Core platform
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| GDK | XBOX Game Development Kit. The umbrella SDK that contains the GRDK and GXDK. |
| GRDK | Gaming Runtime Development Kit. Headers, libs, and tools for developing GDK titles for PC and XBOX that use Gaming Runtime features (MSIXVC, Connected Storage, etc.). |
| GXDK | Gaming eXtensions Development Kit. The XBOX-only piece of the GDK, including D3D12.x, xb* remote management tools, and Visual Studio integration. |
| Gaming Runtime | The set of components that implement modern cross-device games on Microsoft platforms (MSIXVC, Installation Management, Connected Storage, Store Commerce, Accessibility, Game Invites, TCUI). |
| Game OS | The minimal, fast, secure OS that runs GDK games on XBOX consoles. |
| WINAPI_FAMILY_GAMES | The Win32 API partition that represents the subset of Win32 APIs supported by the GDK. Required on XBOX consoles. |
| xgameplatform.lib | The umbrella import library that defines entry points for all WINAPI_FAMILY_GAMES APIs. |
| XGameRuntime | The GDK runtime library you initialize with XGameRuntimeInitialize. Required on XBOX consoles. |
Packaging and deployment
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| MSIXVC | The packaging format used by GDK titles on both PC and XBOX consoles. Required for Microsoft Store submission. |
| MicrosoftGame.config | The required configuration file (formerly MicrosoftGameConfig.mgc) that declares your title’s identity, executables, capabilities, and Gaming Runtime features. |
| makepkg | The command-line tool that creates MSIXVC packages. |
| wdapp | The command-line tool that deploys and tests MSIXVC packages on a PC. |
| Intelligent Delivery | The Gaming Runtime feature that lets a game download only the chunks needed for the current configuration (language, region, optional content). |
| Streaming Install | The feature that lets a game start running while package content is still being downloaded. |
Identity and accounts
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Partner Center | The Microsoft developer portal where you set up your organization, register titles, configure XBOX services, and submit games. |
| Microsoft Entra ID | Identity service (formerly Azure AD) used to manage members of your organization in Partner Center. |
| TitleId | XBOX-assigned identifier for your title. Set in MicrosoftGame.config. |
| MSAAppId | Microsoft Account App ID, used by XBOX services to identify the title. |
| Sandbox | An isolated XBOX services environment used for development and testing. Switch sandboxes with XblPCSandbox.exe. |
| Test account | A sandboxed XBOX account used to validate XBOX services functionality before publishing to the RETAIL sandbox. |
| XUID | XBOX User Identifier. |
Services
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| XSAPI | XBOX Services API. A flat C API surface for XBOX services. |
| XAL | XBOX Authentication Library. |
| Connected Storage / Game Saves | Cloud-backed game save storage exposed through XGameSave. |
| TCUI | Title-Callable UI. Standardized system UI shown on behalf of the game through XGameUI. |
| PlayFab | Microsoft’s LiveOps backend for analytics, economy, multiplayer, and leaderboards. |
Tools and debugging
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| PIX for Windows / PIX for XBOX | The official GPU and CPU profiler and debugger. |
xb* tools | Remote-management command-line tools for XBOX dev kits, such as xbconnect, xbcopy, and xbrun. |
| XBOX Manager | Desktop app for managing your dev kits. |
| XDP | XBOX Device Portal. Web-based dev kit management. |
| xbWatson | Crash dump capture and analysis tool. |
| Trace Analyzer | Tool for analyzing XBOX services and Gaming Runtime traces. |