- The XR reference — the intent, requirement statement, scope, and applicability of the XR.
- The FMA guidance — what to do when your title fails that XR in cert, with common failure modes and fix guidance.
How XRs are structured
Every XR has the same shape:How XRs are tested
The Microsoft test team runs applicable XRs against your submission in the cert sandbox. Some XRs have a single test case; others have a suite of cases covering different code paths. A single failing test case within an XR produces a Test Failure Bug (TFB) in the FMA; an XR with multiple failing test cases produces multiple TFBs against the same XR. See Cert terminology for the full vocabulary.Applicability
Not every XR applies to every submission. Applicability is determined by:- Platform — console (XBOX Series X, Series S, XBOX One) vs PC vs mobile. Many XRs have both a console and a PC variant with different acceptance criteria.
- Feature declarations — XRs on multiplayer only test if your title declares multiplayer support in Partner Center; XRs on UGC only test if you declare UGC.
- Product type — Full retail title vs Game Preview vs Beta. Preview / Beta uses a reduced set — see Beta & Game Preview cert.
- Submission type — Final Cert exercises the full applicable set; recert / content update runs a subset targeted at the delta.
Complete XR reference
Each XR below links to a detailed reference page that mirrors the source policy text. Current source version: Console 16.3 (July 1, 2026) / PC 6.0 (November 1, 2025). See XR change history for what changed.Base requirements
Online safety and privacy
Content packages, updates, and purchases
User profiles
Achievements
Multiplayer sessions
Betas and game previews
PC-specific XR variants
PC and mobile submissions add PC-specific XRs and PC variants of console XRs:- XR-007 (PC) — Cross-network data usage on the PC surface.
- Basic DRM and license checks — validates PC Store license flows.
- Mismatched Store account handling — detects Windows Store account vs XBOX account divergence.
- Sandbox switching correctness — validates PC sandbox switcher behavior.
- Windows install / uninstall hygiene — no orphaned state after uninstall.
Change history
XRs evolve. Do not rely on a cached copy of an XR you saw six months ago — the acceptance criteria may have tightened. Before every submission:- Check XR change history for changes since your last cert cycle.
- Confirm your build was compiled against a GDK release that supports the current XR set.
- Verify PC-variant XRs if you’re shipping cross-platform.