Andre Yoskowitz
1 Jun 2012 9:19
Although there have been rumors that both Sony and Microsoft are planning to ditch optical drives for their upcoming consoles, both the console makers have decided against the thought.
Sony did consider moving to download-only, but ultimately decided against the scheme for the upcoming PS4, codenamed Orbis, reads a new WSJ report.
The PS4 will be released at the end of 2013, just like Microsoft's upcoming console, say the same sources.
As noted by critics, Sony decided against the download-only model because Internet connections are too inconsistent around the world. While downloading large games may not be an issue in Western Europe, the same download could take days if not longer in other nations, thus alienating entire fan bases.
Microsoft had a similar epiphany when it concluded that even in fast Internet regions, like the U.S. and Western Europe, users might be hit with bandwidth restrictions, like caps from certain ISPs, or throttling of speed from others.
The news will certainly cause retailers like GameStop to breath a sigh of relief as most of their profits come from the sale and re-sale of used physical discs.