Xbox’s disc-to-digital program can reportedly grant digital access to delisted games that are no longer available for purchase. Early testing shows that Activision’s Deadpool and Rock Band 4 work with the system, although compatibility is not universal.

 
Microsoft’s new disc-to-digital conversion program is already available to selected Xbox Insiders, and early reports suggest that it could become more important for game preservation than initially expected. After a supported physical disc is inserted, the system assigns a digital entitlement to the user’s Xbox account, allowing the game to run digitally on compatible hardware.

The most notable results involve games that have previously been removed from the store. Activision’s Deadpool and Harmonix’s 2015 rhythm title Rock Band 4 became digitally accessible to owners of the physical discs even though neither game can currently be purchased from the Xbox Store.

The solution is not universal, however, as one tester was unable to obtain a digital license for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. This suggests that publishing rights, compatibility and the backend records associated with individual releases can still limit which titles the program supports.

Xbox’s initiative arrives as the future of physical games and the meaning of digital ownership are becoming increasingly contentious. If Microsoft can support a broad selection of titles that are no longer sold, the feature could give the next Xbox generation a meaningful advantage while also helping preserve older games.

Source: Tech4Gamers