Xbox online DRM has been one of the biggest issues with Xbox Series X consoles, as outages and other issues have left gamers with no access to purchased games. Another big complaint is that Xbox One cross-platform disc games have been inaccessible offline, even with games that don’t require a connection. Now a new update means you will no longer be forced to perform an internet check or download from an Xbox One disc, Engineering Lead Eden Marie confirmed in a tweet.
Users only started noticing the change recently, but it has been in place since the 2206 update earlier this summer, Marie said. “We examined data since the launch of Series X|S and determined that online compatibility verification is not required in the vast majority of cases for Xbox One discs. Some games may still need to be updated online after the facility to ensure the best experience,” he said. additional.
Yes, this is true as of update 2206. We examined data since the launch of Series X|S and determined that online compatibility verification is not required in the vast majority of cases for Xbox One drives. Some games may still need to be updated online after installation to ensure the best experience.
— Eden Marie (@neonepiphany) September 19, 2022
What was the problem before? The problem essentially revolved around Microsoft’s Smart Delivery system. Previously, when you inserted various types of Xbox One/Xbox Series X game discs into a new generation console, it did not install the game directly from the disc, but instead installed an updated version via the Internet. This, despite the fact that Series X consoles are perfectly capable of playing most Xbox One games out of the box (the main exception being Kinect Games).
What this means is that you can now play many games offline that are branded “Xbox One”, “Xbox One/Xbox Series X”, “Xbox Series X/Xbox One”, and “Xbox Series X”. However, you can’t play original Xbox or Xbox 360 games without updates, as the data is “not directly usable,” according to Eden. (Most of this doesn’t apply to the Xbox Series S, of course, because it doesn’t have a disc drive.)
There are some other exceptions as well. For example, some disc games known as “stubs”, such as force horizon 5 either infinite halo, they do not contain the full version of the game, so you will need a connection for them. You will also need the Internet to download the latest versions of games, along with expansion packs, etc. And Series X consoles require an account, so you’ll need to be online at least once to set it up. Still, the update is a good step and means you’ll be able to play a lot more games in the not-so-rare event that Microsoft’s servers go down.
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