Xbox confirms the disc-to-digital feature will launch for beta testers this month

Xbox has confirmed the existence of a rumored disc-to-digital function, and it will be released this month for Xbox Insiders.

Xbox announced the news via the Xbox Wire blog, where next-generation vice president Jason Ronald explained details on when users can expect the feature.

“Players have spent decades building their XBOX libraries. Some games were purchased on disc. Some were purchased digitally. Many span multiple generations of hardware. Our goal is to make it easier for those libraries to move forward with players,” Ronald writes.

“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. XBOX Insiders can begin testing next week on August 31,” he continues.

“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 feature will be supported by most Xbox One and Xbox Series X consoles with a disc drive, and players can claim their digital entitlement simply by launching the game. This allows players to play the game across Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

It’s not currently clear if a digital entitlement can be claimed twice using the same disc. Ronald simply writes, “Once the entitlement is claimed, you can experience the benefits of digital, including XBOX Play Anywhere and XBOX Cloud Gaming where supported, while your physical disc continues to work exactly as it always has.”

Not all titles will be supported when the feature launches, but the service will support “thousands of titles,” with more to be added over time.

The disc-to-digital feature was rumored in early July, and more information appeared in early August.