Microsoft has unveiled a disc-to-digital conversion feature for Xbox owners, enabling them to claim digital rights to their existing physical game collections. The feature functions by allowing players to insert a supported disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X console and launch the game to obtain a digital entitlement.
According to Jason Ronald, vice president of next generation at Xbox, the digital entitlements obtained through this process are linked to the specific physical disc. These entitlements can transfer between accounts if the disc is shared with another player or used across different Xbox profiles. Once converted to digital format, supported games become accessible through Xbox Play Anywhere on PC and can be streamed via Xbox Cloud Gaming to multiple devices.
Microsoft will begin testing the feature with Xbox Insider participants on August 31st, with expanded availability to come in the following months. The company indicated that publisher approval is required for individual titles, meaning full game support will be phased in over time. Ronald stated that the rollout will commence with thousands of titles, with additional games being added as publisher partnerships expand.
The initiative represents Microsoft’s focus on game preservation and preparation for future Xbox console generations. The announcement arrives weeks after Sony revealed plans to discontinue physical PlayStation game disc production for releases after January 2028. Unlike Sony’s approach, Microsoft has not announced a comparable end to Xbox disc manufacturing. Additionally, Microsoft is working to bring legacy Xbox and Xbox 360 titles to PC as part of broader efforts to ensure backward compatibility across its gaming ecosystem.
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