Xbox has unveiled a new disc-to-digital feature, which it says will ensure gamers get more from physical game libraries, but could also be a sign of the company’s intentions to move away from discs for the next-generation Project Helix games console.
In a post on Xbox Wire this week, Xbox says “most” Series X and Xbox One discs will soon offer owners the opportunity to digitise the games for accessibility away from the console. Microsoft says it gives gamers more flexibility, but also help to preserve games as “technology, devices and distribution continue to evolve.”
Xbox says the feature will launch with thousands of titles, with others added over time. The company says the move will give gamers confidence that any game they buy – whether it’s physical or digital – will “remain with them for years to come.” Notice Jason Roland, the VP of Next Generation, didn’t say “forever.” That may be significant given the propensity for digital products to disappear from owners’ libraries.
He added: “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.”
The launch of the feature comes at an interesting time, with Project Helix rumoured to arrive free of a disc drive, while Sony has already confirmed it is phasing out the production of physical discs for new PlayStation games.
Microsoft is yet to confirm whether Project Helix will or won’t have an optical drive, but it could be nice way for Xbox to win over some PlayStation gamers who’ve revolted against Sony’s decision to go all-digital. The word from the top is that Xbox wants gamers to have a “choice” in the matter.
Aasha Sharma told the BBC: “All of the industry needs to start to innovate on affordability and efficiency,” she continued. “That is something that we have not had to do. But with the crisis that’s currently happening in hardware and components, it is absolutely something all of us need to be thinking about and innovating on and giving people more choice in terms of how they play their console and how they purchase their console.
“I know players love physical media, and I know there’s a lot of benefits in digital media, and I want to make sure people have a choice. There are stacks of games on everybody’s shelves.”
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