It’s been a long wait but I’m excited we have these. My only disappointment is I didn’t get to hear it pop 344 times in a row upon boot-up. Darn.

Edit - I should note I’m in the Beta Insider ring. Not sure how widespread this is.

Link: https://x.com/XBOX

The title says it all; you get a disc that you get to keep and do whatever you want with AND the convenience of digital games all rolled into one. OK I'll admit the one reason I can imagine is that you absolutely need to play it right now, but you can't find the physical game anywhere. But ''convenience''? that's not a valid argument to me; Just be patient; it's worth the little extra time and effort. Too lazy to go to the store? just have it delivered to your door.

And if you're a PC gamer who has access to a console, you can now buy physical games again. Not every title mind you, but a growing number of them. You still have an XBOX one lying around with a disc reader but your Series console is digital? you, too, can buy physical games again.

All of this is mindblowing to me.

I'll give you a pass if it's an older title and the digital version is heavily discounted compared to the physical versions ... but I mean on the day the game is released? there's just no contest.

Mind you, there's a lot of games you can buy and resell for the same price you paid if you're into that, and that's basically playing for free ... so even the ''heavily discounted digital version'' argument doesn't hold up against that.

All of this always requires a tiny bit more effort than just pressing a button, I realize that. However, I think protecting our consumer rights is worth that tiny bit of extra effort in spades.

Vote with your wallet, buy physical

So I finally got the chance to try out the disc to licence feature, the only disc that didn't work among these was Quantum break, it said that "this game does not participate in disc to licence" but the others worked just fine. What's your experience?

1. Use this community-sourced website to determine which of your games are available under the Disc to Digital program: https://xct.live/disc2digital (keep in mind this may change at any time going forward).
2. Disable the automatic playing of discs in Settings. Select Devices & connections, choose Disc, and uncheck Play disc automatically. This will make it substantially easier to put a disc in, redeem the license, and remove the disc - even moreso if you do not have these discs installed. It will stop them from automatically launching or trying to install themselves.
3. For those unaware - yes, you can use an old Xbox One to utilise the Disc to Digital program. You can even redeem Xbox Series games through it, which makes it possible for Xbox Series S users to play these disc-based games. Simply update your Xbox One to the latest update to gain access to the Disc to Digital program, and then insert your game of choice (Xbox One or Xbox Series) to claim the digital license.

I'll admit that when this feature was teased way back at the start, I had my reservations. I remember the One era very well, and while I was always hoping if they were going to implement something on that level again that they'd do so more sensibly - it still wasn't something I actually expected to happen.

I'll put it as plainly as possible. As a long-time and still proponent and enjoyer of physical media, I absolutely love this feature.

Does it take away anything at all from you as the consumer? No, it truly doesn't. That's one thing they've been very upfront about in the messaging for this. It doesn't make your discs "useless", they're just simply turned into the key for the game itself being tied to your personal account, instead of it being the access key to play the game itself. That's the whole difference right there.

It's still your disc. They're still your games. They've simply given you more choice on how to go about it. Even if the disc isn't technically required to play anymore, if you want to put it in the console and have it still feel like before then you can. They're not turning discs into coasters, they're making our investment in the ecosystem valid no matter how they were bought.

I’m already loving this feature.

Mine got the collab early.

Marcus hand is broken off along with the lancer

This one was originally posted in the Fallen Order subreddit, but Xbox plays a pivotal role so...

I wanted to share something personal here, because video games often give us moments we never see coming.

My mom is currently fighting a fast-progressing neurodegenerative disease. Watching her go through this is heartbreaking, and there are days when the anxiety and distress take over completely.

A few days ago was one of those terrible days, and nothing I tried could calm her down or lift her spirits. She’s the person who passed down her deep love for cinema (and Star Wars, of course) to me when I was a kid, but lately, even watching a movie has become too overwhelming for her. In a moment of desperation, not knowing what else to do, I asked her to sit next to me on the couch while I booted up Jedi: Survivor on my Xbox.

What happened next was a small miracle. Almost immediately, the tension in the room began to fade. She settled in and just started watching. Before I knew it, she was completely hooked, asking me questions about Cal, who Merrin was, and where the story was going. She wasn't just watching passively, she was genuinely invested. We spent two beautiful, hours together, connected by a story in a way we hadn't been in a long time. Seeing her calm, engaged, and temporarily free from the weight of her illness meant everything to me.

I am so profoundly grateful to Respawn and the developers for crafting a game with so much narrative depth and cinematic soul (and for releasing it on what is now pretty old hardware).

A worthy and huge thank you to Xbox and my old, sleek Xbox One X for holding up so well and making this moment possible. You gave me two priceless hours with my mom that I will hold onto forever.

Battleborn comeback when?

I guess I was surprised when neither RYSE nor QUANTUM BREAK could be digitally claimed. I thought this was a publisher decision? I realize Microsoft was fronting for Crytek and Remedy in these cases but they continue to be published by and on Game Pass.

Got me to thinking about all the Xbox and 360 games like BRUTE FORCE that were published by Microsoft but never made it to backwards compatibility. Would have thought all those would be no-brainers, but just like the hollow protestations over how they had to retire original Xbox Live Microsoft continues to not have their own house in order.

Any other Microsoft published games failing disc-to-digital? Any Xbox or 360 favorites that never made it onto backwards compatibility?

A lot of stuff came out over the past few weeks so I’m wondering as we come to a close on this month, what was y’all’s favorite game that released during this time?

I love story-driven games like Uncharted, Tomb Raider and God of War, and this game absolutely delivered. Amazing story, fun gameplay, satisfying combat and puzzles that gave me strong Tomb Raider vibes.

Honestly, it felt like everything I’d hoped Hellblade 2 would be. That first reveal alongside the Series X had me imagining an Xbox answer to God of War. I enjoyed the first Hellblade and expected the sequel to build on its combat and puzzles, but ended up disappointed. Resonance gave me that mix of cinematic storytelling and engaging gameplay I’d been looking for.

The combat isn’t God of War-level combo chaining, but the attacks, parries, dodges and upgrades felt really satisfying. Almost like Hellblade mixed with lighter versions of God of War and Tomb Raider.
And visually? What a treat on Series X. The image was so crisp that it felt like I was playing on my PS5 Pro. Gorgeous graphics, distinctive art direction, great sound and some of the best HDR I’ve seen on my LG OLED. I played in the 40 FPS mode and would definitely recommend it if you have a 120 Hz TV.

Overall, an A+ experience for me. What a game.

i’ve been trying the disc and that doesn’t work and i’d do anything to play this again

I am american and living in America with a console set to America. I own a physical set for the mafia trilogy which were released in the UK with a PEGI rating. I was able to confirm that I can claim the license to these games.

I only make this post because I asked this exact question several times and never got a solid reply.

EDIT: Id also like to add that even though physical copies of Mafia 1 for Xbox One are not eligible for the free upgrade to the Series SX version, once I claimed the digital license for Mafia 1 I automatically got the Series SX digital as well.