Xbox confirms disc-to-digital feature, testing begins next week

After months of rumours, Xbox has confirmed that it’s working on a disc-to-digital program.

In an Xbox Wire post, Jason Ronald, Xbox’s long-running console architect and now head of “next generation,” outlined the feature. With it, you’ll be able to insert an Xbox One or Xbox Series X disc into either of these consoles to claim a digital entitlement. This will allow you to play a digital version of that game across all supported Xbox devices, from consoles and PC to Xbox Cloud Gaming and handhelds like the ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. All the while, Xbox says you’ll be able to continue using the disc.

This feature will first be tested among Xbox Insiders on August 31, with “most” Xbox One and Xbox Series X disc-based games set to be supported. Xbox didn’t confirm when the feature would roll out beyond Xbox Insider testing, but it did note that the program will start with “thousands” of titles and more will be added over time.

“This is part of our broader commitment to game preservation,” wrote Ronald in the blog post. “As technology, devices, and distribution continue to evolve, preserving access to the games people own matters more than ever.” (It is funny to hear Xbox specifically mention preservation after recently laying off the lead of this program and an overall decades-long employee, Kevin LaChappelle.)

Of course, there’s also apprehension regarding the wider implications of this disc-to-digital feature. While it’s good that Xbox is, for now, giving consumers options by continuing to support disc-based games, this certainly seems like future-proofing the ecosystem for an inevitable all-digital future with its PC-like next console, Project Helix. After all, that’s exactly what rival PlayStation is doing with its plans to end production of physical games in 2028, even though this is a demonstrably bad thing for many reasons, from reducing affordability to hurting preservation efforts.

And, of course, faith in the longevity of the Xbox brand as a whole is arguably at an all-time low. Sure, Microsoft is one of the biggest and most valuable companies in the world, but that hasn’t stopped it from laying off thousands of Xbox employees in the past few years, cancelling numerous projects and divesting from acclaimed teams like Montreal-based South of Midnight maker Compulsion. This is despite the fact that it spent tens of billions acquiring companies like Activision Blizzard over the past several years. (The poor trillion-dollar company had buyer’s remorse.)

All the while, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma allegedly wants the company’s output to focus on mass commerciality and shorter development cycles, which, alas, isn’t how game development works. (For instance: gutting 25 per cent of Obsidian and telling who’s left to just “make a new Fallout game” — something that would take several years even with a larger team with higher morale — is much easier said than done.) This is to say nothing of Xbox being at the centre of a targeted boycott over Microsoft’s continued involvement with the Israeli military.

But hey, at least you can buy a new Xbox collection from Ikea.

Source: Xbox