Xbox discs will now grant digital access to games as part of Microsoft's self-proclaimed 'broader commitment to game preservation'

Microsoft has dabbled in dubious DRM over the years, having previously announced then unannounced disc-based DRM for the Xbox One back in 2013. Sony scored some free public praise on that blunder. Yet it seems like the pendulum has finally swung the other way. Sony has announced it is ending support for physical games entirely, while Microsoft will let users add physical games to their digital games library.

Microsoft says, "Players have spent decades building their Xbox libraries. Some games were purchased on disc. Some were purchased digitally" It says its "goal is to make it easier for those libraries to move forward with players" and "this is part of our broader commitment to game preservation."

This program will begin to roll out for Xbox Insiders starting August 31 and will start with a few thousand titles. Effectively, the disc can be 'claimed' on an account, giving you access even when your disc is not in the disc tray. Interestingly, this also gives you access to the game via Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming, which means you can play it from your phone or PC, complete with cloud saves.

The physical game will still function as normal, even after it has been added to your account. That means you can technically lend it to a friend. The license to add the game to your digital library is revocable, so if someone accidentally adds it to their account, you can remove it if you have the physical disc. This means it shouldn't have an effect on the preowned games market, as anyone who buys an already digitally claimed game can simply revoke the license.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced this new feature via their X account, and has since received almost 200,000 likes and over 24 million views as of the time of writing. This is to say the announcement seems to be going down well.

And Microsoft is in desperate need of that good PR. Just last month, it announced it would be laying off 3,200 people and dumping four studios in what it calls "the most significant restructure in Xbox history." This is before mentioning the criticism Microsoft was already getting from the BDS movement for ties to the Israeli government and military.

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But one question does go unanswered here, and that is whether or not Xbox will continue supporting discs in the next generation. As I noted in my conversation with game preservation group DoesItPlay, consoles going all-in on digital games feels like more of a hot topic than our long disc-free PCs. Microsoft and Sony own the platform, and the stores to buy games on it.

Sony removing a disc drive means that the only way players can buy its games legally is through its own storefront. This gives Sony ultimate control over pricing, ownership, and DRM, and it's easy to understand why Microsoft might want to take a bigger cut of the pie too, especially with the rising prices of hardware.

And Microsoft saying this allows players to 'move forward' certainly signals the all-digital future alarm bell to this writer.

Still, with the next generation of both consoles anticipated to launch around the end of next year (or maybe even the year after), we know roughly when we'll get our answer.