The feature lets owners of supported Xbox One and Xbox Series X discs claim digital licenses, but not every game is eligible.
Microsoft is rolling out its disc-to-digital licensing program to all Xbox users after initially limiting it to Xbox Insiders. The feature, first unveiled in August, is designed to help physical game owners carry their libraries forward as gaming moves further toward digital distribution. It essentially allows players to create digital copies of their physical games.
According to an Xbox Support post, the program supports Xbox Series X and Xbox One games. It is not clear exactly how many titles from those two generations are supported at launch, and Microsoft says not all games are eligible for a number of possible reasons. No Xbox 360 or original Xbox games support the feature at this time.
To claim a digital license, a player inserts a disc while signed into their Xbox account. A pop-up message confirms when the license has been created, after which the game can be played without the disc in the drive. If no confirmation appears, it likely means the digital token for that game has already been generated, or the game is not supported.
Digitized games are marked with a badge in the game library, making it easier to see which titles still need to be added. For users planning to process several games in sequence, Microsoft recommends turning off the console’s automatic disc playback setting. That allows discs to be swapped without automatically launching a game each time a new disc is inserted.
For games included in the Xbox Play Anywhere program, the digital license also allows installation and play on PC. Physical discs will continue to work as normal after a digital license is claimed. However, the license is tied to the disc rather than the account. If the disc is sold or lent to someone else, the license transfers to their account when they insert the disc into their console. The practical effect is that the second-hand market continues to function as it always has.
Microsoft has published a detailed FAQ covering niche cases, including Ultimate Edition games and multi-disc titles. The Xbox Series S cannot use the feature because it does not have a disc drive.
The timing suggests Xbox may be getting existing game libraries ready for its next console, still called Project Helix, which might not have a disc drive. PlayStation hasn’t announced a similar feature. Earlier this summer, it said it would stop making physical copies of new PS5 games in 2028, a decision that drew criticism.
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