Xbox's Disc-to-Digital Feature Is Officially Out to the Public

Let the digital license claiming begin

In the past month, Xbox has received feedback from Insiders who got early access to the disc-to-digital program. That feedback has helped the company improve the feature before its public release. A system update rolled out in the early hours of Sept. 30, finally implementing the highly anticipated disc-to-digital feature for all Xbox Series X and Xbox One owners.

Thanks to automatic updates, many Xbox players immediately got access to disc-to-digital when they turned on their console this morning. To check if this was the case for you, visit the Update Info tab in System settings and take a look at the date of your last system update. If not, select Updates to download the latest patch.

How to digitize physical discs on Xbox and claim their digital license

Once the update is installed, players can use the disc-to-digital feature as they please. To digitize a physical Xbox disc, simply insert it into the console. Thanks to recent changes based on Insider feedback, Xbox now automatically claims a digital license when reading a disc. If there is a hiccup and that doesn't happen, all players need to do is hit the Start button and select "Claim digital license."

When claiming your first digital license, an informational pop-up will appear. But don't worry, you won't be seeing it again after this, so the process will be much faster from then on. A tip for getting digital licenses in bulk on Xbox is to disable the feature that launches discs automatically when they're inserted. If the console always tries to open a game, you end up losing time. This option can be disabled in Devices & Connections > Disc.

This digital license isn't bound to your account. It can expire or be revoked if the disc is put into another console. Thankfully, there is a way for players to check if they still have access to any digital licenses that they claimed; those that are no longer accessible are added to the Revoked Digital Games list. This list can be accessed by visiting the official page using a browser or by opening Settings on Xbox, selecting General > Personalization > Games & Apps.

The best part of the initiative is that gamers still get to keep a working physical copy of the game. Players can now purchase Xbox games, knowing they'll be able to freely lend or resell them in the future. The disc-to-digital program gives physical disc owners an advantage, which is rare in a world that is headed towards an all-digital future. Xbox One players should also note that they can claim licenses from last-gen games and play them on their Series S, as long as they use the same account.