Xbox praised for new physical disc-to-digital scheme: “PlayStation should be embarrassed”

Xbox has announced a new system that will make it easier to play physical games on console.

READ MORE: Xbox Game Pass 2026: what’s new and what’s worth playing? Taking to social media, Xbox boss Asha Sharma announced that the new physical disc-to-digital scheme will go live next week for Xbox Insiders.

“Your physical game library is more than a collection of discs.

It holds years of memories and stories worth preserving,” she explained , with fans able to “unlock a digital entitlement for supported physical games.” “Players have spent decades building their Xbox libraries.

Some games were purchased on disc.

Some were purchased digitally.

Many span multiple generations of hardware,” added Microsoft’s Jason Ronald in a dedicated blog post .

“Our goal is to make it easier for those libraries to move forward with players.” Your physical game library is more than a collection of discs.

It holds years of memories and stories worth preserving.

Starting next week, XBOX Insiders can unlock a digital entitlement for supported physical games.

We’ll start with thousands of titles and add more as we can. pic.twitter.com/XATsa8sjBt — ASHA (@asha_shar) August 26, 2026 “Today we are introducing a feature that brings the benefits of digital to physical discs, giving players more flexibility in how they access and play supported games across the XBOX ecosystem.

This is part of our broader commitment to game preservation.

As technology, devices, and distribution continue to evolve, preserving access to the games people own matters more than ever.” The specific details about how Xbox’s disc-to-digital scheme will work are still to be confirmed, but it’s expected that putting a physical disc inside an Xbox console will unlock a digital copy that can be played across the Xbox ecosystem.

For more information, head here .