Xbox one forces you connect to the internet/Xbox live on initial setup also applies to Xbox...

1. a lot of game discs contain just a launcher to download the game, meaning the actual game is not on the disc and you actually have to download it, meaning you cannot just simply install the disc the the internal storage as there is no data on the disc, just a licence and small program to download the game.

2. for games that are actually present on the disc, game devs send the discs to print sometimes before finalising the game, therefore an update is required to even start the game.

3. other consoles are the same or are moving to this model.

4. you own the hardware but not the software which is installed and running that hardware, without that software you cannot do anything, it means accepting the terms and using an account to use the software on your hardware.

5. welcome to the future where everything is online and is a service, won't be long until discs are retired completely and then you will have to download every single game, regardless of platform.

6. an increasing number of games require third party accounts now too, and you cannot play some of those games without a connection.

you might not like it but we are increasingly moving closer to fully digital and always online.

I am sorry that is not what you want to hear, but the internet and network connectivity is essential in the modern world and there is no avoiding it, everything is going digital, money too as cash will be gone in the next 3 years.

Also Sony is abandoning discs eventually, they have stopped making consoles with a disc drive now and will have the option of external addon drive, this will not stick around long and the ps6 or whatever they call it will probably do away with it or keep it for older game discs.

I agree. Xbox Series X is essentially a paperweight without internet access to set it up. You are also unable to create offline profiles. If these are basic features that you'd like, I will suggest that you buy a PlayStation 5 or 4. PlayStation 5 and 4 allow you to setup the console offline completely, no internet connection required. You can even create offline profiles and save your games offline, too, on PlayStation 5 and 4. It is ridiculous that Microsoft forces this online DRM. You paid for the console, so it should be usable regardless of access to Microsoft servers. Xbox/Microsoft did not learn from the disaster of trying to make the Xbox One always-online... They should have rectified the need for the online setup that was a leftover of that debacle. Also, games do in fact ship complete on disc. There are even tons of indies that receive physical releases, including Hades, Celeste and Dead Cells. The PS5 even supports 100GB Blu-ray discs and games that might require two discs on Xbox, ship on one complete disc on PS5. You should not be limited by an Internet connection just so Microsoft can force you to create an account. You should consider PS5.

true that's its been like that for years but times has changed since 2013. the Xbox series x should be a complete different console but it still forces you to connect to the Xbox network and forces you to system update and forces you to add a proper Microsoft account and not just that if the consoles online on that heavy paper weight and try to launch an older version of the game that you install on a physical disc. it will force to you update the game unless the console is set to offline. and also Xbox series x has the same current dashboard as the Xbox one and plays most Xbox one games except for Kinect only titles and the same annoying dashboard sounds and no better controller but a redesigned controller and slapped a share button on it and made it compatible for Xbox one. the Xbox series x is just a powerful version of the Xbox one but to play future titles. but on the other hand Sony had not recycled the ps4 dashboards and sounds for ps5 but made it different the console look different

the controller is way better I tell you why. it has better vibration touch screen and it can be used without prompting to connect to the internet. the ps5 is better than Microsoft boring next gen console.

sorry if this message was too long for you.

Sorry, not the most positive answer I can give.

You don't own any of the software on the console or the games, they are licenced to you for use (even disc games). you except the terms when you purchase the console, to use said software you need to connect and update the console, you also need to have a Microsoft account. Xbox is a service now and nothing else, same goes for windows 11, you need a Microsoft account to use it (well there is a way around it for now, soon won't be).

The days of being fully offline from purchase are gone.

As with most new games, the disc only comes with an installer on it and this initiates the download of the game so you will have no choice but to connect to the servers. This is becoming more and more common as the disc is not really used except for licence checks. A lot of games these days are too big for the discs.

Also new games usually require a day one update to even run.

Also to add, this is not something new. It's been this way for many years.