Two More Xbox First-Party Games Are Getting 'Code In A Box' Physical Releases In 2025

What's the point in even releasing a physical edition if its just a code in a box so stupid.

Oh wow, even with Ninja Gaiden 4. That hurts.
Of course, Microsoft doesn't like us disc buyers. I can also not use the Rog Ally XBox if 80% of my games are not playable on it.
I'm really curious, what the new Xbox will look like.

Ugh. So this started with Switch games cuz fitting a game on a cart is expensive. I hated it then, but I think that I can appreciate it more in hindsight

Disks are like 7¢ right? I don’t even mind if you have to install MOST of the game.
But the code in box is just scumbag stuff. I think resell-ability is important to me as a consumer

I think this is a good idea for Series S owners.
There are bargains to be had with a physical editions but Series S owners are currently excluded from.
Also if this is the future, it will mean that collectors editions will be more relevant to Series S owners also.

@ScalenePowers code in a box started with pc like 15-20 years ago though.

This is unacceptable, why even bother at this point, we rapidly devolved from full games on disc to 80mb on disc to now the very worst option, selling a code in a box.

I don't know how we, the users, have allowed the industry to end up being this crappy

@Friendly that makes sense!! I’ve always been a console person so I missed this!

Microsoft is getting out of the physical release game people time to accept it me thinks ✌️

@themightyant Don't you have to download the game from the disc to the hard drive anyways to play the game?

It does seem pointless to even bother with a Physical release with 'Digital' codes/licence. The point of Physical these days is to give the Gamer a 'Licence' they can sell if they choose to. They obviously prefer to have that option as the Game code itself doesn't actually run from disc and must be installed on your SSD regardless of whether its 'delivered' by Physical or Cloud based methods.

If people wanted a 'Digital' licence that was locked to their account so that they could sign in on ANY Xbox/PC platform and play their games regardless of whether they have a Physical media player built in, they'd buy it Digitally. The fact that if you can't get online to download the game in the future, you can't go online to download updates/patches either. Its not like the OLD days when the game on Cartridge was 'complete' (as complete as its going to be) and ran from the Cart (or even discs when they replaced Carts). However, since the PS4/XB1 era over a decade ago, games have required Downloading and installation to your internal storage so its just a delivery system and the ONLY difference is the type of Licence.

Therefore it makes no sense selling a 'Digital' Licence when People want a Physical Licence so that they have the option to sell.

I won't pay over $50 for a game - no game is worth that to be amongst the first to play. I can wait until its $20 or less, wait for it to release on a sub service etc whilst playing games in my backlog or on Game Pass. I am not that desperate for something 'new' to play when I have hundreds (if not thousands) of games I can play and that's not counting all the games I could buy in sales under $20 so I could buy 4+ games for the price.

@Nic-Noc20th-C did you lose your mind?
People who bought the Series S knew from the beginning, what they are not getting. Series S is the trash version of this generation, so Microsoft can sell more subscriptions.
Why should Series X users with a disc drive be fooled?

Fast forward 12 months and I wouldn't be surprised if GTA VI is the last physical game I purchase. By then most releases will be digital-only, such is the rapid decline of the physical market (in the UK at least).

I would love if Rockstar does this with GTA VI just to see people's reactions and how much they stand by their ideals. 🤣

@themightyant Alright I didn't know it was quicker off a disc✌️

@Nintendo4Sonic The series s is a decent machine for it's price it's far from trash most games run perfectly fine on it just on lower resolution and sometimes fps!

@Ricky-Spanish yeah games on 480p and 30fps. "but I can use Game Pass on it👍🏼"

@themightyant I do get your point. But there are situations, where the Series S slows down the Series X.
And that's where I don't like it, that they even released it. The should have done the same like Sony: Disc drive or no disc drive.

@Nintendo4Sonic No that's not true most are at 1080p my friend ✌️

@Ricky-Spanish yeah, technically easy games, like Indie games.

@Nintendo4Sonic No proper games mate I own both series s and x
Only properly demanding games are below 1080p Alan wake 2 is over 900p on series s and that's demanding on all systems!
For it's price the series s is great!

@Ricky-Spanish resolution isn't all as you should know. A lot of games on Series S have heavily reduced details.
Why do you have both?

@Nintendo4Sonic Bought the series s first then upgraded eventually to the series x and my daughter uses that in here room but still hogs my series x on the big screen 🤷 kids! Ha

@Rangers420
I agree, but I'll go further why release any game discs anymore? Many games are much larger than the discs they are printed on and so you are not gaining any advantage of picking it up physically. I have been all digital since the Xbox One

They will not be getting my money then.

Seriously? For such an iconic game as Ninja Gaiden 4?

I’m really pissed.

@Ricky-Spanish ah I see

@Sindayl yeah, really annoying

What’s that beautiful saying floating around out there, ‘If buying a digital license isn’t ownership, piracy isn’t stealing’? Looks like unless they decide to put out a physical copy (with the entire game on disc) for the PlayStation crowd, then I’ll be wearing an eye patch while I play Ninja Gaiden 4.

@ZuneTattooGuy You can trade the disc in or lend them to friends you can't do that with a code in a box it just seems pointless to release what is essentially a digital copy with a box.

What's the point of these "physical" releases?
It's just a waste of plastic...

@Rangers420 I think trading in games and letting friends borrow games is cute. But I'm a grown man and haven't traded in a game or needed to in decades. Also the discs will be worthless once the servers are turned off for the different games

Microsoft / Xbox always came across like the kind of company to do this. They act all nice and in it for the players with gamepass but as many have suspected have ulterior motives, like who put code in a first party physical. No one that’s who’s except Xbox.

Gamepass all the way on these two game peeps, dont boycott just get your moneys worth and bolt. Also be aware Xbox will be clamping down and back on gamepass soon their moving to the next stage of the plan lads…

@ZuneTattooGuy It’s true in some cases but the claim is really overstated. Plenty of games still ship with a complete playable version on the disc. I usually play a few hours unpatched just to check what’s actually included on disc (it often only contains the Xbox One and Xbox One X versions though).

They cater to the PlayStation crowd with physical versions but not their own console user base.
Shows you where their mind is really.

I'm sorry. Like for real here.

If there is just a code then in no way shape or form should any game be $80.

NO digital game - NONE - should EVER cost more than a physical edition of the game. EVER!

@Sindayl
The game has to be less than 100 gb to fit on the disc. Many games are well beyond 100 gb anymore

@Friendly "code in a box started with pc like 15-20 years ago though"

But was it a cheaper price by $20 - $30 for doing so?

@GuyinPA75
No digital game costs more than a physical game day one

@Nintendo4Sonic Better watch trashing the useless, pointless, under powered, sad excuse, that is probably even less powerful than Nintendo Switch 2.

There are some diehard Series S fanboys in the fourms. Guess they appreciate having the worst experience in gaming today.

Pretty much they are choosing the equivalent scenario of driving a Honda civic when extra $100 could got them a Camaro or a vett.

@ZuneTattooGuy If digital is same price as physical game. Then, yes, it does cost more. Especially when factor in you own nothing. NOTHING. Just a license that could go away for any reason, at any time.

All digital games should be $20 - $30 cheaper than physical.

@Nintendo4Sonic @themightyant I'm going to call malarkey on this.

Developers MAJORITY of the time develop with the lowest common denominator in mind. Thus hindering progress and development when factor in lower benchmarks.

Therefore, the Series S is ABSOLUTELY holding the Series X back.

@Ricky-Spanish Not trying give you hard time since do like discussing on here with you.

But the fact you upgraded really says a lot you know. : )

@ZuneTattooGuy "Many games are much larger than the discs they are printed on"

Good point. I've never, ever, seen a game released on more than one disc. Never once in history of gaming have any developer ever done that.

@GuyinPA75 not that i remember, no. It’s more that there was no other option.

@GuyinPA75
I think the most recent game I recall was Baulders Gate 3 but I hadn't seen many before or after that

@GuyinPA75
No, digital can charge full price because they often go on sale but they also provide a unqiue service that physical games can't. Not having to change out discs, or worry about discs scratching and becoming unusable, or disc rot occuring.

Also stores like Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and Gamestop won't allow digital games to cost $20-30 less than physical games because it would cause digital games to take over physical sales even more than they already do. This is most likely one of the last generations of having disc drives in consoles

@GuyinPA75 It says I'm a strong independent woman!!
A fighter a idol a poster boy for world peace!!

@GuyinPA75 you're on point with me.

@Nintendo4Sonic @Ricky-Spanish The series s is a grand machine you both would see that if you spent some time playing on the machine instead of blind hate and criticism of a product you both clearly have no clue about considering what you both are saying about the machine it's clear you have never used one!

@Ricky-Spanish it's ok if you like it. But I don't want a way powerless model. I love my Series X.

@ZuneTattooGuy hence why many games are being released on 2 discs now

@Nintendo4Sonic So do I love my series x too but no point in saying things about the series s console that are clearly untrue just to prove a point or whatever

@Sindayl
Name me a game other than Baulders Gate 3 that has been released on two discs recently

Metaphor Refantazio, Tekken 8, Mortal Kombat 1, Avatar, Tales of Arise, The Crew Motorfest… and those are just the ones I bought lately.

@GuyinPA75 Weather we agree on things or not we are always good buddy everyone has different opinions ✌️👍

@Gabrie Because people have no self control, or can’t see the wood for the trees.

@ZuneTattooGuy You must have not been gaming very long. Right off the top of my head thinking back as far as I can in a moment, the first games that I thought of that were multi-disk were Fear Effect and the Final Fantasy games on PlayStation 1. Those were four discs each I believe. There have been so many multi-disc releases it's not even funny. That's what I don't understand about new games. Why aren't they just including multiple discs like they used to? I think I even had some Sega CD and 3DO games that were multi disc.

@ZuneTattooGuy Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. 🫵

@ZYDIO
Only been gaming since 1986, I was talking about recent double disc games.

@TapeLoader Incorrect, most games are in a completely broken and unfinished state on the disc nowadays. They require a download to function properly. Or the discs only include a very small portion of the game and the rest needs to be downloaded. I was also in my head thinking about Nintendo switch 2 key cards, and in that case makes my statement completely true.

@ZuneTattooGuy Gaming since 1982 here. Odyssey 2 and Atari 2600. I did reread your post and saw that you said recently. They need to bring back multi-disc games as standard.

@Sindayl
Thank you for that great list of multi disc games. My only follow up question what happens when Warner Brothers shuts off servers to mk1 will the disc will work or do they have a DRM that will no longer work? Or Ubisoft with Avatar? A trend that studios are doing with single player games, digital or disc, is mandatory Internet connections for single player games

@ZuneTattooGuy Avatar and The (s)Crew MF are notorious examples of Ubisoft craps.

For Avatar, a first patch is mandatory before being able to play offline. The Crew is an online game so you’re obviously screwed once the servers shut down.

The other games on that list work fine offline without day one patch, except for a few modes that require an internet connection like in MK1.

Not surprised with the increased push for play anywhere. Now it makes more sense to buy digital to get the console and pc version as well.

@Nintendo4Sonic 80% lol do research before you spout nonsense. A good source is Destin on youtube who has actually tested it.

@cornholio005 I think you linked the wrong person. I don't know what you're referring to.

Your Rog Ally x comment about 80% of your games not playable.Im assuming you meant xbox games