Microsoft, according to The Verge, is testing a new Xbox feature that would let owners of physical game copies receive digital rights to them. The system is expected to work with Xbox One and Xbox Series X discs, but it will not support games for Xbox 360 or the original Xbox.
The process is reportedly fairly simple: a user inserts a compatible disc, installs the game, and launches it on an Xbox console under their Microsoft account. After that, the account receives a digital right to access the game. But this is not a standard one-time conversion of a disc into a “digital” copy: the license will remain tied to that specific physical disc.
If the disc is sold, given to a friend, or used with another Xbox profile, the digital access should move with it. That approach closes the obvious loophole where someone could claim a digital version and then calmly resell the disc. In effect, the physical media still serves as proof of ownership — it just makes the game more convenient to use.
In some cases, the digital version will behave almost like a regular Microsoft Store purchase. If a game supports Xbox Play Anywhere, it can be launched not only on the console, but also on a PC or handheld device. If the title is available through Xbox Cloud Gaming and the user has the required Game Pass subscription, it can also be streamed from the cloud. According to The Verge, the system should support bundled discs and multi-disc editions, although some older Xbox One discs may lack the required manufacturing data.
Interestingly, Windows Central says the program is known inside Microsoft as Positron. It appears amid discussions about future Xbox hardware and rumors around the Project Helix platform: it is still unclear whether the next console generation will include a disc drive. Unlike Sony, which has already announced that it will stop releasing discs for new PlayStation games from January 2028, Microsoft may choose a transitional path — not abandoning existing physical libraries, but carefully tying disc-based games into the digital ecosystem. For now, the main limitation is the lack of support for physical Xbox 360 and original Xbox games.