Microsoft Creates Patent That Enables Xbox Discs To Be Converted To Digital

Well, I'd imagine that if that disc was sold, it would be registered to a new account and block the old one from the content.

But I don't see what problem this really solves. Physical owners would still be heavily tied to online and digital systems. WHich they don't want.

The only thing it really allows is the sale of digital content, but there's a better way to solve that.

Well Series S users would need access to another Xbox for it to be of any use. I'm struggling to see the benefit to Microsoft as how would you stop people from simply passing the game along to multiple people? Unless of course they put some kind of code on new games, it just seems bizarre to be honest and how many would benefit?

It’s a very interesting concept and it sounds good on paper, but I feel like there will be a lot of confusion and annoyances to go along with it. Either way, I’m curious to see how it plays out.

Okay, I'm listening.

This reminds me of Don Mattrick's XB1 vision to be honest. There were more digital options like this and the ability to trade digital games but at the cost of always online DRM and used physical games not working in the traditional way.

People would just buy pre owned discs to get free digital versions and rental services would be used a lot more.

On the other hand if they make the discs useless after use then that would put Rental services out of business.

Just keep things as they are now

@Richnj Solves the problem for those who went with the all digital Series S and now have a bunch of physical discs from last generations sitting there useless. Also, helps transition to the inevitable all digital gaming that's just a matter of time.

That would be nice. It's just, I haven't seen a patent that came true. They just appear every time another company has slightly similar design.

not sure its a great idea for series S users as they would still have to have a disc drive to convert it to digital which they dont have

But if the Series S has no drive and yet you own a load of previously bought physical editions... how do you "transfer" anything to digital? I do like the idea, but confused.

Game ownership doesn't exist, you own a Licence to play that game but don't own the Game. I don't see an issue with being able to transfer Licences held on Disc (usually have their own Unique number) to your Profile - thus rendering the need to put a Disc in pointless. It makes 'Quick Resume' redundant too as you have to swap discs.

The only issue is what happens to the License on that Disc. It could be made 'useless' - like using some Pre-order DLC code - basically says this Code has already been redeemed. You could find that disc won't work as the License has already been 'used'. If its 'your' License and you uploaded it to your Profile, then sell the 'disc', then someone must lose access. Whether its the person who sells the Disc, knowing that the License is no longer valid so like selling a 'used' DLC code - committing Fraud (unless its clearly stated its just the paper - not the actual DLC) or the unsuspecting Buyer of USED games who has been conned by the Seller...

Hope it's not just so the discs stop having the game and it's just a converter like Halo infinite.

Pro consumer move!!!! Lets go

"To address such challenges with playing previous generation physical video game media on next generation digital video game devices"

Still waiting for bloody M$ to add more compatibity games to XSX. They take ages. Still waiting for Condemned 2 etc. Either way, they did say 'previous generation physical'.. that includes the 360.

So, last weeks fiasco confirms that online 'check-ins' are necessary to verify and run games and now proposing locking discs to an account into digital format?

Always online,
No used games,
No trading, locked to an account.

Yup, it's the 2013 DRM alright.

Dagnabbit! This would've saved me a lot of double dipping. But I guess patience would've done the same. C'est la vie.

I wonder if this will work for unlisted games like FEAR.

@Rural-Bandit I was joking. People who want the content on the disc would be mad if the disc turns just as a digiral activiation format and the disc does not have content at all. Like H. Infinite.

Looking at that diagram I'm leaning towards using the disc on a local network. So you could put a disc in your PC/Laptop and you would be able to play the digital version on a phone or console connected to the same network that doesn't have a disc drive. Seems like a good idea if it is possible.

Obviously this means you would need to use the disc everytime to play but would certainly help Series S owners who have a physical collection. Doesn't really "convert" to digital but still gives access

Maybe i'm the only one who wants the complete opposite of that idea. People have options to buy blank disc which can be used to store their digitally purchased games complete with all the latest patches and DLCs. You know, the ability to make your own physical copy of your digitally owned games. Security issues here and there but that's not my job to figure that out.

I could see this working if there was some kind of trade in centre. Maybe a retailer takes the games in and gives you codes for the games. Either that or sending them to Microsoft directly. I could be a good PR move from the point of view of removing plastic from the environment.

This seems like a very sneaky way to force all digital on everyone, I don't like this at all.

If it was tied to the old disc then wouldn't that mean people could be selling loads of discs that no longer work to stores flooding the used market with games that no longer work? That would make it a nightmare getting a hold of some games to begin with to be able to convert them to a digital format in that way.

A lot of people are suspicious, because this does sound an awful lot like Matrick's X1 launch plans. As long as they don't charge a fee for using an old disc, though, it doesn't have the same "let's end resale" effect. The fee was the whole crux of the original plan. If this is literally just a matter of insert disc, use the digital license, it's a thing that some of us dreamed about being the future of Switch, due to cartridges, but it never happened.

The main impetus here is certainly centered around the idea that Series S doesn't currently allow 360 owners that had physical libraries to take advantage of BC at all without rebuying everything, and this is a solution for that. The same solution Sony said they'd offer to PSP UMD owners for Vita that never happened, except that required a peripheral that was never manufactured.

Some folks, like @Ralizah have said they don't need a $500 Xbox but would love a Series S for their BC 360 library if it had a disc drive. This could solve that problem and make XSS viable.

We don't have license keys on console games. I suppose there is some unique identifier on each disc the system could read and record though. It's just a patent but there are more questions than answers right now.

Looking forward to the all digital future

@Rural-Bandit

I buy all games digital. I am just saying 30% of gamers won't be happy if their discs don't actually installs the game offline.

@Rural-Bandit Idk if most discs is a fact. It's still something that will bother people regardless.

@NEStalgia I really miss 2013 Sony.

The target audience is Xbox One/S owners that are on the fence about getting a Series S. I know a few and the inability to play their Xbox One discs is a considerable factor holding them back. This would deal with that concern.

@NEStalgia I'm 100% grabbing a Series S if they find a way to allow me to convert my physical 360 discs to digital downloads or something. Although, based on the description, I'm still a little foggy on how this would work if you don't already own a Series console with a disc drive.

@Ralizah I thought you'd be interested! It said something in the filing about "second device" so it's possible it could use the 360 or One, or maybe even PC to do it if this really became a thing.

@Grumblevolcano Me too! 2013 made you proud to be a PS fan. 2022 makes you exhale and accept that you're a Sony fan. To be fair, MS makes me proud to be an XB fan, but I'm always holding my breath waiting for the shoe to drop. Gaming since the 80s makes you realize cynicism is just a cynical name for realism

This is pretty much what I've asked for for years! Just allow the disc to have a floating license. Float it to cloud if you like, then bring it back to disc if you like.

This keeps both physical media people (which I VERY MUCH am) happy and the cloud people can have it to.

@themightyant I don't think this is about converting a physical disk into digital, as much as being able to insert that disk drive on a different xbox (lets say an XBox One X) and being able to then get, over your network, the digital license temporarily so you can play it on your Series S. The diagrams also show being able to communicate with computers, didn't see a link to the patent in question but I could imagine Xbox somehow having a windows service that lets you insert your game disk on a laptop and do the authentication that way too.

Honestly, if that's the way it will work, I would rather they just let me attach a USB Blu-ray drive to a Series S and use that for disk authentication.

@Richnj I have both 360 discs and XO discs that I really would like to trade in for digital. Just because I bought discs at a time when that made sense doesn’t mean I want to keep them in that format forever. You're making an assumption that everyone who has some physical discs want to keep them physical, but that is far from the truth. It’s not black or white either, many people have both digital and physical games.