Most companies use digital rights management (DRM) to protect the copyright of their digital media through technology that restricts the copying and selling of copyrighted works and software, and this prevents users from burning games to CDs for the purpose of sharing and selling, such as those used by game companies (including Microsoft) to authenticate game purchases.
Previously, one of the main problems with Xbox Series X consoles was Microsoft’s online digital rights management, which did not allow players to access games purchased following outages or other issues.
Users have also complained that Xbox One disc games cannot be accessed along with offline titles while offline, and Microsoft has now fixed this issue with a recent update that won’t force players to scan online or download from disc Xbox One.
Highlighting the offline gaming experience of Xbox users, Head of Engineering Eden Marie confirmed that users have recently started noticing a new change that was already included in Update 2206 released earlier this summer.
He said the company has verified the data since the launch of the X series | Consoles and S decided that there was no need for an online compatibility check “in the vast majority of Xbox One disc cases.” However, she added, some titles may need to be updated online following installation “to ensure the best experience”.
What is the cause of the problem?
This Xbox Series X console issue was related to Microsoft’s Smart Delivery system which did not allow users to install the game directly from disc when inserting different types of game discs (Xbox One / Xbox Series X) into the new console.
Instead, the new console was used to install an updated version of the game from the Internet even when Series X consoles were fully capable of playing most Xbox One titles directly from disc.
This means that users can now play many offline games like Xbox One or Xbox Series X.
However, the new consoles will not allow users to play original Xbox or Xbox 360 games without an update.
Xbox Offline Play: Exceptions
Xbox Series X consoles require users to create and sign in to an account to access games, so users must be online at least once while setting up the console. In addition, there are some games (known as “stubs”) like Forza Horizon 5 or Halo Infinite that do not include the full version of the game, so users will also need to be connected to the Internet to download the latest game versions, expansion packs, and more.