Xbox's extended outage starting Sunday evening blocked not just digital games but also disc-based games, revealing that physical media ownership is illusory on modern consoles.

When Sony announced discontinuing physical PlayStation discs, the reaction was muted because physical media isn't what it used to be. With an Analogue Pocket, 20-year-old Game Boy cartridges like Golden Sun work immediately without network authorization — true ownership.

Today's disc games are just licenses; Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo can prevent play even with physical copies. Discs merely install to hard drives with required updates. PC gaming has long been all-digital but offers better means to maintain access to owned games.