A new disc-to-digital attestation program has long been rumored to be launching around the time of the next-gen Xbox Helix game console, but, confirming the most recent leaks, Xbox's Jason Ronald, VP of Next Generation, has announced the launch of the disc-to-digital program in a new post on Xbox Wire.

The digital license attestation program will be available for "most Xbox One and Xbox Series X disc-based games," and it will allow players to claim a digital entitlement by inserting a supported disc into the Xbox One or Series X and launching the game. After that, the game will be playable on the console as well as via Xbox Play Anywhere and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Xbox claims that this new program is part of its "broader commitment to game preservation," and the program basically serves as a test run for the Helix console, which is expected to launch with full backwards compatibility, despite not having a physical disc drive.The Xbox digital entitlement program will be available for Xbox Insiders starting on August 31, although the list of games that support the feature has not been confirmed yet. The fine print in the announcement also stipulates that the entitlement program grants players "one revokable license per game disc," and that the disc itself will remain playable. It's unclear how this new program will interact with the second-hand game market.

Today we are introducing a feature that brings the benefits of digital to physical discs, giving players more flexibility in how they access and play supported games across the XBOX ecosystem. XBOX Insiders can begin testing next week on August 31.

This is part of our broader commitment to game preservation. As technology, devices, and distribution continue to evolve, preserving access to the games people own matters more than ever.