Disc-based games could be converted to digital downloads by Microsoft.
For a fraction of the price, you get a smaller version of Microsoft’s most popular console. Additionally, the device lacks the ability to play CDs. If a new patent is granted, it may be possible to buy your games in stores other than online.
Microsoft has applied for a patent that would allow individuals to authenticate the ownership of a physical game, according to GameRant. Players would then be able to download a digital copy of the game. Series S owners would be able to purchase and play physical games if this was implemented on current-generation consoles.
According to the patent, this drive may be able to address a specific issue with backwards compatibility. The Xbox Series X doesn’t have the same problem as the Series S when it comes to importing physical games to the system. Series S owners would be able to play all of their old games digitally without having to buy them again.
Theoretically, Xbox Series X owners may also benefit from such a setup. Instead of a digital licence, players may profit from possessing a physical disc, but they wouldn’t have to swap it out every time they wanted to play a new game.
There are a few things we don’t yet know. In my mind, I’m most concerned about what kind of fine print this process may require. No, it’s not a one-time transaction. For example, when you verify a disc and make a digital duplicate, does the digital copy belong to you forever?
Let’s say you need to eliminate certain games to make room on the 512GB SSD, which is a very possible possibility. In order to download the converted titles again, will I have to re-enter my verification information? In the event that someone decides to get rid of their old CDs, they’ll need to know this.
If a disc can be validated more than once, buying pre-owned discs could become a perilous endeavour. We need to know this as well. In the run-up to the launch of the Xbox One in 2013, Microsoft announced plans to crack down on the pre-owned game market.
In order to allow players to play their games without a disc, the Xbox One’s system was built to allow gamers to exchange and sell their games without having to use Microsoft-approved channels. As a result of a massive backlash from gamers and PlayStation, these plans were swiftly abandoned. Though that pushback took place nine years ago, it’s unlikely that player sentiments have altered all that much in that time.
No word yet on whether you’d need to purchase a separate disc drive for usage with this system or if any Xbox console capable of reading a disc could be used instead. Discs from all four Xbox generations can be read by an Xbox One, after all.
Personally, I think this is a good idea as long as Microsoft does a good job of implementing it. I still prefer to buy games on disc since it gives me more control over where and how much I pay for them. But replacing out discs can be a chore, and the opportunity to convert them to digital titles is tempting.
Regardless of how you obtained the games, they all take up the same amount of space on the SSD. However, the physical copy should not be harmed in the process of the conversion. Trying to do it again would just tarnish the goodwill Microsoft has built up over the past few years.
However, this conversation is merely hypothetical at this time. Although Microsoft has filed a patent application, that doesn’t mean that the company will release a new disc-to-digital conversion technology. For the time being, we’ll simply have to wait and see what happens.