki” appeared in the latest Xbox Insider test build.
In the internal description of the Xbox PC App, Microsoft seems to be positioning it as a Game Pass expansion solution dedicated to the Chinese market, which may be related to Game Pass, Rewards and subscription systems.
Microsoft has not yet officially announced this service, but it is generally believed that this may mean that Xbox is preparing to re-layout the Chinese market.
China currently does not have a complete Game Pass
At present, China has not officially implemented Xbox Game Pass in its entirety.
Although Microsoft is still selling Xbox consoles in China, due to local game approval system restrictions, the content that can be put on the shelves has been affected. Therefore, if a China-specific version of Game Pass is launched in the future, the size of the game library will most likely be different from the international version.
The report pointed out that the Chinese version is likely to adopt a smaller game library, regional pricing and an operating model that conforms to local content specifications.
To put it simply, it is the “China Special Edition”.
The more sensitive one is “Disc2Digital”
However, compared to the Chinese version of Game Pass, another set of codenames is actually more concerning to players.
A codename called “Positron” also appeared in the Xbox App and was believed to be related to the “Disc2Digital” service.
Details are still scarce, but the name is pretty straightforward – Microsoft may be working on ways to convert physical Xbox discs into digital licenses.
In other words, players may be able to bind physical games into digital versions in the future.
Xbox has actually played with similar concepts before
In fact, this is not the first time Microsoft has tried this direction.
As early as the early days of the Xbox One, Microsoft had promoted a similar concept, hoping to integrate physical discs and account digital authorizations. However, due to disputes over DRM, second-hand games and ownership, it was madly heated by players and the market, and in the end it had to give in significantly.
Now, after many years, Microsoft has apparently begun to rethink this route.
It’s just that the market environment today is completely different from what it was back then.