A New Feature from Microsoft.. Learn How to Convert Xbox Games to Digital Copies

Microsoft has introduced a new feature that allows users to convert physical video games on hard disks into digital copies that can be played on Xbox devices, enabling them to play later without needing to keep the disc inside the device.

The company began rolling out the Xbox Disc-to-Digital feature to all users of Xbox Series X and Series S on Tuesday, about a month after testing it with a limited group of participants in the Xbox Insiders program.

The new feature aims to combine two models of video game ownership; users can still purchase the game on a physical disc while also enjoying the flexibility provided by digital copies, including playing the game without the disc and using it across compatible devices and services within the Xbox ecosystem.

Disc-to-Digital relies on verifying the user's ownership of the physical copy of a game designed for Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, and then creating a Digital License for the game, similar to the license a player receives when purchasing it directly from the Xbox digital store.

After the license is created, the user can install and play the game on their Xbox Series X|S without needing to have the disc in the device every time they want to play.

The matter is not limited to running the game on the device itself, as the digital license can be used across compatible platforms within the Xbox ecosystem, and in supported games, it is possible to benefit from Xbox Play Anywhere and run them on other compatible devices.

The benefits extend to the Xbox Cloud Gaming service in supported cases, allowing the game to be streamed online, in addition to the ability to run compatible games on dedicated gaming mobile devices like Xbox Ally.

However, converting the disc to a digital license does not mean that the user now owns two copies of the game, one physical and one digital.

If the user sells the disc or lends it to someone else, and then the other person uses the disc to claim the digital license, the previous owner loses their digital rights to the game, and they will only regain them after retrieving the disc or purchasing the game again.

Thus, the physical disc remains the element that proves the user's right to access the digital version, instead of the conversion process creating a permanent and independent digital copy that can be kept alongside the sale of the disc.

The Disc-to-Digital feature does not include all Xbox games available on discs, as the ability to convert a specific game to a digital version depends on a number of factors.

Microsoft explained that the list of games available through the program may change over time due to technical factors or those related to licensing, publishing, manufacturing, and others.

According to a community database for the Disc-to-Digital project referenced by a Windows Central report, the number of Xbox games fully compatible with the feature has reached 1,578 games.

Game companies have started to support the initiative, with Sega adding games to the program, following previous support from Ubisoft, which opens the door for an increase in the number of games that owners of physical copies can convert to digital licenses.

One of the most notable uses of Disc-to-Digital may be related to preserving old video games, especially those that companies have stopped selling digitally and removed from the Xbox store due to the expiration of their licenses or for other commercial reasons.

This feature, in some cases, allows users to digitally restart those games if they still have their original disc.

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Among the examples are the games Deadpool, Transformers: Devastation, and Minecraft: Story Mode, which were previously removed from the Xbox digital store, but it has become possible to access their digital versions again through Disc-to-Digital for those who own their physical discs, according to the report.

This point gains importance in the context of Game Preservation, as the cessation of digital sales of a game does not necessarily mean the disappearance of all physical copies, and thus an old disc can become a means to regain access to the game on modern devices, as long as the game remains supported within the program.

It can also reduce players' reliance on disc drives, especially as the gaming market gradually shifts towards digital devices and services, and the emergence of devices that do not include disc drives at all.

The new feature comes at a time when the debate over the concept of "owning" digital content is increasing, and the difference between purchasing a physical copy of a game and obtaining a license that allows access to a digital version of it.

The physical copy can be kept, sold, or lent by the user, while access to digital games is usually tied to the user's account and the company's servers and the platform's licensing policies.

Sony announced last July that it would stop producing physical discs for all new PlayStation games starting January 2028, with new games to be released thereafter only digitally, either through the "PlayStation Store" or through retailers selling digital copies.

Sony announced on Wednesday that it will stop producing discs for all new games for "PlayStation" devices starting January 2028.

The company confirmed that the decision will not affect games that have been released or will be released on discs before the specified date.

Sony justified the decision by stating that user preferences and the entertainment industry are increasingly moving away from discs and towards digital content.

According to the company's data for the fiscal year ending in March 2026, digital installations accounted for 78% of full game sales, compared to 76% during the fiscal year 2024.