https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2026/08/26/your-discs-now-also-digital/

Physical games for the Xbox One and Series generations will be applied a free, revokable, digital license and even grant access to the Xbox Play Anywhere program.

Starting with the Xbox One, because of their intention to prevent people to resell physical games and have always online mandatory, most if not all games have unique IDs on disc, and thus they can verify them individually and allow for that, which also means no Xbox or Xbox 360 physical games will be supported, at least for now until they think of something else to allow for it without giving people free games they can keep while selling the discs. Something horrible that helped tank the brand is now being used for good, it's pretty incredible how things can develop.

On that note, as the digital license is revokable, once you sell your physical disc and someone else boot it in their One or Series X, the license will be revoked from your account and granted to the next player.

Physical games granting a digital license is something that should have always had happened, to be honest, but its great to see it finally happening.

I do think that evidently means no physical media support for Helix as that is clearly moving people to digital, but regardless, that's another topic and only my own speculation right now.

I think it is a very welcoming feature, and in the light of eventually getting a portable PC like the Rog Ally it is a very helpful addition.

What do you think?

@sony you listening?

It's arguably the best case scenario in coming to an all-digital future. Digital licenses operating the same way as a physical game would ironically encourages players to keep their physical libraries rather than selling/trading them. I read a reply that if you let your friend borrow your physical game, the digital license goes with them. When they return the disc to you, the digital licenses are returned to you.

Great to see that Play Anywhere support is included with this program.

360 games are soon going to be freed from the shackle of having to use the disc to validate the digital key on ones machine. They got the disc to digital working to a degree during that time... now after they get it fully working for XBO/SX games... 360 and OG games are next.

I still dont get the part where there's nothing stopping you from borrow hundredth or even thousands of disc games and get their digital license then sell them and everybody does the same.
Its in essence the legal for of pirating.

If someone else uses the disc it revokes your digital license.

Now ive seen the small disclaimer written with dark grey font on black background. They are ashamed of this move and that's why they've written it in such a way. Lol.

I don't think you have to worry that Microsoft will be taken advantage of here. They have that covered.

I'm just hoping that an Xbox One can be used to digitise Xbox Series discs. After all it doesn't have to be able to play the game, just read the license on the disc. But I have a feeling that while it would be technically possible MS won't support it.

Would be useful to get your disc games playing on a Series S if you already have an Xbox One.

What I don't get is how this works without always online.