Next Xbox to drop optical disc drive?

DailyMail claims Microsoft's next-gen Xbox will no longer have a disc drive. The console, said to be slated for a 2013 launch date, will focus on digital distribution but will offer compatibility with some sort of interchangeable solid-state card storage.

The follow-up to the Xbox 360 is due out next year - and the machine will no longer have a disc drive, according to a source within Microsoft. Instead, games will download to the hi-tech new console - or gamers can carry them on a memory card.

Gaming industry trade magazine MCV reported the leak from an unnamed source, who claimed the information was covered by a strict non-disclosure agreement. 'Although the console will not include a disc drive, it will offer compatibility with some sort of interchangeable solid-state card storage, although it is not known whether this will be proprietary or a more standard format such as SD,' said MCV's Ben Parfitt.

More details are expected at the E3 show in Los Angeles in May.