Install the GDK toolchain

Set up your dev PC, install the toolchain, and download the GDK. Complete the steps in order. Later steps depend on earlier ones.

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Step 1: Confirm dev PC requirements

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Operating system

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Hardware

• A fast, modern x64 PC with 30 GB free for the GDK install.
• For XBOX-targeted development, use an NVMe SSD (with heatsink), a 10 GbE NIC on the dev PC, a 10 GbE switch with Cat 6a cables (dev PC and dev kit on the same subnet), and a Thunderbolt 3-capable motherboard.
• 4K or UHD, HDR-capable displays to validate display features.

Validated 10 GbE hardware reference

• Netgear XS708T 8-port switch
• AQuantia Aqtion AQN-107 PCIe 10GBase-T adapter
• Intel Ethernet Converged Network Adapter X540-T1
• Samsung SSD 970 EVO NVMe M.2 1 TB
• Category 6a Ethernet cables

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Step 2: Install the Windows SDK

GDK titles are Win32 based, so the Windows SDK is core to the developer experience. It provides Direct3D, XAudio, PIX for Windows APIs, core OS services, the WINAPI_FAMILY_GAMES partition, xgameplatform.lib, the unified GameInput API, and Process Lifecycle Management (PLM). Minimum required version: Windows SDK 22000 or later (Windows 11 SDK). Install it standalone or as an optional Visual Studio Installer component.

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Step 3: Install Visual Studio

Use Visual Studio 2022 or Visual Studio 2026 with the C++ workload.

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Step 4: Download and install the GDK

1. Download the GDK, and optionally Game Core for XBOX, from the XBOX GDK download page. This requires ID@XBOX access.
2. Run the installer as Administrator.
3. Accept the license terms.
4. Select the GDK, and optionally the Game Core for XBOX components.
5. Wait for the installer to complete, then reboot if prompted.

After install, open Visual Studio and confirm that the Gaming.Desktop.x64 and Gaming.XBOX.Scarlett.x64 platforms appear in the Configuration Manager.

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What ships in the GDK

• Gaming Runtime: MSIXVC packaging, TCUI, Connected Storage, async blocks, device association, user, TTS, accessibility, and Screen Time.
• Gaming Cloud Services: XSAPI, XAL, multiplayer networking, PlayFab, and Store with in-app purchase.
• Gaming device extensions: DirectX 12.x, Audio.x, PIX.x, XMemAlloc, and other console-specific memory APIs.

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PC and XBOX tools

PC games: Iterate, test, and debug locally with standard Visual Studio tooling and PIX for Windows. Optionally, configure VS Remote Tools to reproduce issues on a lab PC. XBOX games: Iterate remotely on XBOX Series X|S consoles or XBOX One family console dev kits using PIX for XBOX, the xb* command-line tools, XBOX Manager, Dev Home, and the XBOX Device Portal (XDP).

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Microsoft Symbol Servers

Enable Microsoft Symbol Servers to get Gaming Runtime symbols. In Visual Studio, go to Debug > Options > Symbols and select Microsoft Symbol Servers. See the Microsoft public symbol server docs.

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Build Without Install (BWOI)

BWOI lets your build servers consume the GDK without running the installer. This is critical for CI and locked-down build environments. Extract the GDK setup payload to a known directory, point your build environment variables at it, and build with msbuild or your toolchain.

• BWOI doesn’t install the Visual Studio VSIX integration.
• Some tools need a one-time extraction step, such as XBTC and makepkg payloads.
• Per-developer dev kits and PIX still install normally on workstations.

Use BWOI to run GDK builds in containerized CI.

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Remote Windows game development

Use the remote game-dev tools to deploy and debug to a remote Windows PC over the dev network. This helps with multi-PC dev pipelines — for example, an artist on Windows 10, a build on Server 2019, and a target on a separate test PC. Hyper-V or VMware work for ephemeral test images.

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Next steps

Confirm your install works by opening a shipped sample in Visual Studio.