How to Play DVD on Xbox Series S Without a Disc Drive

Xbox Series S is the fourth generation of consoles in the Xbox Series. It was released in 2020 by Microsoft. As a solid and budget-friendly game console, the Xbox Series S is all digital and 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X. The cost is the loss of some features, such as the optical drive. This article tells you whether you can use a disc drive on the Xbox Series S and how to play DVDs on your game console.

Can You Add a Disc Drive for Xbox Series S

The answer to the title is no. You may find that Microsoft does not provide any disc support. Plus, there is no sign of releasing a disc drive-supported Series S. The main reasons why the Xbox Series S does not have a disc drive or support external disc drives include:

1. Keep Xbox Series S digital-only.

2. External disc readers are disabled on Xbox Series S. In fact, you cannot find the port for disc drives on the Xbox Series S.

3. The Xbox Series S offers affordable pricing, starting at $299. If a DVD drive is included, the price will be higher.

Can Xbox Series X Play DVDs? What’s the Step?

Xbox One can play DVDs. One of the key selling points for Series X is its disc drive. The Xbox Series X can play game discs as well as movie DVDs, Blu-ray Discs, and Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs. The new all-digital Xbox Series X will support Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, eliminating the optical drive in favor of 2TB of internal storage, which will allow for more games, videos, and other content.

How to play DVDs on Xbox Series X

Step 1When you first insert the DVD, Xbox Series X will prompt you to download the Blu-ray Player app from its app store.

Step 2Insert the Xbox Series X face up with the disc in the horizontal position. To ensure insertion in a vertical position, insert from the side.

Step 3You can play DVDs on the Xbox Series X in this way. These are a few of the commonly used control buttons.

• Play/Pause: X button
• Return to previous chapter: left shoulder button
• Forward one chapter: right bumper
• Fast forward: right trigger
• Rewind: left trigger
• Access on-screen controls: button B

Here are some other notes for you to play DVDs:

• Xbox Series X can play Blu-rays and DVDs sold in the same region as the Xbox console.
• Game discs for Xbox consoles are not region coded.
• Xbox Series X can play movie discs with no DVD region coding or coded for all regions.

How to Rip DVDs on Xbox Series S Freely with HandBrake

HandBrake is an open-source DVD ripper. That makes it an excellent free option for ripping movie DVDs to play on Xbox Series S without a disc drive. However, it cannot handle commercial DVDs. You need to install libdvdcss too. With specific library, you can even rip Blu-ray to Xbox Series S.

Step 1Download libdvdcss to your hard disk and copy the .dll file to the HandBrake program folder. By default, it is "C: Program FilesHandbrake" on PCs. For macOS, install libdvdcss with Homebrew.

Step 2Insert the DVD you want to view on Xbox Series S into your computer. Open HandBrake, click "Open Source", and choose your DVD drive.

Step 3Go to the "Summary" tab and choose "MP4" or "MKV" from the "Format" option.

Step 4Pull down the "Presets" option, go to "General", and select a suitable preset for Xbox Series S that supports 4K.

Step 5If you want to adjust video codec, resolution, and more, head to the "Video" tabs.

Step 6Click the "Browse" button and select a folder location to save the output. Finally, click the "Start Encode" button at the top of the ribbon to begin ripping DVDs for playback on the Xbox Series S, which does not have a disc drive.

How to Rip DVDs for Xbox Series S Without Quality Loss

HandBrake can be a bit complicated for the average person. 4Easysoft DVD Ripper is another option for ripping DVDs to play on Xbox Series S without a disc drive. More importantly, it integrates professional-level features in a way that allows everyone to learn quickly. Plus, the output quality is excellent.

Step 1Launch the best DVD-ripping software once you have installed it on your computer. It is compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7, as well as Mac OS X 10.12 and later.

Step 2Put the desired DVD into your DVD drive. Then go to the "Load DVD" menu, choose "Load DVD Disc", and select your DVD drive. By default, the main movie will be loaded. If you want to play specific titles on Xbox Series S, click the "Full Title List" button and select them.

Step 3Click the "Rip All to" menu at the upper right corner to open the profile dialog. Switch to the "Device" tab, select "Xbox" on the left side, and choose "Xbox Series S" or a relevant preset.

Step 4Locate the bottom area, click the "Folder" button, and set an output folder in the "Save to" field. When you are ready, click on the "Rip All" button to begin ripping the DVD for playing on Xbox Series S without a disc drive.

FAQs of Xbox Series S Disc Drive

• Is Xbox getting rid of the disc drive?

  The fourth generation of Xbox includes two models, Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X. The former does not support any disc drives, whether internal or external. Moreover, the Xbox Series X ditches the disc drive in October 2024.

• Do I have to buy my disc games again for Xbox Series S?

  Yes, the Series S is a digital-only model. If you have disc-based games and buy a Series S, you will need to re-purchase all the games through the Microsoft Store.

• Can the Xbox Series S play Blu-ray?

  No, the Xbox Series S does not have a disc drive. It cannot play any optical discs, including DVDs and Blu-ray discs. The only way to watch Blu-ray movies is by converting the discs to digital videos.

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