Xbox will begin testing its new disc-to-digital feature on 31 August, with those part of the Xbox Insider program being among the first players to get hands-on.
As outlined, the feature allows for supported games on physical media to be inserted into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S console to grant the owner digital entitlements for that game, including the ability to use Xbox’s Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming features.
‘Players have spent decades building their Xbox libraries. Some games were purchased on disc. Some were purchased digitally. Many span multiple generations of hardware. Our goal is to make it easier for those libraries to move forward with players,’ said Jason Ronald, VP Next Generation, in a new blog.
‘Today we are introducing a feature that brings the benefits of digital to physical discs, giving players more flexibility in how they access and play supported games across the Xbox ecosystem.’
Xbox begins testing disc-to-digital feature – quick links
How the disc-to-digital feature works
To begin the disc-to-digital process, players will need to insert a supported game disc into their console and then activate their new digital entitlements. This will enable those digital-only features, and allow for more flexibility in how players are able to access their games.
Players will gain a digital license for their game, linked to their account. The original disc version of the game will reportedly remain active and play ‘exactly as it always has’. This is simply a means of digitising a collection and ensuring that players can retain access to their games in a digital environment.
Further details reported by Windows Central include that physical discs must still remain with users, as selling or giving the disc away will allow for their new owners to claim their own digital copy. The digital version is reportedly linked to the physical disc directly by its identifying data.
For anyone who’s ever tried to access a game they own while forgetting the disc or being separated from their console, the new digital ownership transfer should be a welcome feature.
Per Xbox, it may also aid game preservation efforts, as it allows for users to strengthen the ownership of their physical products, which are more destructible.
‘This is part of our broader commitment to game preservation,’ Ronald says. ‘As technology, devices and distribution continue to evolve, preserving access to the games people own matters more than ever.’
Strengthening the flexibility of physical media is key
Another added benefit of Xbox’s trial program is that it improves the value and transferability of physical media, and therefore its importance to the world of gaming.
While increasingly, companies are turning away from physical media – and Xbox rival PlayStation recently announced it will end physical media production in 2028 – it remains important for player ownership and choice. Physical media sold at retail is often cheaper than digital media sold via online stores. It also guarantees that players can own their games, and that they can’t be taken away by digital updates.
Xbox has not confirmed its own stance in the realm of physical media, but offering disc owners the chance to gain an additional version of their game does overall benefit players and their access to their games moving forward.
However, it’s also possible the move arrives ahead of a rumoured new Xbox console that may move away from physical media entirely, with a focus on digital and cloud-based gameplay delivery. This would, of course, be detrimental to those players who still believe in the power and choice offered by physical media.
For now, we await more news as Xbox continues to roll out new developments following its rebrand, significant layoffs and studio divestments.
