Xbox disc-to-digital trial that lets you collect physical games

Microsoft will be available soon following Sony and ban the creation of physical discs for Xbox games. But instead of leaving discs behind completely, sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans tell me that the company has been quietly working on a disc-to-digital solution that would allow Xbox owners to keep their existing collections.

Xbox employees have started testing this new feature, after “enable Disc2Digital” appeared in Xbox PC software code in May. I’ve been told that Microsoft’s disc-to-digital format will only work on Xbox One and Xbox Series X discs, not Xbox 360 or the original Xbox.

Accessing digital games only works by inserting the compatible disc and installing and playing the game. This will require a Microsoft account on the Xbox console and will provide digital access to the game. These digital rights are tied to the actual disc, and will move from account to account if you swap games with a friend or log into your Xbox account and try to play disc-based games.

Digital rights for Xbox games are equivalent to purchasing a title from Microsoft’s digital store. If the game is available on Xbox Cloud Gaming and you have a Game Pass subscription, you will be able to search for it. If it’s an Xbox Play Anywhere title, you’ll be able to get it on PC and mobile.

The Xbox disc-to-digital feature will also work with the discs that come with most consoles and titles, providing access to everything a disc has to offer, including downloadable content. Some Xbox One discs may not work with this new format. “It all depends on how and when the disc was created and may not have the features we need for the app,” warns Microsoft to its internal Xbox testers.

The discs will still work after being replaced, and you’ll only lose digital access if you lend the disc to a friend or sell the disc to someone else. Microsoft is testing this new feature internally, and I expect we’ll hear more about it in the coming months.

I understand that Microsoft has not fully finalized whether the next-generation Xbox, which is codenamed Project Helix, will ship with a built-in disk drive, but if the Helix does not have a disk, the feature may be necessary for Xbox owners who want to store their collection on a computer in the future Xbox era.