Microsoft has been tight-lipped about the functionality of an external HD DVD drive, which the company will be releasing for its Xbox 360 gaming console. European company representatives now have confirmed to German IT publication Golem.de that the $200 drive will be able to connect to a traditional PC via its USB cable.

However, Microsoft will not be providing a Windows HD DVD driver, which limits the drive’s functionality to DVD playback. The fact that the drive is built by Toshiba could imply that it may not take too long until third party sources will supply a non official driver that unlocks the HD DVD feature.

The Xbox 360 HD DVD drive is expected to be unveiled on 17 November, the launch day of Sony’s Playstation 3.