Playnite game library manager

Xbox announced that the disc-to-digital feature lands for Xbox Insiders on August 31, 2026, and everyone else shortly after. That means a Series X owner can finally point a camera at a spine, confirm the licence, and see the game appear in their digital library. What the Xbox app does not do yet is bridge the collection you already own on shelves to a proper catalogue, track resale value, or handle non-Xbox discs. The seven apps below fill in that gap while the feature rolls out.

What to look for in a game collection app

Quick comparison

App Best for Platforms Free plan Starting price Notes
Playnite Unifying digital libraries under one launcher Windows Yes Free Open source
GameSave Manager Backing up saves before insert-and-digitize Windows Yes Free Windows only
LaunchBox Cataloguing plus emulator front end Windows, Android Yes (Basic) $50 (Premium lifetime) Premium unlocks BigBox
TrueAchievements Xbox achievements plus wishlist tracking Web, Android Yes Free Xbox-first ecosystem
Xbox app for PC The disc-to-digital confirmation flow Windows Yes Free First-party
Barcode Scanner (Xbox) Mobile scanning of physical shelves Android, iOS Yes Free Xbox app integration
GameEye Tracking prices and library value Windows, Web Yes $2.99/mo (Pro) Data on Amazon, eBay

1. Playnite, best for a single library across every store

Playnite is the launcher a PC gamer with a Steam-plus-Epic-plus-Xbox-plus-GOG library eventually installs. It scans every account, imports every game, then presents one grid you can sort by playtime, last played, or install size. The Xbox integration reads both Xbox Live titles and PC Game Pass, which is exactly the state a disc-to-digital collection lands in once the feature rolls out. Playnite’s metadata plugin fills in cover art, screenshots, and even ROM tags for third-party additions.

Where it falls short: Windows only. macOS and Linux users are stuck with Lutris, which is a different shape.

Pricing: Free, MIT license.

Platforms: Windows.

Download: Playnite | GitHub

Bottom line: The first thing to install once your Xbox discs join the digital half.

2. GameSave Manager, best for backing up saves before you move on

GameSave Manager does one thing and does it right: back up every save file on a Windows machine, from a Steam cloud drop-out to a local Xbox app save. Before turning in a disc for digital, running a backup means the sixty-hour campaign you never finished survives the transfer even if the digital licence attaches with a fresh save slot.

Where it falls short: Cloud sync features are basic. Restoring to a fresh Windows install is straightforward for the well-known games, less so for indies.

Pricing: Free.

Platforms: Windows.

Download: GameSave Manager

Bottom line: Run it once before any migration. Twice if you care about the saves.

3. LaunchBox, best for cataloguing physical shelves with polish

LaunchBox is the game-cataloguing app that treats a shelf like a real library. Import barcodes from a phone scanner, pull metadata from the LaunchBox Games Database, and end with a searchable catalogue that lists every disc, cartridge, and download you have ever owned across every platform. BigBox turns the same catalogue into a 10-foot arcade UI on a TV.

Where it falls short: The free tier is generous but Premium is where the polish lives. BigBox mode also requires Premium.

Pricing: Free Basic tier. Premium is a $50 lifetime license including all updates.

Platforms: Windows. LaunchBox for Android is separate and lighter.

Download: LaunchBox

Bottom line: The pick for a household where the game shelf is part of the decor.

4. TrueAchievements, best for Xbox-first collectors

TrueAchievements is the community around Xbox achievement tracking. A collection view lists every game you have ever played on an Xbox account, and the wishlist and want-to-play features double as a catalogue of what a physical shelf holds. When disc-to-digital arrives, TrueAchievements is the easiest way to confirm that the digital licence is attached, since it reads your Xbox Live library directly.

Where it falls short: Non-Xbox platforms are barely represented.

Pricing: Free. TrueAchievements Pro is $19.99 per year and removes ads.

Platforms: Web, Android, iOS.

Download: TrueAchievements | Aptoide

Bottom line: The Xbox-native catalogue that already knows what you own digitally.

5. Xbox app for PC, the disc-to-digital confirmation flow

The Xbox app for PC is the front-of-house of the new feature. Insiders point a webcam at the disc, the app reads the licence, verifies against the Xbox Live library, and the digital version appears. On PC that means the game is playable without the disc from the same account. The app is also where cloud saves live once a physical library has moved.

Where it falls short: The disc-to-digital rollout is Insider-only until later in 2026 for the wider audience, and it needs a compatible camera.

Pricing: Free.

Platforms: Windows 11.

Download: Xbox app

Bottom line: The official half of the migration. Nothing else does what it does.

6. Barcode Scanner (Xbox), best for scanning a shelf from a phone

The Barcode Scanner in the Xbox mobile app got quietly upgraded this year, and it now scans a physical game case and flags whether the digital licence is on your account. That is enough to walk a shelf, mark what to keep and what to move to the digital catalogue, in an afternoon.

Where it falls short: Recognition breaks on damaged spines or third-party sleeves. Older 360-era spines sometimes need a manual title entry.

Pricing: Free.

Platforms: Android, iOS.

Download: Aptoide | Google Play

Bottom line: The camera side of the shelf-to-catalogue workflow.

7. GameEye, best for tracking what the collection is worth

GameEye tracks real prices on Amazon, eBay, and specialty marketplaces for every game in your catalogue. Adding a disc records the current used-market range, and price alerts fire when a title drops below a target. For a shelf that overlaps with a digital library, GameEye is what tells you which discs are worth trading in and which are worth holding onto.

Where it falls short: The pricing data leans US-heavy. UK and EU pricing is patchy on smaller titles.

Pricing: Free with ads. Pro is $2.99 per month or $19.99 per year for unlimited alerts and history.

Platforms: Windows, Web.

Download: GameEye

Bottom line: The financial half of a collection catalogue.

How to pick the right stack

Start with Playnite. Whatever else you use, one grid across every store is the base every collection app should build on.

Add TrueAchievements next if the collection is Xbox-heavy. It already knows the digital half.

The Xbox app for PC is not optional once disc-to-digital rolls out. Use it for the actual conversion.

Barcode Scanner walks the shelf. LaunchBox is where you park the metadata if you want a real library.

GameSave Manager runs the night before the migration. GameEye is for after, when the question is what to keep and what to sell.

FAQ

When does Xbox disc-to-digital roll out?

Xbox announced the feature for Insiders on August 31, 2026, with a broader rollout later in the year.

Do these apps work with PlayStation and Nintendo discs too?

Playnite and LaunchBox catalogue every platform. TrueAchievements and Xbox-specific tools are Xbox only.

Is there a free way to catalogue a game collection?

Playnite, GameSave Manager, and the LaunchBox Basic tier cover most collections without paying.

Can I catalogue by scanning barcodes with my phone?

Yes. The Xbox mobile app scanner and LaunchBox for Android both handle UPC scanning. LaunchBox syncs with the desktop database.

What happens to my Xbox cloud saves if I move to the digital version?

Saves attach to the Xbox Live account, not the disc. Once the digital licence appears, the same saves are already there.