Microsoft to Allow Customers to Claim Digital Entitlements Through Physical Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S Discs – News

Microsoft announced on Wednesday a new feature allowing players to claim digital entitlements for their physical Xbox One and Xbox Series X games. Xbox Insiders can begin using the feature on August 31.

By inserting a supported physical game disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X, players will be able to download and play that game digitally, including Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming support, without needing the disc. The disc will continue to work. The company claims that “most” discs will support this feature, adding that it is “starting with thousands of titles” and will add more over time.

Sony announced on July 1 that it is ending physical game disc production for all new games on PlayStation consoles starting in January 2028. All new game releases starting in that month will be digital only.

Microsoft released its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles in November 2020. The Xbox Series X originally retailed at US$499, and the Xbox Series S retailed at US$299. Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox X|S consoles and peripherals in May 2025.

The console has an updated AMD processor over 2013’s Xbox One, GDDR6 memory, and a “next-generation” solid state drive, and also supports 8K resolution, hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and variable refresh rate.

The company teased the next Xbox console under the code name “Project Helix” in March. Microsoft Gaming’s CEO Asha Sharma stated that the “next generation console” will play both Xbox and PC games.

The company is “resetting” its business with about 3,200 layoffs through the 2027 fiscal year, beginning with about 1,600 layoffs in July. Four game studios also left Microsoft‘s Xbox umbrella division: Compulsion Games, Double Fine Productions, Ninja Theory and Undead Labs. Microsoft is shifting investments across its divisions to higher priority projects, with reductions to some units. Publicly announced first-party games and projects will not be cancelled.

Source: Xbox