Xbox Backtracks On Abandoning Physical Games; Discs Confirmed For Major Upcoming Releases

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Xbox Actively Listening To Community Feedback!

Story Highlight
  • Physical copies of Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2 were previously confirmed to ship without discs on Xbox.
  • A retailer has confirmed that this is no longer the case.
  • Xbox seems to have backtracked on the decision to abandon physical media.

Xbox has made dramatic changes to its business model over the last year, and not every change has been well-received by the fans.

Not too long ago, it was noted that major AAA Xbox releases like Ninja Gaiden 4 would not ship with discs for the physical Xbox release. Fans were not too happy about this discovery, but it seems that Xbox has now backtracked on this decision.

Why it matters: Xbox also backtracked on the decision to price The Outer Worlds 2 at $80 recently, showing the gaming giant’s willingness to listen to audience feedback.

Ninja Gaiden 4 Disc On Xbox
Ninja Gaiden 4 Will Ship With A Disc On Xbox | Image via PNP Games

According to retailer PNP Games, both Ninja Gaiden 4 Deluxe and The Outer Worlds 2 will be released as disc-based physical copies. This change is now also reflected on the retailer’s website.

However, PNP Games has not been able to confirm whether the disc will hold the full game or not. This is important since past Xbox disc-based releases have required a full game download to function, relegating the disc to a function similar to that of a key.

There is a chance that both Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outerworlds 2 will follow a similar approach, but fans of physical games will still have something more substantial for their collections even if this ends up being the case.

Additionally, it is speculated that Xbox backtracked on this decision due to poor physical sales. Fans had similar thoughts about The Outer Worlds 2 after the gaming giant confirmed the latest price cut.

In any case, this change could be part of a broader shift toward Xbox’s relation with physical games. Perhaps the gaming giant is not willing to part ways with disc-based media just yet.

Xbox Physical Game
The Industry Remains Skeptical About An All-Digital Approach

Both Ninja Gaiden 4 and The Outer Worlds 2 are slated for an October release. The former marks the long-anticipated return of Team Ninja’s iconic character action IP. Meanwhile, the latter should prove to be another valuable addition to Xbox’s games lineup this year.

Both titles will also be available as part of Xbox Game Pass from day one.

What do you think about Xbox deciding to offer discs with these games again? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.

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