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XBOX PC Remote Iteration API

Provides functions for copying files, launching, resuming, and terminating games on remote Windows-based devices.

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Get started

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Overview

The XBOX PC Remote Iteration API enables PC-based development workflows that target remote Windows devices. It provides a set of C functions for transferring game files between a local PC and a remote device, launching and managing game processes on the remote device, and registering games for remote execution. The API is designed for tight iteration loops during game development, allowing developers to build locally and deploy and test on remote hardware without manual file management.

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When to use

• Deploying game builds from a local PC to a remote Windows device during development.
• Copying updated files (delta copy) to a remote device to minimize transfer times during iterative builds.
• Launching, suspending, resuming, and terminating game processes on a remote device from your development PC.
• Automating build-deploy-test workflows in continuous integration pipelines targeting remote Windows devices.
• Building or integrating into custom studio tooling for deployment to remote Windows devices locally or in test labs.

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When NOT to use

• Do not use this API for retail or production deployment of games to end-user consoles.
• Do not use this API to transfer files between two remote devices; one endpoint must be the local PC.
• Do not use this API if the remote device has not been paired and configured for remote development.

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Prerequisites

• NuGet Package: Microsoft.GDK.RemoteIterationClientApi version 0.1.0-preview.26.3.6001 or later.
• Device Pairing: The local PC and the remote device must be paired and mutually trusted by using the XBOX PC Toolbox app to provision them.
• wdEndpoint: wdEndpoint must be installed and running on the remote device. The XBOX PC Toolbox setup installs and configures wdEndpoint by default.
• Header and Library: Include WdRemoteIteration.h and link against wdremoteapi.lib.

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Sample

The Remote Iteration Tools Sample is a C# WPF application that demonstrates how to deploy, register, launch, resume, and terminate games on a remote device and cancel an in-progress deployment.

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Functions

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Structures

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Enumerations

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Callbacks

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Threading Model

The XBOX PC Remote Iteration API is designed for single-threaded copy operations. The following rules apply:

• One copy at a time. Only one WdRemoteCopy call may be active at any given time, regardless of target device or destination path. Calling WdRemoteCopy while another copy is already in progress results in undefined behavior.
• Other functions are safe during a copy. Functions such as WdLaunchRemoteGame, WdTerminateRemoteGame, WdResumeRemoteGame, and WdRegisterRemoteXboxGame can be called from separate threads while a copy is in progress.
• All functions are blocking. Every function in the API blocks the calling thread until the operation completes or fails. WdRemoteCopy in particular can block for an extended period depending on transfer size and network conditions.
• Cancellation is thread-safe. WdCancelRemoteCopy can be called from any thread. If multiple threads attempt to cancel the same operation simultaneously, the calls are serialized internally — the first succeeds and subsequent calls return an error because there is nothing left to cancel.
• No connection state between calls. Each API call establishes its own connection to the remote device. There is no persistent session — for example, if the connection drops after WdLaunchRemoteGame completes, you can still call WdTerminateRemoteGame once connectivity is restored.

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Retry Behavior

The XBOX PC Remote Iteration API does not automatically retry failed operations at the API level. If an operation fails due to a network interruption or other transient error, the caller is responsible for retrying.

• No automatic retry. If a copy operation fails (for example, due to loss of network connectivity), WdRemoteCopy returns an error. The caller must re-invoke the function to retry.
• No configurable timeout. WdRemoteCopy does not impose a timeout on the copy operation. It continues transferring until complete, an error occurs, or it is cancelled via WdCancelRemoteCopy. Under degraded network conditions, transfers may proceed very slowly rather than failing.
• Progress is preserved on failure. Files that were successfully copied before a failure remain on the destination. When the caller retries the copy, the delta copy behavior ensures that only incomplete or missing files are transferred — previously copied files are not re-transferred.
• Disk space errors are reported. If the destination device runs out of disk space during a copy, the operation fails with an error rather than hanging.
• Transport-level resilience. The underlying transport layer handles low-level packet retransmission transparently. Minor network glitches (such as a single dropped packet) do not cause the operation to fail. However, sustained connectivity loss will eventually cause an error.
• Recommended retry pattern. After a WdRemoteCopy failure, simply re-call WdRemoteCopy with the same parameters. Delta copy behavior minimizes redundant work by only transferring files that are missing or incomplete on the destination.

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Cancellation

The XBOX PC Remote Iteration API provides a handle-based cancellation model for long-running copy operations. The caller is responsible for the handle lifecycle:

1. Create a handle by calling WdCreateCancellationHandle.
2. Pass the handle to WdRemoteCopy via the cancellationHandle parameter.
3. From a separate thread, call WdCancelRemoteCopy with the handle to cancel the in-progress copy. WdCancelRemoteCopy is non-blocking. After cancellation is signaled, WdRemoteCopy completes the cancellation and returns S_OK.
4. After WdRemoteCopy returns, close the handle by calling WdCloseCancellationHandle.

If multiple components need to reference the same cancellation handle, use WdDuplicateCancellationHandle to duplicate it. Each copy must be closed independently.

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Common Roots

Common roots are pre-configured known locations on the remote device where games are typically copied to or launched from. Instead of specifying a full absolute path, callers can refer to these locations by alias using the commonRootAlias field in WdCopyOptions or WdLaunchOptions. If destinationPath is an absolute path, the commonRootAlias is ignored. When destinationPath is a relative path, it is resolved against the common root identified by the alias. If no alias is specified, the default common root location is used.

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Error codes

For a complete list of API-specific error codes, including descriptions, root causes, and troubleshooting guidance, see XBOX PC Remote Iteration API Error Codes.

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Versioning, Servicing, and Distribution

The Remote Iteration Tools (RIT) API follows Semantic Versioning 2.0.0 (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH) to provide clear expectations around compatibility, upgrades, and long-term support. All public RIT API libraries are distributed via NuGet, enabling standard dependency management and update workflows.

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Versioning Model

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PATCH Releases

PATCH updates deliver bug fixes and reliability improvements. These updates do not change API contracts or runtime behavior and are safe drop-in updates. Updating to a newer PATCH version does not require code changes.

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MINOR Releases

MINOR updates introduce new APIs or evolve existing functionality in a backward-compatible manner. When APIs are planned for future change or removal, they are clearly marked as deprecated, giving developers time to migrate. Dependency updates are reviewed to ensure compatibility within the same MAJOR version.

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MAJOR Releases

MAJOR updates represent intentional breaking changes. These releases may require code changes or dependency updates and are accompanied by clear migration guidance. Upgrading to a new MAJOR version is treated as an explicit, opt-in decision aligned with normal validation and release cycles.

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Servicing and Support Model

Once a MAJOR or MINOR version of the RIT API is publicly released, it enters an active servicing period with a target support window of approximately 18 months. During this time:

• PATCH releases are greenlit to fix bugs and improve reliability for supported versions.
• As new versions are released, and patches and minor changes improve existing versions and fix bugs, multiple MAJOR and MINOR versions may be serviced concurrently.
• PATCH releases do not extend the servicing lifetime of a MAJOR or MINOR version.
• New features are introduced only in newer MINOR or MAJOR releases and are not backported.

After the servicing window ends, the version is retired and developers are expected to migrate to a newer supported MAJOR or MINOR release.

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Upgrade Expectations

Developers are encouraged to stay current within a MAJOR version by adopting PATCH and MINOR updates. MAJOR version upgrades should be planned and validated explicitly to ensure compatibility with production workflows.

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API and wdEndpoint Version Compatibility

The RIT API client library and the wdEndpoint running on the remote device should always be kept at compatible versions. Using a newer API version with an older wdEndpoint may result in E_SERVERTOOOLD errors or unexpected behavior. To guarantee correct behavior, full backward compatibility, and support for the latest API features, it is recommended to update wdEndpoint on all remote devices whenever the API client library is updated. Refer to the NuGet package release notes for minimum wdEndpoint version requirements.

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Requirements

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Conceptual documentation

• XBOX PC Remote Tools release notes (March 2026)

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See also

• WdRemoteCopy
• WdCancelRemoteCopy
• WdCreateCancellationHandle
• WdLaunchRemoteGame
• WdRegisterRemoteXboxGame