This week’s announcement about Steam Machines didn’t get much attention for what’s actually one of Valve’s biggest advantages: its large and successful PC game store.
While the Steam Machine doesn’t seem as technically powerful as the PS5 or Xbox Series X, that’s not really the point. Its real advantage is the Steam store, which has a great system for developers and allows many incredibly popular indie games to launch there first – often before PlayStation and Xbox even have a chance to get them, or sometimes not at all.
A common complaint from game developers working with Xbox is how challenging it can be to get their games released on Microsoft platforms. Microsoft has listened to this feedback and is now implementing several changes to address these issues and make the process easier.
Today, Microsoft announced it’s publicly sharing its Xbox game publishing guidelines for the first time in over twenty years. The new Xbox Game Publishing Guide will give developers clear information about publishing on Xbox, without the need for non-disclosure agreements or embargoes that were previously required.
Microsoft is making it simpler for game developers of any size to publish on Xbox. As Ed Stewart explained, they’ve opened up their Game Publishing Documentation to remove obstacles and help teams understand the process. Now, both new and experienced developers can easily access, share, and use the guide throughout their game’s development.
Microsoft is making its Xbox and PC development documentation more accessible, so creators and developers can easily learn, plan, and research without complicated approval processes. This change is also expected to encourage more helpful content and tutorials on platforms like YouTube.
Microsoft has removed all confidentiality restrictions from its documentation. This allows anyone to create content explaining the requirements for publishing games, share it with their communities, or discuss it on the Microsoft Game Dev Discord server, which is linked in the blog post.
Microsoft is committed to continuously updating its official guides for anyone publishing games on Xbox. Recent changes cover topics like getting started, wishlists, pre-orders, setting up game releases, and how to use programs like Xbox Insider and Xbox Game Preview. They’ve also added information about new testing services.
Microsoft recently announced updates to its Game Development Kit (GDK) for Xbox, focusing on making game development more consistent between Xbox consoles and PCs. These improvements include better keyboard support and other features designed to unify the development experience. Microsoft is also continuing to promote Xbox Play Anywhere, which allows players to enjoy their games on both Xbox consoles and PCs. With the next generation of Xbox running a full version of Windows, the line between console and PC gaming is expected to blur even further.
As Microsoft shifts its gaming strategy to resemble Steam, it needs to simplify and speed up its game publishing process. The old, restrictive approach just won’t work anymore.
I recently interviewed Chris Charla, who leads the ID@Xbox program, about how Xbox handles game publishing. The full interview will be available soon, but Charla explained that they’re working to simplify the process for independent developers who want to release games on Xbox consoles and PCs. Microsoft has been listening to feedback and recognizes that it’s often been unnecessarily difficult for developers to get their games published.
Microsoft is investing in improvements that will make it simpler for developers to work with their technology, both from a technical and conceptual standpoint. They’re also planning to make games easier to find. Plus, developers who create games for the Xbox PC store will receive a significantly larger share of the revenue – up to 88%, compared to the traditional 70%.
Microsoft invites developers who want to publish games on Xbox PC or consoles to register for the ID@Xbox program here, and connect with the game development community on the MS Game Dev Discord server here.
The new Xbox Game Publishing Guide can be read in full over here.
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2025-11-14 07:39