Microsoft Investigates Xbox Outage Affecting Disc Game Access

Microsoft is looking into issues where its Xbox consoles prevented players from accessing physical disc-based games during a recent service interruption. The problem also affected offline play and raised concerns about true game ownership within Xbox's licensing system.

In a statement to The Verge, Xbox technology chief Scott Van Vliet confirmed that while physical discs are subject to licensing checks, these should not have prevented games from working during the outage or when consoles are offline. This contradicts the experience reported by some users.

Van Vliet stated that Microsoft is examining the specific reports of players being unable to access their disc games as expected during the service interruption. He emphasized that disc-based entitlement checks are not intended to block players from accessing their games.

The incident highlights the ongoing discussion around digital licensing versus physical media ownership. Microsoft is working to ensure players can access their games as intended, regardless of service status.