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Microsoft has officially announced a feature that owners of physical Xbox games have been waiting for some time. The new solution will allow supported disc-based games to be converted into digital entitlements tied to the player's account. You simply need to insert the disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X console and launch the game on it. After obtaining the digital entitlement, the player will have access to the features available to digital versions. Importantly, Microsoft says the disc itself will still work as before. However, the feature could also accelerate the entire industry's shift towards digital distribution.
How disc-to-digital works on Xbox
The new feature will initially support thousands of games, and Microsoft plans to add more titles over time. According to Jason Ronald, Xbox's vice president responsible for the next generation, most games on discs for Xbox One and Xbox Series X will be compatible with the solution. The process is intended to be simple. A player inserts a supported disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X, launches the game and can then claim a digital entitlement. This means that, if a title supports the relevant features, the user can take advantage of, among other things, Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Microsoft emphasises that the physical disc does not stop working. However, there is one important condition: you must keep it.
Discs still work, but there's one catch
If a player sells their disc and its new owner uses it to obtain the digital version, the previous owner will automatically lose access to their digital copy. That means the physical medium still plays a significant role in the whole system. Microsoft also notes that physical games will not require an internet connection to verify the disc. The company presents the new solution as part of a broader plan to protect and preserve games for the future. The disc-to-digital feature will debut on 31 August for participants in the Xbox beta programme, and will later be made available to all players. At the moment, the solution requires a console with a physical drive and, of course, the appropriate game disc. At the same time, Microsoft describes the digital entitlement as a 'revocable digital licence' and points out that additional terms will apply. The company has not announced any plans to stop releasing games on discs.
The new feature, however, appears at a very interesting moment. Sony previously announced that, as of January 2028, new PlayStation games will no longer be released on physical discs. Xbox is going in the opposite direction, allowing disc owners to obtain digital entitlements, although the solution may paradoxically lead to even more gamers taking an interest in Microsoft's digital stores and services.
Source: FlatpanelsHD
