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Sounds great. Can people choose to opt-out and not claim the "digital entitlement" and continue to play with the disk as normal, or will it be forced the next time a disk game is played? What are the down sides, seems like none right now.
If Xbox continues to support disks on their next console, they might be able to eke out a big portion of console buyers from PlayStation with this kind of move.
So... what happens to the disc once it's claimed? Is it just a coaster? What if you sell the physical game, can someone else use the disc?
Reading between the lines on some of the rumors and announcements: it sounds like each disc already has a unique serial number associated with it that gets added to your account. If someone else uses the same disc and "claims" it, the digital license moves to that account.
Unsure how to feel about this. Its still subject to the bullshit "you dont own it lol you just lease a license lmao gottem" but the 2nd hand market stays in place.
It's pretty clear that it means the next Xbox will be digital only, but MS wants to get ahead of the Sony backlash by letting people take their entire(*) library with them to the next gen.
It's a dark future dressed up as short-term convenience.
* "supported disc(s)" only.
Where did you see that? Because this page doesn't mention anything about a unique serial number. They said you'd get a digital claim and your disc would still work exactly the same as before. In fact, the wording they chose in this announcement seems very specific. They specifically mentioned game preservation and added flexibility for the games you already own. Using the ownership word is big talk for these companies.
They aren't going to let one person buy a disc, then share that disc among all their friends and they all get a copy.
Like I said, I'm reading between the lines a bit, but here's another source from before the official announcement:
https://www.purexbox.com/news/2026/07/report-xbox-disc-to-digital-feature-will-allow-you-to-digitise-your-physical-collection
The only potential issue is with certain Xbox One discs - Microsoft has apparently been telling testers of the disc-to-digital program that "it all depends on how and when the disc was manufactured"
the discs will still work even after you've digitised them, and the digital entitlement won't disappear unless you loan the disc to a friend or sell it on permanently.
Maybe "serial number" isn't exactly the right word for what's happening, but they apparently have some way of fingerprinting the disc itself so they know when it is being used by someone else.
I mean it would make sense for it to work that way. But until Microsoft actually says it in an announcement, it's just speculation right now. At the very least, it definitely sounds like they are changing the way they are talking about this subject with their customers. I don't remember them ever talking about a commitment to game preservation or actually mentioning personal ownership of the games we have purchased. Although, it does seem like there is wiggle room in what they said for them to still go completely digital for Helix.
I believe it was suggested in a previous announcement a couple weeks ago that you would still be able to sell/trade your discs and their digital versions. I don't remember the original source, unfortunately, so I don't want to say I'm 100% right on this, but I think it was the case.
I think Microsoft is trying to take advantage of the backlash against Sony to try and steal back some market share.
I'm sure they are, as they should. But as long as we still only have digital licences tied to our accounts, everything they are saying is all talk. If we still don't own our digital games in the EULAs, and Helix doesn't have a disc drive, then none of this really matters. If they actually change the legal agreements to back the wording they just used, then I think it's actually going to make Sony bleed.
