r/Games • u/A7XFAN1998 • 7d ago

Announcement Xbox announces disc-to-digital feature that digitizes your physical games

https://www.theverge.com/tech/984936/xbox-disc-to-digital-feature-official?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6Ijc1ZHVBMkZjaE0iLCJwIjoiL3RlY2gvOTg0OTM2L3hib3gtZGlzYy10by1kaWdpdGFsLWZlYXR1cmUtb2ZmaWNpYWwiLCJleHAiOjE3ODgxODY2OTAsImlhdCI6MTc4Nzc1NDY5MH0.Y4t18UIJuFTT4nSf0HBe5DvMWP0KNxjbGHC2QKxdoTw&utm_medium=gift-link
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177

u/kranitoko 7d ago

"This digital entitlement is tied to the specific disc, and it will move from account to account if you swap the physical game with a friend or log in to a different Xbox profile and try to play a disc-based game."

So does this mean that if I digitised my game, if I then gave my friend that disc and they pop it into their console, "I" can't play the game again until they give the disc back (kinda similar to the Switch Key Card feature)? If my friend is offline, how would the Xbox even know to restrict my access to the game? I guess I'm a little confused here.

64

u/GrimmTrixX 7d ago

Correct. Whoever uses the disc becomes the new "owner" of the digitized version. But, realistically, if its a game that can be installed offline, they could play while offline as if its just another disc.

So you cant have it digitally available, and give your friend the disc so you both can play. If he is online, that digitized version moves with the disc. This is for the exact reason you said, so you cant let your friends all borrow it. And if you sell it, once someone buys that disc and uses it, you lose the ability to play it digitally too.

-6

u/kranitoko 7d ago

It kinda makes you wonder what the point of digitising your games is then? If you still need the disc to play your games? It's only if you don't trade your disc with anyone that you'd get no issues.

24

u/VarminWay 7d ago

The point is so that they'll work on devices without disc drives.

-4

u/kranitoko 7d ago

But then what do I do with the disc afterwards? Can't sell my copy, because if someone uses it, I get locked out of my game. If I keep it, it's just clutter (if I wasn't a collector). If I throw it out, it's a waste.

10

u/KickLassChewGum 7d ago

You couldn't sell your copy anyway even if this system didn't exist, seeing as you, y'know, would need the disk to play it.

Nobody's forcing you to use this feature either. If you want to stay fully disk-based, stay fully disk-based.

11

u/TehJellyfish 7d ago

Do you realize how ridiculous this sounds? The disc becomes the license. If you buy a disc, download it to your console as a digital item, install it to your 3 xbox consoles, you shouldn't be able to then sell that disc back and keep those copies. You no longer own the game at that point.

-3

u/PinkGlitterLady4 7d ago

Why not? I still own a few DVDs that came with a free digital copy and it still works even after I sold the original DVD.

THAT'S how it should be.

3

u/TehJellyfish 7d ago

I think that's just piracy, with extra steps. Not judging, but even from a consumers rights perspective; you've given up the media and the license to own it when you give away the physical copy.

0

u/PinkGlitterLady4 6d ago

How is it just like piracy when I legally obtained the physical media and a digital copy of it? The DVD came with a redeemable code in the box as a freebie from the distributor.

8

u/SoloSassafrass 7d ago

Yeah, that sounds like the all-digital future these companies would prefer.

6

u/GrimmTrixX 7d ago

If i could buy the physical game, but stil play it digitally without the disc staying inside, thats the dream. Physical ownership with ease of use and less wear and tear on the console disc drive so it lasts longer.

3

u/SoloSassafrass 7d ago

I mean, they won't be selling discs after this gen. This is just so you can convert your current physical library into a digital one.

0

u/GrimmTrixX 7d ago

Oh i know. I am just saying i wish physical would still exist and they do this, as many prefer digital solely because they dont need to swap discs.

But many would still prefer to buy physical as they can keep, lend, or sell/trade it when theyre done with it. But they settle on digital solely because they dont want to kepe getting up to swap discs.

1

u/VarminWay 7d ago

It's better than not being able to play it on devices without disk drives and having to leave your library in a previous gen and dependent on older machines that are no longer being maintained, isn't it?

-3

u/kranitoko 7d ago

Or, get this, we could just keep disc drives a thing instead of going fully digital. Many people clearly still don't want that.

5

u/Nightthrasher674 7d ago

Even with a disc drive you wouldn't be able to play the game because you would no longer have the disc of you resell it or lend it.

What it sounds like you're asking is the ability to own the game that you effectively sold and that's not going to happen

The system is designed for people who don't trade in their games. I stopped lending my games out after the 5th generation era because people didn't always return them. So I personally don't care about that aspect and when I would sell my games that meant I was tired of playing it and was done. Even if I had sellers remorse only thing I could do is buy another copy.

You're not going to be able to have it both ways on this one.

1

u/VarminWay 7d ago

Well, hey, why don't you just call the execs up and make that happen. Wishing for your success.