You Can Digitize Your Xbox Game Library Now – Here’s How

Earlier this year, we reported that Microsoft was testing a “disc-to-digital” feature that would let you digitize physical games. Well, wait no longer. Recently, Microsoft rolled out the “Disc to Digital Licensing” feature for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X. Now you can “convert” your physical game discs into digital licenses that let you play games without actually inserting a disc. Perfect for people who want to seamlessly swap between playing games and playing physical Blu-Rays and DVDs on their Xbox without juggling which disc goes in the drive. Obviously, the Xbox Series S is ineligible because it doesn’t include a disc drive — one of the many reasons why the console is cheaper than an Xbox Series X.

To get started, you only need to insert a game disc into the drive and start up the title. The first time you do this, you’ll receive a popup that summarizes how Disc to Digital Licensing works. Just click “Got It” to continue. Now you can exit the game, eject the disc, and boot the game up again without physical media. Thankfully, all subsequent uses of this feature are more streamlined — a message reading “Digital License Unlocked” pops up at the bottom of the screen like an in-game achievement. If you don’t want to boot up a game, you can claim licenses in bulk with the following trick:

1. Open the Settings menu.
2. Select “Devices & connections.”
3. Select “Disc.”
4. Uncheck the box next to “Play disc automatically.”
5. Return to the Xbox dashboard.
6. Insert the game disc.
7. Highlight the game’s thumbnail on the dashboard.
8. Press the Menu button on your controller.
9. Select “Claim digital license.”
10. Select “Claim.”
11. Eject the disc.
12. Repeat steps six through 11 as needed. Once you’re done, a new icon should appear on the game’s thumbnail on the bottom-left corner.

Some limitations may apply

Obviously, to ensure gamers don’t cheat the system by purchasing a disc, claiming the digital license, then returning the physical copy for a refund (or trade at GameStop), each license is tied to the disc. If someone else uses the disc you utilized to gain the license, it’ll transfer over to them, and you’ll lose access to your digital copy. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

On the web page detailing Disc to Digital Licensing, Microsoft states that “not all Xbox One or Xbox Series X game discs are eligible for disc to digital licensing.” Unfortunately, the site doesn’t detail which games aren’t included, but I wasn’t able to digitize my physical copies of “Fallout 4,” “Outriders,” “Sandland,” and “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.” Plus, the feature doesn’t work with original Xbox or Xbox 360 discs — not even my copy of “Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition” with Xbox One branding worked.

Microsoft also states that licenses are limited to the disc you use. For example, any additional content included with an “Ultimate Edition” is added to your license, but you have to purchase any further DLC and promotional items to use them. Furthermore, the web page states in no uncertain terms that “eligibility may change over time.” The odds that we gain the ability to digitize games we couldn’t before are just as likely as losing permission to digitize titles we previously could. Still, so long as you keep the original discs and keep your account in good standing (i.e. don’t go shouting racist slurs in multiplayer matches) you should be ok.