Xbox has officially launched its new disc-to-digital licensing feature globally, allowing players to use supported physical games to unlock digital access across compatible Xbox platforms.

After initially being tested with Xbox Insiders, the feature is now available to all users.

Players can insert an eligible physical game into an Xbox console equipped with an optical drive to receive digital licensing benefits. That entitlement can then be used on other supported Xbox devices without requiring the disc to remain inside that specific system.

Xbox Physical Games Can Unlock Digital Access

The feature becomes particularly interesting with Xbox Play Anywhere titles.

If an eligible physical game supports Play Anywhere, inserting the disc into a compatible Xbox console can provide digital access on other supported devices, including PC and handheld platforms.

This means players with large physical Xbox collections could potentially access supported games on devices without disc drives.

There are some important restrictions, however.

The physical disc remains connected to the digital entitlement. If the disc is sold, given away or otherwise no longer owned, Microsoft may revoke the associated digital license. Players therefore cannot simply register a physical copy and then sell it while permanently keeping the digital version.

Original Xbox and Xbox 360 discs are also currently unsupported.

Microsoft additionally warns that eligibility can vary because of technical, licensing, publishing, manufacturing and other factors, while the list of supported games may change over time.

For players planning to register multiple games, Xbox recommends disabling “Play Disc Automatically” in the console settings. This prevents each game from launching whenever a new disc is inserted and makes processing a larger physical collection considerably easier.

The Xbox disc-to-digital system is available globally now, marking a significant expansion beyond its initial Xbox Insider testing period.