Xbox reportedly testing disc-to-digital conversion for physical game libraries

Microsoft is reportedly testing a disc-to-digital conversion program that would let Xbox owners digitize their physical game collections, according to a report from The Verge. Specifics are thin. No official announcement has been made, and the details of how such a system would work, which console generations it would cover, and what kind of DRM would tether the new digital licences haven’t been outlined.

The idea of turning a shelf of discs into a legitimate digital library with one click sounds like a preservationist’s dream on the surface, but it also reads as a stepping stone toward a disc-free future. A well-executed conversion tool could soften the blow of an eventual all-digital Xbox, but a half-hearted one would merely replace physical ownership with a locked-down digital locker. More will become clear if and when Microsoft decides to go on the record.