Xbox’s clever disc-to-digital feature was 15 years in the making
News Source
•2026-09-17T12:00:00-04:00
📰 What Happened
Xbox has a new feature that turns your physical game discs into digital copies. The company announced it last month.
It looks like a fresh idea, but a reporter found it has been in the works for about 15 years. Microsoft was exploring similar ideas before the Xbox One came out in 2013. The feature is now part of Xbox's work to preserve old games.
🔍 The Backstory
In 2013 the Xbox One was going to be always online and lock games to accounts. After a messy launch and a big backlash, Microsoft changed those plans.
Today Sony is moving away from discs. Digital games are easier to store and harder to lose than a disc that can scratch. Many players now buy games online instead of at shops.
🎯 Why It Matters
Many people still own piles of game discs. This feature could let them keep playing old games on newer machines that have no disc drive.
Xbox has a new feature that turns your physical game discs into digital copies. The company announced it last month.
It looks like a fresh idea, but a reporter found it has been in the works for about 15 years. Microsoft was exploring similar ideas before the Xbox One came out in 2013. The feature is now part of Xbox's work to preserve old games.
In 2013 the Xbox One was going to be always online and lock games to accounts. After a messy launch and a big backlash, Microsoft changed those plans.
Today Sony is moving away from discs. Digital games are easier to store and harder to lose than a disc that can scratch. Many players now buy games online instead of at shops.
Many people still own piles of game discs. This feature could let them keep playing old games on newer machines that have no disc drive.