Occasionally, you might find yourself in a situation where you are trying to play a game on Xbox Game Pass, and it throws up an error message. It will say something to the effect of "If you have a game disc, insert it now", along with displaying the error code 0x803F8001.
Considering the huge number of games available on Game Pass, Xbox locking you out of a seemingly infinite library of titles can be pretty frustrating. With the likes of Outriders, MLB The Show 21 and, as of June 3, For Honoravailable, seeing this error might make you want to switch over to PS Now (although the PlayStation 5 also has its issues).
But why does it happen, what does it mean, and what can you do about it?
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Well, as ever, we are here with some answers.
What is Xbox Game Pass error 0x803F8001?
This Xbox Game Pass error reveals itself when your Xbox thinks you are playing a game that you don't own.
If you own the physical disc of the game, then you can insert the disc, sign in to Xbox Live, and verify you own the game. If you don't own the game, then you'll need to buy it via Microsoft Store.
But what can we do if we've been playing the game via Game Pass, rather than through a physical copy?
Here's what you need to do.
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How to fix Game Pass "You need to insert this disc" error
Microsoft havs added an explainer about this here.
Essentially, the issue you are facing is that the game has likely been removed from the Xbox Game Pass service. Given the various deals Microsoft makes with publishers, many games are only available on Game Pass for a limited time. Titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 have been removed in the past. In June 2021, Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, Night Call, West of Dead, Wizard of Legend and Observation will all leave the service.
If a game has been removed from the service, then it is no longer available for you to play, unless you purchase a physical copy. Luckily for those who want to keep playing these titles, Microsoft often offers discounts on games removed from Game Pass.
You can check the Game Pass game library to see what's currently available here.
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