Microsoft’s new Disc-to-Digital system for Xbox has drawn considerable attention since launching. Owners of supported games can link their physical discs to a digital license and unlock extras like cloud gaming or Xbox Play Anywhere without rendering the disc worthless. However, initial tests reveal a significant limitation: Many titles from major publishers such as Ubisoft and Square Enix do not yet participate in the program.
The feature is still in testing with Xbox Insider members, and Microsoft warned at launch that not every title would qualify. The scale of those gaps is now apparent for some publishers.
Ubisoft Games Currently Deny Digital Licenses
Several users have run the feature on their physical Xbox collections and encountered the same message for Ubisoft titles: “A digital license is not available. This game is not currently participating in the digital licensing program.”
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Titles tested included Far Cry 4, Far Cry 5, Assassin’s Creed Unity, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Immortals Fenyx Rising, and Watch Dogs Legion. The disc itself still works normally; the problem blocks only the new digital entitlement.
Square Enix is also currently absent.
Similar issues have been reported with Square Enix titles. Users have encountered problems with Just Cause 3, Just Cause 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, among others. The same message appears, stating that each game does not participate in digital licensing.
This suggests that the issue is not limited to a few titles but affects a significant portion of these publishers’ catalogs.
No official opt-out has been confirmed.
However, neither Ubisoft nor Square Enix has officially announced a permanent opt-out, and Microsoft has not published a definitive list of supporting or rejecting publishers.
Therefore, it’s premature to claim that Ubisoft and Square Enix have permanently withdrawn from the program. The current tests merely confirm that many titles from both companies are not yet receiving digital licenses. That situation could persist or change during the testing phase, and Microsoft has already promised to expand the list of supported games.
Sega and Bandai Namco Are Also Missing from Many Tests
Ubisoft and Square Enix are not the only major names affected. Xbox users also report that many Sega and Bandai Namco titles currently do not work with the feature, and individual games from other publishers are unavailable as well. However, conversion works smoothly for numerous other games.
Microsoft states that a large portion of Xbox One and Xbox Series games are supported, and the exact number changes regularly during the ongoing testing phase.
How Xbox Disc to Digital Works
The process is straightforward. Players insert a supported physical Xbox One or Xbox Series X disc into their console and then obtain a digital license for that game. The physical disc remains essential.
If the disc is later sold or given away, the digital license does not stay with the original owner. Microsoft aims to prevent a single disc from creating unlimited digital copies. At the same time, physical owners can access features usually reserved for digital versions, such as Xbox Play Anywhere or Xbox Cloud Gaming, where supported.
Older games in particular benefit from this feature
The feature is already exciting for titles no longer sold digitally. Early tests show users can activate physical copies of games long removed from the Microsoft Store. As a result, Disc to Digital could help preserve older games over time.
That means an old disc would no longer be tethered to a working drive. Publisher support is therefore crucial: if large portions of the libraries from Ubisoft, Square Enix, Sega, or Bandai Namco are missing, the system’s value for collectors will be significantly limited.
This is particularly interesting in light of the current disc debate
This development arrives at a remarkable time. While Sony is moving more toward digital distribution in the long term, Microsoft is currently trying to integrate physical games more closely with its digital infrastructure. Here at PlayStationInfo, we’ve been covering this development for months.
Microsoft’s approach looks customer-friendly, but it depends on publishers actually making their games available. That is the biggest weakness so far. The program is still in its infancy and remains in testing, so Ubisoft, Square Enix, and others may join later.
For now, buyers of physical Xbox games should expect that not every title can be converted to a digital license. Source: https://insider-gaming.com/ubisoft-square-enix-opt-out-of-xbox-disc-to-digital-program/ Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
