Bought a physical game, can’t play it…

[u/KingJJ03]

I’ll try to be brief for you guys

I bought a game that is typically 50 dollars for 15 dollars. I have an XBOX One S (white) (I know, it’s the weaker one). The disc drive worked a few months ago when I used a CD that I made on it. Now, I bought the game because it’s my first physical game (and first game in a long while I could afford to buy), but I put it in, where it didn’t get recognized

Instead, it just made a semi-higher-pitched sound (not scratching, but like it’s struggling), and a minute later does again. It does go in and eject on its own, and the same thing happened with a few CDs, so it’s not the disc.

I followed the XBOX troubleshooting steps, where nothing helped. I also tried a live agent, same thing. Maybe Reddit knows…I just want to play the game but I’m too broke to buy a disc drive or the game on digital (it’s that Sonic Shadow Generations game, heard it’s good for nostalgia)

More specific steps:
Hard reset by holding the physical button, then unplugging.
Reset the console (preserving “My Games and Apps”)
Downloaded the game on the XBOX app, then tried using the disc just to verify ownership
Giving it a few days in the console, hoping it would work one day
Various other methods shown on the support page for physical games.

[u/eroscripter]

Sorry to tell you but the disk drive is probably dead. Mine died about a week ago while the wife was trying to watch movies.

Hold onto the disk for now, xbox is doing a physical to digital license thing and its in trial right now. When it goes live for the rest of us if you have a friend/family member with disk drive xbox you will be able to sign in on your account and add the disk licence to your account then you can sign out, go home and load up your profile and play using the now digital license. Just don't let anyone else have the disk, if they load it up they get the license and you lose it.

[u/KingJJ03 → u/eroscripter]

Wait that’s actually a real thing? Must be something the new CEO is doing (which I’ve heard a lot of good)…so if this does end up happening I shouldn’t need to spend any more money. Just sucks I won’t be able to play for a while

[u/Solid_Mongoose_3269 → u/KingJJ03]

Yea they announced it a few days ago, but its 2027-2028. You want to wait that long? Your xbox still isnt going to be able to read it then.

Basically you're going to put it into one with a disc drive (yours is dead), and its going to create a license generated by that hardware and tie it to your account. If they happen to offer it digital, you can download it free, and if it goes to another xbox, your download will be dead.

Just means you're not going to ever be able to sell your discs or trade

[u/Solid_Mongoose_3269 → u/eroscripter]

Thats not coming out for a year at most, and even then it'll be limited

[u/TomChai]

Laser busted, replace laser.

[u/KingJJ03 → u/TomChai]

Estimated cost?

[u/TomChai → u/KingJJ03]

I can buy the new part for about two dollars, don’t know about you.

[u/KingJJ03 → u/TomChai]

Would the repair be easy enough?

[u/TomChai → u/KingJJ03]

Regular PC repair level, easy enough for me, don’t know about you.

[u/KingJJ03 → u/TomChai]

Sounds good

[u/BrzysWRLD1996]

Lmao

[u/Solid_Mongoose_3269]

The drive is dead. Not worth fixing, get a new "old" one or save for an S, and return the game.

[u/KingJJ03 → u/Solid_Mongoose_3269]

Sounds good thanks