Xbox One disc-free console – analyst weighs in on rumor

Last night, a rumor surfaced that Microsoft was preparing to release a white 1TB Xbox One at retail, without a disc drive. Today, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has called the idea “dumb, dumb, dumb,” yet has also dismissed it as a complete rumor.

Speaking in an industry note, Pachter said if even true in the slightest, it would alienate not only retailer customers, but comsumers as well.

“If this rumor is true, it is one of the dumbest ideas of all time,” he said. “It would alienate GameStop and other retailers, and it would demonstrate that Microsoft can afford to release a 1TB Xbox One at $399 with essentially the same production cost as the $499 model with a 500GB HDD and a Blu-ray drive.

“That would likely cause gamers to believe that the model with a Blu-ray drive is overpriced, or would cause them to believe that Microsoft is greedy.

“I have three words for this idea—dumb, dumb, dumb.”

Pachter said he respects the people at Microsoft “immensely” and that they are “far from dumb.”

“I don’t actually believe the rumor,” he stated.

Rumors of the console were posted on both The Verge and NeoGAF last night, with the later’s source stating the console could launch as soon as October.