Xbox Reportedly Developing Disc-to-Digital Program for Games
Quick Look
- Xbox is reportedly testing a disc-to-digital program allowing players to play digital copies of their physical Xbox One and Series X games without the disc.
- The initiative aims to enhance game preservation and potentially mitigate disc rot.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Xbox is reportedly testing a program that would allow players to play digital copies of their physical games without needing the disc inserted. This comes shortly after Sony announced plans to discontinue game discs.
Very soon after Sony announced its plan to kill off PlayStation game discs, it was reported that Xbox is working on a way for its players to play digital copies of their physical games.
According to The Verge, Xbox started testing this disc-to-digital program for Xbox One and Xbox Series X titles recently. Unfortunately, the project will seemingly not cover games for the original Xbox or Xbox 360. It may not support every Xbox One game either, per the report.
It seems this approach means you won't need to keep a disc in your Xbox to play the respective game. The program is said to bond a digital version of a game to its physical disc. Put the disc in another Xbox and the digital copy will follow suit to an account linked to that system.
That would prevent players from installing a game then passing the disc off to a friend so they can both play the same title from a single physical copy. Crucially, it would also mean players can still trade in their games.
You'll reportedly be able to stream a game via this program (as you already can with digital game purchases) if it's compatible with Xbox Cloud Gaming and you're a Game Pass member. The program is also said to support Xbox Play Anywhere for PC and handhelds.
It may be a while yet before Xbox talks up the disc-to-digital program in public, especially if its employees (who certainly have other things on their mind with mass layoffs expected to take place imminently) have just started testing it. The Verge suggests Xbox might officially announce it in the coming months.
Xbox hasn't exactly been terrible with game preservation. Xbox Series X/S systems support backward compatibility for every single game that runs on Xbox One (except for those requiring Kinect), going all the way back to titles for the brand's original console. As it stands, the disc-to-digital program would ensure that Xbox owners would still be able to access at least some of their physical game purchases on future hardware. It could mitigate the scourge of disc rot too.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Xbox may officially announce the disc-to-digital program in the coming months.
Likely · Within months
Open Questions
- Will the program cover all Xbox One games?
- What is the exact timeline for an official announcement?
