Microsoft has clarified that while Xbox disc-based games are subject to 'entitlement checks', this should not have prevented players from accessing their offline titles during a recent service interruption. The issue reportedly stemmed from an external licensing service and is being addressed in an upcoming update.

The outage, which lasted almost a day, impacted both physical and digital game play, as well as console login functions and app launches on the Xbox platform. According to Scott Van Vliet, CEO of Xbox technology, the problem was due to 'saved entitlements' not being correctly used during the service disruption.

Xbox is currently testing a feature that will allow users to create digital copies from their physical game discs by 2028, when all new PlayStation games will be released as digital only. This move has raised concerns about the future of physical gaming media and its compatibility with Microsoft’s licensing system.

Game discs for Xbox One and Series S/X consoles include encrypted files containing licenses that should allow offline use according to Microsoft's own documentation, suggesting that the recent issues may have been temporary glitches rather than fundamental problems. Nonetheless, these incidents highlight ongoing tensions between digital and physical media in gaming culture.