Xbox DRM debacle locks out games if you aren’t online

Now, this story is a bit old now but I still want to cover it. Namely, because I’ve been ragging a lot on PlayStation lately, and I like to be equal opportunity when it comes to pointing out BS. It would seem that Microsoft’s always-on DRM, that got such a negative reception when the Xbox One was announced way back in 2013, is rearing its ugly head.

The issue crops up when you’re not connected to Xbox Live, and not able to periodically authenticate your games. As Modern Vintage Gamer points out, it’s well known that you do have to be connected in order to play physical OG Xbox and Xbox 360 games. This is because the discs only act as a license, where as all the game data plus the emulator is downloaded off Microsoft servers. Native Xbox Series X/S games meanwhile don’t need to be authenticated. However, things are a bit different from Xbox One titles.

When inserting the disc into a Series X console, whole disconnected from Xbox Live, the game will still install just fine. However, if you try to launch it, the OS will throw up a “game not ready” error. This is because all Xbox One games need a one time authentication whenever they’re installed. The same issue also applies for “Smart Delivery” titles, as most of those discs contain only the Xbox One version, presumably with the Series X/S versions requiring a separate download. So those need to be authenticated as well. Digital purchases also seem to be affected. In order to play digital purchases offline, the console needs to be set as the “Home Console” in the settings menu. But unfortunately, this doesn’t seem to apply to all digital titles. Seemingly with no rhyme or reason. D

This is actually quite a bit worse that the PlayStation C-BOMB issue that cropped up a few months back. While that problem is something to worry about down the road, some Xbox games could be rendered unplayable now if you are unable to connect online. Which means internet outages or even Xbox Live going down. It’s worth noting that the PS5 has no such requirement for physical PS4 games. For the most part, you can just put them in and go, regardless of whether the console is connected to PSN or not. Digital downloads also don’t require a constant connection, only periodic re-authentication. Which is normal for PC games purchased via services like Steam as well. Of course the Switch doesn’t require an online connection at all, given that it’s a portable system and not guaranteed WiFi access.

So it seems this is just a repeat of the Xbox One debacle. Except this time Microsoft decided not to tell consumers. Circling back to the issue I talked about a year ago when it comes to the video games industry, and consumers’ inability to trust them due to underhanded moves like this. This is something Microsoft really needs to fix, otherwise I cannot recommend the Series X/S at this point.

Lastly, I want to touch on the blurring lines between physical and digital releases. This initially started once consoles originally went fully online some 15 years ago. Back when publishers stopped putting all the content on a disc, and started requiring patches to be downloaded. That’s when this issue with long term preservation really started, as in many cases, what’s on the disc is an inferior version. And if the servers get shut off, future retro gamers are stuck with it.

Nowadays, with the exception of the Switch, physical media has become little more than a glorified YubiKey. What with the additional authentication required, on top of multi-gigabyte patches before you can even start playing. Just like digital copies, there’s now no longer a guarantee that well cared for physical discs will continue to work years down the road. So if this is the case, and all games now have built in expiry dates, maybe it’s time to drop prices to reflect that. He laughed, because it’s something the industry would never do. While I don’t condone software piracy, this is why I don’t feel bad for the industry when their stuff gets pirated. They’re really begging for it at this point with these BS policies.