Microsoft Patent Could Allow Players to Access Physical Games on Xbox Series S

Some gamers prefer all-digital consoles like the Xbox Series S, but there are a lot of negatives, including an inability to play backwards compatible games. However, a patent discovered by Game Rant seems to show that Microsoft is working on a solution to that problem. The patent shows a method in which a user could insert a disc into an external disc drive, which would authenticate it, and then allow the game to be played on an Xbox Series S or Xbox One S. As Game Rant notes, this would likely offer a temporary authentication, as a permanent one would allow users to sell the game and still have access.

An image from the patent can be found below.

Readers should keep in mind that patents are often filed by video game companies for things that don’t come to fruition. Last year, PlayStation made headlines when it patented a design that would allow household items like bananas to be used in place of a controller. The fact that PlayStation 5 does not have banana controllers (yet), should give readers an idea how often these ideas end up falling through.

That said, it seems Xbox has been working on this concept for quite some time; journalist Brad Sams wrote about a “disc to digital” plan from Microsoftback in 2018. That alone makes this seem more likely, but the concept would also fit well with Xbox’s current market strategy. Over the last few years, the company has been emphasizing accessibility, making it easier for users to access their games and save data, no matter how they choose to play. Allowing users to play physical games on an Xbox Series S would fit well with a lot of the company’s other recent moves. It could also be beneficial for anyone that wants to snag a physical game that goes on discount from retailers like Best Buy or Amazon.

It’s impossible to say whether Microsoft will be able to implement this disc to digital concept, or how it might work in execution. However, it’s a forward thinking approach that could be beneficial to a lot of Xbox fans!

Are you an Xbox Series S owner? Is this the kind of thing you’d like to see?Let us know in the comments or share directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!

[H/T: Video Games Chronicle]