Xbox disc to digital program may launch publicly soon

Xbox has been quietly working on a disc to digital conversion feature for some time now. Microsoft first filed a patent for the technology back in 2022, before reportedly moving much closer to release in recent months. 

It was claimed back in early July that Microsoft was now testing its Disc to Digital technology in a round of closed alpha testing. Now, according to eXtas1s, an apparent roadmap leak has revealed that a public rollout is planned for August, followed by an expansion of backwards compatibility for PC in October.

It is worth noting that while eXtas1s was once very reliable, they have had more misses than hits over the past year. However, reputable sources like The Verge did already reveal this technology in July, so we do know that Microsoft is working on it.

Whether or not the dates listed by eXtas1s come to pass remains to be seen, but both major updates listed are bound to happen at some point based on Microsoft's recent moves.

The Xbox Disc to Digital program is planned to allow gamers to transfer their digital Xbox game libraries to more easily accessible digital versions. The disc can still be freely loaned out, but once the disc is put into another console, you'll lose access to the digital copy until you get the disc back.

KitGuru Says: A disc to digital system could help keep physical media alive in the current landscape, but only if publishers are willing to offer complete games on discs, which we recently learned was a massive issue for many current-gen releases. 

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