This program lets disc owners digitize their Xbox games while also keeping their collection’s trading value.
After months of rumors, Microsoft confirmed in August that it is indeed working on a disc digitization program for its Xbox consoles. While the feature hit Xbox Insiders first, just a few weeks later, it is now rolling out to all Xbox players.
Microsoft announced the Disc to Digital rollout on social media, and many users seem to have also gotten a notification via the Xbox app about the feature going live for them as well.
Essentially, this lets players insert a supported Xbox disc into their Xbox One or Xbox Series X to get a digital license to the registered Microsoft account. If the procedure goes through successfully, the game will function just as if it were purchased from the Microsoft Store, offering benefits like Xbox Play Anywhere support.
If the disc is inserted into a console owned by a different Microsoft account, the license can be transferred. This lets disc owners digitize their games while also keeping their trading value.
However, keep in mind that all Xbox games aren’t supported for this venture. “Not all XBOX One or XBOX Series X game discs are eligible for disc to digital licensing,” warns Microsoft.
This can be due to the manufactured date of the disc, as not all gaming physical media had been printed with support for this feature. However, the process can also fail due to publishers not giving their permission for digitizing their games. The error message for this will be “Disc license unavailable.”
The participating publishers slowly expanded during the program’s stay in the Insider program, with Ubisoft and Sega joining recently. However, some major game makers like Bandai Namco and Square Enix are yet to add support for their physical copies of games. The Xbox community has set up an unofficial portal for tracking supported games over here.
Head over here for a handy FAQ setup by Microsoft about the new Disc to Digital Licensing system. There are even instructions on streamlining the process of claiming discs in bulk for owners of massive collections.
