A new audit from preservation group DoesItPlay reveals that only half of tested Xbox Series X game discs can be played fully without an internet download, casting doubt on physical media’s reliability. The findings come amid growing concerns about game preservation and follow a major Xbox Live outage that locked some users out of their disc-based games. With 78 titles tested, just 50% worked as intended offline, while the rest required additional downloads or were missing key features.
The Audit: Half of Tested Discs Come Up Short
According to the report shared by PC Gamer, DoesItPlay tested 78 physical Xbox Series X releases. The group categorizes games into three tiers: fully playable offline without any download, beatable but compromised (buggy or missing central content), and unplayable without a download. For the Series X, 50% fell into the first category—meaning only 39 of the 78 games could be enjoyed entirely from disc without an internet connection. The remaining 50% either demanded a download (38% of total) or were so buggy or incomplete that they couldn’t be considered a proper offline experience (12%).
That’s a stark contrast to Sony’s PlayStation 5, where 66% of 792 tested discs worked completely offline. Nintendo’s Switch 2 fared even better at 75%, though from a much smaller sample of 48 titles. The disparity in sample sizes for Xbox means the 50% figure isn’t set in stone, but DoesItPlay’s database provides a useful warning. Even with a larger pool, the trend on Xbox is clearly toward dependencies that undercut the very purpose of buying a physical game.
One of the worst offenders is Forza Motorsport on Series X. The disc contains game data, but you can’t even launch it without first pulling an update. And even after updating, major modes and progression systems remain locked behind an online connection. It’s a prime example of a disc serving as little more than a plastic key.
What This Means for Xbox Players
If you’re a home user who buys physical games to save bandwidth, resell later, or simply own a permanent copy, this news is discouraging. You might assume that inserting a disc means you’re good to go—but that’s no longer safe. With half the tested games needing a download, you could end up burning through your data cap or waiting hours just to play a game you already own. And if Xbox Live has an outage—like the one on July 27, 2026—you might be locked out entirely.
That outage, which Microsoft acknowledged prevented some disc-based games from launching, was a wake-up call. The company said it was caused by consoles failing to use saved entitlement checks correctly, and a fix is on the way. But the incident underscored how fragile the physical ownership model has become. Even if your disc contains the full game, a server hiccup can still render it useless temporarily. Combine that with games that require a download from the start, and the risks multiply.
For collectors and preservationists, the implications are more dire. A disc that needs a server to complete its installation becomes a brick once those servers go offline—whether that’s years from now or due to a publisher’s decision. This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about whether the games we buy today will be playable for our kids or for historical research. DoesItPlay’s work is part of a broader movement to document which games are truly safe, and its findings for Xbox are a red flag.
How We Got Here: The Slow Erosion of the Offline Disc
The idea that a physical game should work offline isn’t new—it used to be the standard. But the shift to mandatory online updates has been gradual. When the Xbox One launched in 2013, Microsoft faced backlash over its always-online policies and restrictions on used games. The company eventually walked back those plans, but the underlying infrastructure set the stage for discs becoming less self-contained.
With the Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft initially required an online compatibility check for backward-compatible Xbox One discs. In September 2022, the company removed that requirement for most titles after a system update, allowing more games to be installed and played fully offline. Ars Technica reported at the time that this change addressed a key complaint: that offline play was unnecessarily blocked for older games that didn’t need any network functionality.
But that fix only helped backward-compatible games that were complete on disc. It couldn’t solve problems introduced by newer titles and features like Smart Delivery. Smart Delivery ensures players get the best version of a game for their console, but it also means the disc might only contain the Xbox One build, requiring a download to unlock the Series X|S version. Many cross-generation games ship with just enough data to act as a license key, relying on the network for the actual next-gen assets.
Publishers have also normalized day-one patches that fix major bugs or add the final content. In some cases, the disc is simply a gold master that wouldn’t pass certification without the patch. Forza Motorsport is an extreme case, but plenty of other games have significant day-one updates that weigh tens of gigabytes. If you’re offline, you may be stuck with a broken or inferior version.
The July 2026 outage exposed another layer: even when a disc is complete, the console’s license verification can fail. Microsoft’s entitlement system is supposed to allow offline access if you’ve already installed and launched the game once online, but the outage proved that safety net can break. A disc that should work suddenly doesn’t—and there’s no way to know when or why until it happens.
What You Can Do to Protect Your Library
The situation isn’t hopeless, but it demands vigilance. Here are practical steps for different types of players:
For everyday gamers:
- Before buying a physical Xbox game, check DoesItPlay’s website. Search for the exact title and region (ESRB for North America, for example) to see if it’s marked “Playable Offline” or if it requires downloads.
- If you have a data cap, avoid titles that require massive downloads. Look for games verified as “beatable” or “complete on disc.”
- When you first insert a game, try installing it offline to see what you actually get. You might be surprised.
- If you care about long-term access, consider buying a game digitally after you’ve verified it works offline—that way you have a backup, but note that digital licenses carry their own risks.
For collectors and preservationists:
- Prioritize games that DoesItPlay rates as fully playable offline. Even then, keep in mind that later reprints or regional variants might cut content to save on disc costs.
- Document your library’s offline status. Maintain a list of games you’ve personally verified.
- Support organizations like DoesItPlay by contributing test results if you can.
- If you buy a game that requires a download, make sure to download all updates and content while servers are still active, and back up everything to an external drive. That won’t help you reinstall on a new console without online, but it can preserve your current playable state.
For Microsoft and publishers:
- Pressure them to improve offline support. The 2022 update was a step in the right direction, but it’s not enough. Microsoft should require certification that a disc-based game can be launched and played in a reasonable state without any download.
- Support legislation or standards that mandate labeling on game boxes indicating whether an internet connection is required for installation or core features.
Outlook: The Uncertain Future of Physical Games
The physical disc is clearly in decline. Sony is reportedly ending production of game discs in 2028, and Microsoft has already released a digital-only Xbox Series X. The industry’s push toward cloud gaming and subscription services suggests that future consoles may not include disc drives at all.
But for now, millions of players still buy physical games—whether for collection, resale, or the assurance of ownership. The DoesItPlay audit is a wake-up call that that assurance is eroding. It’s not enough to simply buy the disc; you have to research whether it’s a complete product or just a voucher.
In the short term, expect more heated discussions every time an Xbox Live outage occurs, and more scrutiny on games that ship broken on disc. Preservationists will continue cataloging the medium, and their work will only become more vital as the digital-only future looms. For the average user, the best defense is information—and right now, it’s clear that not all Xbox discs are created equal. Check before you check out.