A new report claims that Xbox's "Positron" disc-to-digital program is a lot more seamless than expected.
A few months ago, code snippets appeared showing that Xbox is working on a disc-to-digital program, although details were thin on the ground. Now, we have a credible report detailing exactly how it could work.
It's a hot topic at present, given that PlayStation just announced it will no longer be supporting discs in any capacity from 2028, and that the PlayStation 6 will not support discs at all. For those with existing disc-based games, they're effectively sat hoping their PS5 will continue to work in perpetuity. But given that PlayStation just killed access to previously-purchased movies and is shutting down the digital stores on the PS Vita and PS3, people are more anxious than ever about forwards and backwards compatibility.
Xbox has been something of a pioneer in the console space here. Its backwards compatibility programs for the Xbox 360 and OG Xbox are industry-leading on console, and it has already pledged to bring everything that runs on Xbox Series X|S to the next-gen Xbox Helix. But a big question mark remains over disc-based games, more so than ever now.
When Positron was inadvertently revealed, many wondered if it would require some form of intermediary to function, such as taking a disc to a retailer or something. But The Verge is reporting that won't be the case.
Simply installing an Xbox game from the disc will attach it to your account and give you the full digital entitlements on your Microsoft Account. You'll be able to access it via Xbox Cloud Gaming, Play Anywhere on the Xbox Ally X, as if you fully owned the digital version of the game. You will reportedly only lose your digital entitlement on that game if you sell the disc or give it away to another Microsoft Account holder.
The Xbox One had a model similar to this in 2013, but the DRM was so aggressive that it required retailers to "unlock" the disc. It sounds like Microsoft has figured out a way to provide digitization at their end, attaching the discs' signature to your account. Although, Microsoft warned testers that some older Xbox One discs may "lack the features needed" to make the system work.
Indeed, this will only work with Xbox One discs and above, so those hoping to digitize Xbox 360 discs are out of luck. Still, if it all works as described here, that would be fantastic news for those who could be left out of digital features such as Xbox Cloud Gaming.
The Verge says that Microsoft hasn't finalized whether to include a disc drive or not on Xbox Helix, but our sources have been hinting at us for months that Microsoft is leaning away from including a disc drive in its next-gen console.
Given that PlayStation is exiting the disc-based market, I would bet money that even if Xbox hadn't already decided on dropping discs, they almost certainly have now. But Xbox's new Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball did say they're "rethinking" everything about Xbox Helix ... so maybe he's a big disc fan? Time will tell. I'm sure Xbox is also monitoring reactions to Sony's uncharacteristically pre-emptive and transparent announcement here.
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