Xbox officially announces disc to digital program

Nicole Carpenter,Columnist,Game Developer

August 26, 2026

1 Min ReadXbox

Xbox announced Wednesday that it's created a feature that will allow players to convert physical game discs to digital.

"Players have spent decades building their Xbox libraries," Xbox executive Jason Ronald wrote on the Xbox Wire. "Some games were purchased on disc. Some were purchased digitally. Many span multiple generations of hardware. Our goal is to make it easier for those libraries to move forward with players."

It'll be open for Xbox Insiders on Aug. 31. Xbox Insider is a free program in which players can opt into testing new features before wider distribution. Ronald did not say when Xbox users outside of the program will get access. Xbox's disc to digital program was reported by The Verge in July after "enable Disc2Digital" showed up in Xbox's PC app backend. The Verge reported then that only Xbox One and Xbox Series X discs will work, and Wednesday's official announcement confirms that.

"Most" Xbox One and Xbox Series X games will be compatible with the new feature. It works by players inserting a physical disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X console and running the game. That'll trigger the digital "entitlement," Ronald said, and players will be able to run the game digitally and use Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming features. The program will start with "thousands of titles," with more added in the future. Ronald said not every game will have this feature at launch.

"This is part of our broader commitment to game preservation," Ronald said. "As technology, devices, and distribution continue to evolve, preserving access to the games people own matters more than ever."

XboxGame Preservation & Video Game History

About the Author

Nicole Carpenter

Columnist, Game Developer

Nicole Carpenter is a veteran reporter who has been covering the video game industry for over a decade.

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