Xbox One: No fee for used game license transfers

Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox One will support the purchase and sale of used games, and that there'll be no fee to transfer games licenses to another Xbox One owner.

Zoom

The platform holder addressed the controversial topic of its second-hand Xbox One game policies today, seeking to clear up widespread confusion over the console's treatment of the used games market.

The firm says it won't charge a fee for gamers passing game discs on to friends, but does add that "third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers".

License transfers are also subject to limitations: "You can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once," explains Microsoft.

Here's the relevant text from Microsoft:

Today, some gamers choose to sell their old disc-based games back for cash and credit. We designed Xbox One so game publishers can enable you to trade in your games at participating retailers. Microsoft does not charge a platform fee to retailers, publishers, or consumers for enabling transfer of these games.

Xbox One is designed so game publishers can enable you to give your disc-based games to your friends. There are no fees charged as part of these transfers. There are two requirements: you can only give them to people who have been on your friends list for at least 30 days and each game can only be given once.

In our role as a game publisher, Microsoft Studios will enable you to give your games to friends or trade in your Xbox One games at participating retailers. Third party publishers may opt in or out of supporting game resale and may set up business terms or transfer fees with retailers. Microsoft does not receive any compensation as part of this. In addition, third party publishers can enable you to give games to friends. Loaning or renting games won't be available at launch, but we are exploring the possibilities with our partners.

The platform holder has also today detailed the ability for Xbox One owners to access digital versions of their entire games library online from any Xbox One console - "no disc required", and for those games to be shared with up to 10 family members.