Last month, Xbox announced a new disc-to-digital program that allows players to use physical game discs to access their digital counterparts. After rolling out this program to Xbox Insiders, it is now live for all Xbox owners.
Inserting an eligible Xbox Series X or Xbox One disc into a console will automatically grant players a digital license associated with that disc. In layman’s terms, if you own a physical copy of Gears 5, for example, you will also unlock and download the digital version in your library. The original disc will still function normally afterward.
The idea behind this program is to let players use their physical media to enjoy the perks of digital gaming, such as being able to access the game across multiple platforms and take advantage of Xbox’s Play Anywhere (letting them play an owned game across console and PC) and Cloud Gaming (which is getting hourly play time limits in November).
A support page clarifies how digital licenses are tied to associated discs, stating, “A disc to digital license is associated with the qualifying game disc. Without possession of the qualifying disc, you may lose the disc to digital licensing benefits. For example, if you lose, sell, give away, or otherwise no longer possess a qualifying disc, access to associated disc to digital licenses may be limited or revoked.”
Xbox has previously touted its disc-to-digital program as an example of its commitment to game preservation, stating in August that “As technology, devices, and distribution continue to evolve, preserving access to the games people own matters more than ever.” This initiative comes as PlayStation continues to face backlash over its plans to cease production of physical game discs in 2028.
In more recent Xbox news, the company laid off 268 more employees after cutting over 1,500 earlier this year, gutting Halo Studios and moving development of the next Halo game to Activision. The company also became the new publisher of Hideo Kojima’s action-espionage game Physint after PlayStation dropped the project.
