Unlike Sony: Microsoft, too, will likely phase out physical discs soon—but at least won’t render them worthless right away

Shortly after Sony’s announcement that it would discontinue disc production for PlayStation games, signs point to a similar move by Microsoft.

Following Sony’s announcement that it will no longer produce physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028, Microsoft could also take a similar path. At least that’s what The Verge claims, reporting that the discontinuation of physical media is also on the table here.

However, the same report offers at least a small lifeline for physical collections: Citing sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans, The Verge explains that the Xbox manufacturer is working on a so-called “disc-to-digital” feature.

From Physical Disc to Digital License

Specifically, the feature is intended to allow Xbox owners to convert their existing physical game collection into digital rights.

According to the report, all you need to do is insert a compatible disc into an Xbox Series X|S and install the game—this will grant a digital license tied to a Microsoft account on that console.

If you sell or lend the physical disc to someone else, this digital license will, according toThe Vergeautomatically: Anyone who inserts the disc and signs in with a different Xbox profile can also unlock the game digitally.

• The digital license is essentially equivalent to a regular purchase from the Microsoft Store. If a title is available on Xbox Cloud Gaming and the user has a Game Pass subscription, it can be streamed; if it’s an Xbox Play Anywhere game, it can also be accessed on PC and handheld devices.

• The feature is also said to work with console bundle discs and unlock all the content the disc normally offers—including content downloaded later.

Not every disc works

According to the report, there is one limitation: the feature may not work with some Xbox One discs. Microsoft is reportedly warning internal testers that this depends on how and when the disc in question was produced—older pressings may not technically meet the necessary requirements.

Only discs for Xbox One and Xbox Series X are expected to be supported; discs for Xbox 360 or the original Xbox, however, are excluded.

According to the report, the feature is currently in an internal testing phase at Microsoft; references to the codename “enable Disk2Digital” reportedly appeared in the Xbox PC app’s codebase as early as May.

Possible Connection to the Next Xbox Generation

What’s intriguing is the possible connection to Microsoft’s next-generation console, internally codenamed “Project Helix.” According to The Verge, Microsoft has not yet made a final decision on whether Helix will feature a built-in disc drive.

However, if the company decides on an all-digital system, the Disc-to-Digital feature could become all the more important for backing up your physical collection in time for a switch to a console that may not have a disc drive.