In mid-2024, everyone was gearing up for the PlayStation 5 Pro—a mid-cycle refresh of Sony’s next-gen console. Naturally, we all wondered when Microsoft would announce the Xbox Series X Pro. But instead of a performance boost, Microsoft gave us the Xbox Series X All-Digital Edition: the same console, minus the disc drive, in a sleek new Robot White finish.
At $699, it’s about $100 cheaper than the standard Series X—not exactly a game-changing discount. Worse, ditching the disc drive means you lose access to cheaper preowned games, and with digital game prices soaring, it’s hard to see who benefits here. Add inflation into the mix, and it feels like a tough sell.
Thanks to Xbox ANZ, I got my hands on one to see if there’s more to this console than meets the eye. Make no mistake—this is the same Xbox Series X we got four years ago. The only real differences? No disc drive, a slightly lighter chassis, and that gorgeous white finish. The Robot White color makes the console look even more monolithic, adding a premium touch that blends well into any setup. If you loved the white Series S, this is its bigger, classier sibling.
Port placement and buttons remain identical, and disappointingly, so does the included controller. It’s just the standard Series S controller in white—no Elite Series 2 Core bundle to sweeten the deal. And yes, you’ll still be popping AA batteries because Xbox refuses to move on. Under the hood, Microsoft has slightly redesigned the motherboard, incorporating a smaller 6nm APU and swapping the vapor chamber for a copper pipe cooling system. Does this impact performance? Not really. The Series X remains one of the two most powerful consoles available, delivering up to 4K at 120Hz in optimized games.
As a PC gamer, I expected a major downgrade—but the reality is, unless you’re pixel-peeping like Digital Foundry, most differences are minor. On a TV, games look fantastic. On a monitor, up close, the gap is more noticeable, but overall, the experience is smooth. No tweaking settings, no endless Windows updates—just pure gaming with minimal friction. Having it on my desk let me jump into quick 15-30 minute sessions during breaks—something even my ROG Ally X can’t match due to, well, Windows being Windows.
Here’s where things get dicey. No disc drive means you’re limited to digital downloads or cloud streaming. Essentially, this is a Game Pass machine with the horsepower to run titles at 4K. Some might argue this should have been Microsoft’s approach from the start instead of the underpowered Series S. But even as an all-digital console, Microsoft only gives you 1TB of storage—nowhere near enough in a world where Call of Duty alone eats 200GB.
If Microsoft truly wanted to push digital, a 2TB SSD would have made more sense. Instead, you’re stuck buying those overpriced proprietary expansion cards—$350 for 1TB, $600 for 2TB. At that point, you might as well get the 2TB Special Edition Series X, which still has a disc drive. Microsoft has at least loosened its grip on exclusivity, allowing WD Black to sell expansion cards, but prices remain steep. And while you can use external USB drives, you can’t run games directly off them—same as PlayStation, but still a hassle.
One saving grace? Quick Resume! This feature lets you swap between multiple games seamlessly, even picking up right in the middle of an Elden Ring boss fight. It’s an underrated gem that even Sony has yet to match; hell even my powerful PC can’t do that so clearly, Microsoft is on to something. Cloud streaming also works flawlessly—assuming your internet can handle it. But there’s nothing exclusive about the All-Digital Xbox to enhance cloud gaming, which feels like another missed opportunity.
That’s the big question. The All-Digital Xbox Series X is for gamers who are fully committed to a disc-free future, have fast, reliable internet, and don’t mind paying premium prices for digital-only games. If you’re already managing a digital library on Steam or Epic Games, this might feel familiar. But there are major downsides.
Physical games are almost always cheaper than their digital counterparts and go on sale far more often. Digital titles tend to stay full price longer, with discounts that lag behind retail deals. Dropping $120 on a new release is painful when physical copies can be found for $70—or less with trade-ins and loyalty programs.
Speaking of trade-ins—good luck. Once you buy a digital game, you’re stuck with it forever. No taking it to EB Games to swap for the next big release. If you love that cycle of trading in games to offset costs, this console removes that option entirely.
There’s definitely a niche audience for the All-Digital Series X, but Microsoft missed an opportunity here. A performance bump, more storage, or even a bundled Elite controller could have made this feel like a true upgrade. Instead, it’s just the same console in a digital-only format. If you’re already invested in Xbox Game Pass, this is still a fantastic machine. But if you’re not deep into the Xbox ecosystem, the appeal of this console quickly starts to fade.
Xbox Australia kindly loaned the All-digital Xbox Series X to PowerUp for the purpose of this feature
