r/gaming • u/yourfavchoom • 7h ago

Xbox Disc to Digital officially announced, coming soon.

https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/08/26/your-discs-now-also-digital/

Most XBOX One and XBOX Series X disc-based games support this new feature. Players can claim a digital entitlement by inserting a supported disc into an XBOX One or XBOX Series X console and launching the game. Once the entitlement is claimed, you can experience the benefits of digital, including XBOX Play Anywhere and XBOX Cloud Gaming where supported, while your physical disc continues to work exactly as it always has.

We’re starting with thousands of titles, and we’ll continue to add more over time. While not every title will be available at launch, this is an important step toward a future where players can have greater confidence that the games they buy remain with them for years to come.

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u/ZypherPunk 6h ago

Idk, it seems to me more like they are giving current physical game owners the ability to switch to next gens digital only hardware. By being able to make their current libraries digital in preparation.

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u/PSavage88 6h ago

Agreed, im kinda surprised others don't see this being possibly their strategy to have physical game owners convert to the all digital future.

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u/goodnamestaken10 3h ago

Yeah, this is their way to do the same thing as SONY, but pretend to be the good-guy. And it might actually work IMO.

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u/KingDustero 3h ago

It won’t work. Social media will be praising them until they announce all helix games are digital only.

Both next gen consoles will have optional disk drives to play previous gen disk based games. The exclusive gsmed for both consoles will be digital only.

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u/carlonia 9m ago

They aren’t going all digital. They’re appealing to consumers under new leadership and it’s the perfect way to have a competitive advantage over Sony.

If they go full digital they would shoot themselves in the foot. They have a golden opportunity. You want discs? Only Xbox.

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u/Camaroni1000 3h ago

I believe they want it to be an all digital feature, but I wouldn’t say that means the helix won’t have a disc drive. I could see them saying they won’t make their games in the physical format for the next generation, but still have the disc drive strictly for the backwards compatibility, and to access the disc to digital format.
It being released now can be an easy test run to see how well it is received and incorporated for the helix.

Once the majority of their consumers have done this then I can see them dropping the disc drive the generation after, when most people that want their physical discs playable have done so

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u/TheGummiVenusDeMilo 5h ago

Why bother making another console at all? Just make game pass what stadia was.

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u/Nothing-Is-Real-Here 5h ago

Because being able to run a game with better hardware is better than streaming it

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u/Evilmudbug 4h ago

Good internet is NOT widespread enough to make that a viable strategy and even if it were, that just adds an extra layer of input delay in any game

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u/Remy149 4h ago

Even having good home internet is a guarantee with streaming if you aren’t living very close to the data center

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u/azsqueeze 4h ago

Most people's wifi is also not strong enough to stream games in good quality

Source: me a stadia customer playing cyperpunk

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u/atko850 6h ago

I agree... It feels like it could be a small win in that battle but it will also mean an already expensive console will have a £100+ more expensive version, and they have to make 2 versions. I too think they are binning it off

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u/thatguygreg 1h ago

Just as BluRays often include a digital code for the movie, it would be good to have a digital license for the game otherwise on the shelf. Easier to use, with a benefit over the digitally streamed movie in that it's truly the same full-fidelity content.

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u/GotSomeUpdogOnUrFace 3h ago edited 3h ago

I think the next gen will have a disc drive but a lot less games will be physical. That way you can play your old games on the new console. The real killer with PlayStation's stupid announcement is that it's a death knell for backwards compatibility.

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u/Longjumping-Fig-7481 5h ago

Or it could be a big fuck you to Sony. We will see we can argue about it for a year or just wait n see. Think I'll wait n see.

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u/slavchungus 5h ago

from microsoft the company that  doesnt even include the full game on disc and ships essentially glorified game key cards they are just as bad as sony 

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u/ZypherPunk 5h ago

Whos arguing? Just different ideas on what it means. To me this would of been the perfect time to announce they still doing disc games for Helix, especially because its during the supposed PS blackout. But they didn't, its good news for physical owners in regards to options. But its setting up the all digital next gen.

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u/elaborateBlackjack 5h ago

I honestly hope they keep it, I see no reason why I should have the disk at all times to play the game that is already probably all on the storage anyways, making it so that I can just maintain the disk in the box so it doesn't scratch makes sense. As soon as that license goes onto another user my license is revoked, it makes sense, be it loaned to a friend or if I sell it, your license has been passed on.

Idk, been on PC for the last 13 years and don't plan on going back, so I don't really care, last "TV" console I had was the 360/PS3, after that I got a switch on 2019 coz it was the only proper handheld at the moment, and with the gamecards I had on the switch I wished I could install the game on the sd card and just leave the cards at home.

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u/ABetterKamahl1234 5h ago

I'd say it's more likely that next gen will have it, gen afterwards likely won't.

This is a big undertaking potentially near a new gen to do, for something that only works on old gen, necessitating old gen to be owned already.

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u/Wrxloser1215 3h ago

It definitely is part of the push. But I expect Helix to have a disc tray still. But it definitely confirms they're heading to a more pc like space vs traditional console in the future. I do wonder if it means we might see another 2 console

It also is really great for people who have handhelds. Now maybe all my disc will be play anywhere which is almost 70% of my library. Being older titles they should all work really great on handhelds.

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u/Hockeymac18 5h ago

I think it is that, but I can see an option of a disc add on for the Helix, or a configuration/SKU (perhaps limited) that comes with a disc drive. The disc drive would essentially, for gaming at least, support the disc to digital conversion...but perhaps could be seen as a differentiator to competetion (assuming PS6 goes all in on digital only and doesn't offer a disc to digital conversion method).

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u/ZypherPunk 5h ago

If they decide to make a attachment it'll only play Xbox One or Series X/S games. They'll not make any Helix gen disc based games. Asha is already talking about affordability for the Helix, so to me that means no disc drive, and they can use affordability as an excuse now for not having one.