Good or bad news for your library?
Microsoft’s Xbox is reportedly working on a Disc2Digital program that will convert physical game discs into working digital licenses.
As reported by The Verge, the system would encourage players to insert their Xbox One, Xbox Series discs into disc drives on the Xbox One or Xbox Series X — Xbox Series S consoles don’t come with a disc drive, remember — and convert said discs into digital licenses that mean the game could then be played without the disc.
The digital license generated would be attached to the disc itself, however, meaning it could be lent out or sold to another; in that instance, the digital license would transfer from the original account to the new one.
The digital license would come with modern conveniences, so players could take advantage of Xbox Cloud Gaming and Xbox Play Anywhere systems if applicable.
The technology is likely a hold over from Microsoft’s original plans for the Xbox One, and it needs to be noted that Disc2Digital does not work for original Xbox or Xbox 360 discs.
The news comes at the same time Sony has declared its intention to drop physical discs in 2028, leading to speculation that both Microsoft and Sony plan to drop physical disc drives from their next-gen consoles.
The news also comes amidst reports that Microsoft will lay off 3,200 more employees and rid itself of five of its studios.
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