Major Publishers Block Games From Xbox Disc-to-Digital

Xbox's newly launched disc-to-digital program allows players to obtain digital licenses for their physical Xbox One and Series X|S games, but a significant portion of the library remains incompatible due to decisions by four major publishers.

The program, which began rolling out last week, has already revealed which studios are choosing not to participate. Since Microsoft has not published an official compatibility list, the gaming community created XCT.live, a crowdsourced database where users can report whether their physical games support the conversion feature. After eight days of testing, the database shows that 1,408 of 1,869 games tested are compatible—but notable absences have emerged.

Ubisoft was the first publisher confirmed to have zero games supporting disc-to-digital conversion. Sega, Square Enix, and Bandai Namco have followed suit, with none of their titles currently offering the feature. This exclusion removes a substantial portion of the Xbox catalog from the past two console generations. Notable games unable to convert include Sonic x Shadow Generations, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Elden Ring, which Bandai Namco publishes outside Japan.

When players attempt to claim a digital license for a Ubisoft game, they encounter a message stating the title is "not participating in digital licensing," though the game remains playable with the disc inserted. The four publishers have not publicly explained their decisions, leaving the community to speculate about their reasoning.

One theory suggests that Ubisoft's involvement with its own digital storefront complicates matters. Some Ubisoft games purchased through Xbox grant licenses on the Ubisoft store directly, a benefit that does not extend to Game Pass versions. However, observers question whether this distinction is substantial enough to justify opting out of disc-to-digital entirely.

Sega's absence is particularly surprising given recent statements from the company's leadership. Just weeks before this program launched, Sega's president indicated the studio would continue releasing physical games even as PlayStation phases out disc production. The decision to exclude Sega titles from a feature that supports physical media ownership appears contradictory to that commitment.

As more players gain access to the disc-to-digital feature and additional games are tested, pressure for official explanations from these publishers will likely intensify. Technical challenges or overlapping business plans could account for their non-participation, but without public statements, speculation continues. The program's early popularity suggests that consumer demand for answers will only grow stronger.