The beta phase of the disc to digital redemption program for Xbox One and Series consoles has begun and users have been discovering some interesting things, including which games are allowed to be redeemed and which are not available. Even some delisted games appear to work.
For community updated list, use: https://xct.live/disc2digital (same link as above)
Here are some of the main things you may need to know or consider when using the program, some of which I find aren’t being talked about. These come straight from an Xbox support page.
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- You may be required to prove you still own the disc
“What happens to my digital license if I lose possession of the disc?
Without possession of the qualifying disc, you may lose the disc to digital licensing benefits. For example, if you lose, sell, give away, or otherwise no longer possess a qualifying disc, access to associated disc to digital licenses may be limited or revoked.
If you lose access to your license, you will need to either regain possession of the disc and play it while signed into your account or purchase a new digital version from the Microsoft store”
That’s right, you may need to keep your disc, so you can’t go on a used game buying spree, redeem a few digital licenses, and then sell them back. However, letting a friend or family member borrow the disc for offline use might be okay. It is unclear if this program will require you to reinsert a disc to reverify you still own it at this time.
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- Original Xbox and Xbox 360 discs to not work
“Are my XBOX 360 and Original XBOX game discs supported?
Original XBOX and XBOX 360 game discs are not supported. Disc to digital licensing works with supported XBOX One and XBOX Series X game discs only. However, not all XBOX One or XBOX Series X game discs are eligible for this licensing. Eligibility may vary due to technical, licensing, publishing, manufacturing, or other factors. Microsoft may also change eligibility over time.”
This is pretty cut and dry; only certain Xbox One and Series X game discs will work. But don’t forget, you can use compatible original Xbox and Xbox 360 discs via the Xbox Backwards Compatible library.
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- Some licenses may transfer to PC
“Can I play my disc to digital licensed games on PC if they are XBOX Play Anywhere games?
Yes, if a game is an XBOX Play Anywhere game, then inserting the disc into your XBOX console and claiming the digital licenses will also allow the game to be played on PC and handhelds. After claiming a digital license, check My Library on the XBOX app for PC and handhelds to find your game.”
It’s not exactly a hidden benefit of the program, but if eligible, a game you redeem via this program could also be played on a Windows PC with the added benefits of a capable machine.
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These are some of the quirks I would keep in mind when using this feature. And remember, as of right now, this is still in a beta and is subject to change and updates. For example, at the start of the beta phase, Ubisoft games could not be redeemed. But that has recently changed, you can now seemingly redeem Ubisoft titles.
For a bigger list and an official FAQs section visit: https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/games-apps/game-setup-and-play/disc-to-digital-licensing-on-xbox
Nostalgia Gamer 