Xbox will let Xbox Insiders begin testing a disc-to-digital feature from August 31, letting owners of supported physical games unlock a digital entitlement for the same title.
As announced on Xbox Wire, players can insert a supported disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X console and launch the game to claim the entitlement, with “Most Xbox One and Xbox Series X disc-based games” supported.
“This is part of our broader commitment to game preservation,” said VP next generation, Jason Ronald.
“As technology, devices, and distribution continue to evolve, preserving access to the games people own matters more than ever.”
Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming become available on the unlocked copy where supported, and the physical disc isn’t affected, it plays exactly as it did before. However, only one revokable digital license can be generated per game disc.
Xbox says it’s starting with “thousands of titles” and will add more over time, though not every title will be available at launch.
The announcement lands a little under two months after Sharma told Xbox staff that the division’s business is “not healthy.” The company announced the divestment of five internal studios – Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, Undead Labs, and Arkane – and cutting around 3,200 roles.
It also follows Sony’s announcement last month that it planned to discontinue production of physical discs for new PlayStation games launching from January 2028. After that, games will be sold only in digital format, while titles released on disc before January 2028 will not be affected.
What isn’t yet clear is how publishers and retailers factor into the scheme and whether third-party titles are included alongside first-party ones.