Author: Trafficblast

It took a while, but DC Universe is finally going to be available on gaming consoles. The DC Entertainment streaming service is launching on Xbox One–PlayStation 4 has yet to be announced–and the timing couldn’t be better. The first season of Doom Patrol is wrapping up, and the live-action Swamp Thing series is coming in May.

In a press release, DC Digital Services senior vice president and general manager said, “Since we launched DC Universe last fall we’ve been on a mission to expand our reach on new platforms. Fans asked for access to the ultimate DC membership on their Xbox One consoles and we are excited to deliver DC Universe to them starting next week.”

As it stands, there’s already a bunch of content on the service for die-hard DC fans to watch, including original programming–the aforementioned Doom Patrol, Titans, and Young Justice: Outsiders. There’s also a selection of live-action and animated movies, certain DC TV shows–like the first season of Krypton–and the original Wonder Woman TV show.

Of course, there are also some things on the service that aren’t as great. If you’ve never seen the pilot for the failed Aquaman TV show starring Justin Hartley (This Is Us), it really is something to behold.

Truthfully, though, what’s most likely to draw any DC Comics fan to the service is what’s still to come. The Swamp Thing adaptation will be a horror series, while the upcoming live-action Stargirl show, based on what little we’ve seen, will have a very different tone. When combined with the ultra-violent Titans and the super weird Doom Patrol, it’s clear DC Entertainment is trying a little bit of everything.

You can get a free seven day trial of DC Universe through its website. After that, the service costs $7.99 each month. And for those comic book fans that need to watch everything, Disney is also launching its own streaming service, complete with Marvel Studios programming. You can check out our detailed breakdown of Disney+ for the details.

A new Forza spin-off is now available for free on PC, with mobile versions to follow soon. Forza Street was leaked in March and now it’s been officially announced and simultaneously released on PC. Though the trailer is branded with the Xbox logo, it doesn’t appear the game is planned for release on Xbox consoles, reinforcing Microsoft’s recent moves to expand the brand towards its overall gaming offerings.

The trailer shows some Forza-like racing, mostly through city streets at night time. The concept appears to be based on urban street racing. The trailer does briefly show car and upgrade menus with what appear to be familiar F2P hooks, like an energy meter and two different currencies.

This announcement doesn’t mention a developer or release date for the mobile versions, but the prior leak said that Miami Street developer Electric Square was behind the game. At the time it was unclear if Microsoft had put the developer on a Forza game, or if the leak was due to an outdated error.

Microsoft has produced a new Forza game every year since 2011, usually alternating between the simulation-based Motorsport series and the more open-world and “arcade” styled Horizon series. The most recent release before Forza Street was Horizon 4, which takes place in the UK and features a seasonal weather-changing mechanic.

Seemingly confirming the long-running rumours and reports, images of the supposed “All-Digital” Xbox One that has no disc drive have emerged online. The German website WinFuture.de obtained the images, which appear to be from a European retailer.

The supposed box art seems to suggest that Minecraft, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 3 may come pre-installed on this console. The box art also shows a 1 TB hard drive. Pricing details are unconfirmed at this stage. Also bear in mind that this may only be one version of an all-digital Xbox One SKU that Microsoft is planning. Bundles historically vary by region.

Whatever the case, given that what appear to be official images for the console are showing up online, it might not be long until Microsoft officially announces it. As it happens, Microsoft’s next Inside Xbox event is coming up on April 16. In addition to news about Microsoft’s plans for E3, the company might announce this console during the show.

Microsoft is also reportedly planning a “disc-to-digital” campaign where you can bring a disc game to a retailer and get a download code. Additionally, there are rumours of a new Xbox Live + Xbox Game Pass bundle offering for $15 USD/month, so that could be another one of the announcements coming for the Inside Xbox stream this week.

Pre-orders for the All-Digital Xbox One console are said to open in April, with the system then scheduled to go on sale in May around the world.

The disc-free Xbox One might not be the last console Microsoft announces in the coming months. Microsoft is rumoured to reveal at least one next-gen console at E3 in June. And importantly, if Microsoft does make a disc-free Xbox One, it doesn’t necessarily mean the company will stop making Xbox One consoles with disc drives. Internet availability and speed vary by region, and all-digital consoles won’t work everywhere at this stage. It appears Microsoft will be providing the option to go all-digital for those who want to.

Would you be interested in a disc-free Xbox One? Let us know in the comments below!