Microsoft has officially announced that owners of physical Xbox games will be able to digitize them so they can play them without needing their physical versions. The Verge already revealed this last month and it’s part of Microsoft’s campaign to preserve games from previous consoles and in preparation for the next generation of Xbox consoles. Which also raises concerns about the future of physical media in the Xbox ecosystem.
Your physical games now digital
On that note, Jason Ronald, vice president of Xbox’s next generation, has commented that “most Xbox One and Xbox Series X games on disc are compatible with this new feature. To get the digital content, players can insert a compatible disc into their Xbox One or Xbox Series X console and launch the game”, thus assuring that the process will be quick and simple even for everyone.
This new feature will begin on August 31 for Xbox Insiders members, extending to other Xbox users in the coming months. A recent leak gave us more details, confirming that not all games will make it to the platform since it will depend on whether developers choose to support this option. “We’re starting with thousands of titles and will keep adding more over time,” says Ronald. “Although not all titles will be available at launch, this is an important step toward a future in which players can have greater confidence that the games they buy will stay accessible for years to come”.
In addition, they also plan to make those games playable on PC. All of this is happening at the same time that PlayStation has confirmed its intention to kill off physical media on its platform. Confirming a trend that doesn’t seem to bode well for the future of the medium.
