However, it was around this time that Xbox decided to add serial numbers to each Xbox One disc (and subsequently Xbox Series X discs) that would act as a unique identifier. The only exception was for certain discs produced during the first 6-12 months of the Xbox One era, but pretty much everything else since then has had the identifier.
It's therefore seemingly not a feature that PlayStation can just copy on their side:
"Microsoft’s decision to essentially embed a serial number on the discs that Xbox consoles can read has allowed it to launch disc-to-digital, a method that lets you turn a physical Xbox One disc into a digital copy simply by slotting it into a disc drive. A decision made 15 years ago has resulted in this useful feature and may well lead to true digital ownership in the coming years.
"It’s not something Sony can copy, either. Unless the PlayStation maker has been quietly adding metadata to its discs over the years, it will have to find another method to help PS5 owners move their physical collections over to the digital era."
Xbox Disc to Digital has its own restrictions, of course — we've seen how the likes of SEGA and Square Enix aren't supporting it yet, although Ubisoft did recently get added to the program during the testing period.
The Verge is also of the belief (like many others) that Microsoft will "follow Sony and eventually scrap Xbox discs", partly due to supply chain issues with making physical games. The outlet points out that Xbox still has a big investment in game preservation though, including the recent addition of Xbox backwards compatibility on PC.
Whatever happens next, Xbox Disc to Digital is going to be an extremely useful feature for the time being. Here's hoping the Project Helix era doesn't do away with discs entirely, but it may be inevitable with the way things are going.
by 