Playtest is in Preview. The Preview supports prerelease games on XBOX for PC and requires approved access. Capabilities and requirements might change before general availability (GA). To join the Preview, contact your XBOX representative. You can also request access from the Playtest landing page in Partner Center, located under Services in the product-level left navigation.
The vision for Playtest
Playtest is designed to make controlled game testing in retail a standard part of publishing instead of a separate distribution project. It gives studios a faster path from an in-development build to useful player testing while keeping access private and revocable. With Playtest, studios can:- Test builds with real players on retail hardware and against XBOX services in the retail environment.
- Control who can install and launch a build without publishing the main game or creating a separate Store product.
- Run multiple playtests for the same game, each with its own package, schedule, and audience.
- Update packages, dates, and audiences while preserving the playtest and its tester access.
- End a playtest and revoke access when the test is complete.
- Reduce the publishing work required to start a test while retaining necessary content protections.
Preview availability
The current Preview is intended for playtesting games before their commercial release. During Preview:- Playtest supports XBOX on PC. XBOX console support is planned for Fall 2026.
- Access is available to approved Partner Center accounts.
- Studios enroll known users through audience groups and share a deep link with eligible testers.
- Playtests are private, unmonetized, and undiscoverable in the Microsoft Store.
- Playtest supports audiences of up to 10,000 players.
- A playtest uses the associated game’s XBOX services configuration in the RETAIL sandbox.
Planned capabilities
The planned Playtest experience expands in three key areas:- XBOX console support: Create playtests for XBOX console packages in addition to PC packages. Console support is planned for Fall 2026.
- Redeemable-token enrollment: Let eligible players join a playtest group by redeeming a 5x5 token. Token enrollment is planned for GA.
- Library integration: Automatically show playtests in the Library for eligible players. Library integration is planned for Fall 2026.
How Playtest works
The Playtest workflow has four parts:- Create: Configure a playtest for a game in Partner Center, including its schedule, package, and audience.
- Publish: Publish the playtest independently of the main game’s Store listing and commercial release.
- Distribute and iterate: Share the playtest with eligible testers, then update the package or configuration as testing progresses.
- Shut down: End the playtest and revoke access when testing is complete.
Get started during Preview
To use Playtest during Preview:- Request access in Partner Center.
- Review the prerequisites for a playtest.
- Create and publish a playtest.
- Share the playtest with eligible testers.