Microsoft Tests Xbox Disc-to-Digital Feature

Microsoft is testing "Positron," a disc-to-digital feature for Xbox consoles, as Sony plans to phase out physical media by 2028.

Microsoft is reportedly testing a disc-to-digital initiative codenamed Positron, allowing users to convert physical media into digital entitlements. References to "enable Disc2Digital" in the Xbox PC app suggest the feature works with select Xbox Series X and Xbox One titles, though Xbox 360 and original Xbox games are excluded. Inserting a compatible disc grants a digital license tied to a Microsoft account, enabling streaming via Xbox Cloud Gaming for Game Pass subscribers. Users lose this entitlement if the physical disc is sold or given away. This move follows Sony's plan to phase out PlayStation discs by 2028. Microsoft's next-generation console, Project Helix, is also in development, though the company has not yet decided if the hardware will include a disc drive or be an all-digital system.