Pre-submission checklist for Xbox console games, based on the official Xbox Requirements for Console Games (XRs) v16.1 — May 2026. Steps are sourced directly from the Microsoft GDK certification requirements page. Requirements marked ★ are actively tested in certification. Work through every section before submitting to Microsoft.
Microsoft GDK — Xbox Certification Requirements v16.1 (May 2026)Base Requirements
XR-001 ★ · Title Stability
Title must start promptly, remain responsive to user input, and shut down gracefully. Must handle exceptions raised by managed or native system APIs and remain responsive after the exception is handled.
Title starts without crash or hang on cold launch
~3m
Title remains responsive during at least 30 minutes of normal gameplay
~30m
Title shuts down / exits gracefully — no unexpected closures
~3m
Exceptions from system APIs handled without freezing or crashing
~5m
XR-003 ★ · Title Quality for Submission
Title must be fully functional, testable, and free from severe issues. Packaged cleanly with no Submission Validator failures.
Submission Validator run on final package — zero failures, logs saved for submission
~10m
All game modes and scenarios fully functional (no dead-end menus, inaccessible content)
~15m
No crashes, freezes, or unplayable frame rates during main gameplay
~15m
Game settings, options, and controls applied correctly; default settings respected
~5m
Multiplayer functionality stable regardless of player count
~10m
Existing save games continue to function after content updates — no permanent data loss
~10m
XR-130 ★ · Xbox Console Families and Generations
Games must support the entire family of devices for the targeted generation. Smart Delivery titles must work in compatibility mode on Xbox Series X|S.
Title runs correctly on all devices in the targeted generation (Xbox One family or Xbox Series X|S family)
~15m
All navigation achievable via gamepad — no mouse/keyboard-only flows (unless additional peripherals approved)
~10m
Save games work across console types within the same generation
~10m
Online players not segmented by console type within the same generation
~5m
Same game modes available across all console types in the generation
~5m
If same TitleID spans generations: save game roaming works between Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
~10m
XR-006 · Title Assets and Metadata
Store metadata and assets must be localised, accurate, and comply with Microsoft Store policy 10.1.
All store metadata localised for every region / language the title ships in
~5m
Title name, icon, and description accurately reflect features and limitations
~5m
Keywords: no more than 7 unique terms, all relevant to the title
~3m
Title does not use a name or icon similar to another app without permission
~3m
XR-022 ★ · Official Naming Standards
Xbox console and Xbox network features must use the official terminology from the Xbox Terminology List.
All references to console hardware use terms from the current Xbox Terminology List
~5m
No unofficial names for buttons, components, or Xbox network features in shipped UI
~5m
XR-074 ★ · Loss of Connectivity to Xbox and Partner Services
Title must gracefully handle Xbox and partner service connectivity errors without crashing or hanging.
Simulated Xbox network disconnect mid-session: title shows appropriate message, does not crash
~5m
Retry logic for Xbox service calls honours Xbox retry policies (no aggressive hammering)
~5m
If a partner service is unavailable, messaging does not incorrectly blame the Xbox network
~3m
Title does not crash or hang when network services are slow or intermittently available
~5m
XR-083 · GDK Version
The GDK game OS packaged with the title must be from an approved development kit release.
GDK version used in submission is on the approved list for the current certification cycle
~3m
XR-131 ★ · Display Mode Support for Game DVR and Screenshots
Game DVR and screenshots must work across all display modes. HDR titles must render both SDR and HDR swap chains.
Screenshot captured via Xbox Share button is not corrupted or blank in SDR mode
~3m
Screenshot captured via Xbox Share button is not corrupted or blank in HDR mode
~3m
Game DVR clip captured during normal gameplay is not corrupted or blank
~5m
HDR title renders SDR swap chain alongside HDR swap chain (required for SDR capture path)
~5m
XR-132 ★ · Service Access Limitations
Title must not exceed Xbox network service rate limits and must adhere to retry policies.
Title does not exceed per-title or per-user Xbox network service call rate limits
~5m
Xbox network service retry policies implemented correctly (exponential back-off or equivalent)
~5m
XR-133 ★ · Local Storage Write Limitations
Title must not exceed 1 GiB of total writes to persistent or temporary local storage in any 5-minute window.
Profiled peak storage write rate is below 1 GiB per 5-minute increment across normal gameplay scenarios
~5m
Security
XR-009 · Secure Title Development
Title must not jeopardize user or platform security. No dynamic code execution outside described functionality, no malware, no non-integrated third-party modules.
Title does not download and execute remote scripts outside of described functionality
~3m
No third-party apps or modules installed outside of the Microsoft Store
~3m
Middleware and analytics SDKs are fully integrated (not standalone executables)
~3m
Online Safety and Privacy
XR-013 ★ · Linking Microsoft Accounts with Publisher Accounts
If the title uses publisher accounts, it must support all Xbox user types and offer Microsoft account linking via XSTS tokens.
Publisher account sign-in/sign-up supports all user types, ages, and regions where the title ships
~5m
Users prompted to link publisher account to Microsoft account using XSTS tokens — not username/password
~5m
Consent obtained before using Microsoft account data to pre-populate sign-up fields
~3m
Users can opt-out of account linking and can de-link accounts
~3m
Publisher account requirement disclosed in store description and any physical packaging
~3m
Child account restrictions documented on store page if publisher account limits features for children
~3m
XR-014 ★ · Player Data and Personal Information
Title must not display sensitive personal information (SSN, credit cards, full address) to other players. Child data collection limited to age/consent/account linking.
No financial data (credit card numbers, SSN) exposed to other players in any UI
~3m
User address not disclosed beyond country/region to other players
~3m
No data that would allow one user to impersonate another (credentials, tokens) surfaced in UI
~3m
When collecting child account data, request states explicitly what the data will be used for
~5m
XR-015 ★ · Managing Player Communication
Title must not allow Xbox network communication when user privacy settings block it. Check CommunicateUsingText and CommunicateUsingVoice permissions.
Text communication (chat, invites, messages) blocked when target user's CommunicateUsingText permission disallows it
~5m
Voice communication blocked when target user's CommunicateUsingVoice permission disallows it
~5m
Privacy permissions checked at session start and when a new user joins
~3m
In cross-network sessions: ability to mute any non-Xbox network player available for the duration of the session
~5m
XR-017 ★ · Title Ratings
Title must comply with the age rating and parental control requirements for all regions it ships in.
Age rating certificate obtained from all required regional ratings boards (ESRB, PEGI, USK, etc.)
~3m
Parental control settings on console correctly restrict content at or above the configured rating threshold
~10m
Rating splash screen displayed on launch in all required regions
~3m
XR-018 ★ · User-Generated Content
Titles with UGC must provide in-product reporting, publish content guidelines, and respect player UGC privilege settings.
In-product UGC reporting mechanism present and functional
~5m
Content guidelines / terms of use for UGC accessible in-product or on the title's website
~3m
User with restricted UGC privileges (XPrivilege 247) cannot access other users' UGC online
~5m
If third-party mod platform integrated: disclaimer shown when content is not developer-sourced
~3m
Content Packages and Updates
XR-034 ★ · Streaming Install Initial Play Marker
If the title includes an initial play marker, it must provide a playable experience when launched from that marker.
Title launched from initial play marker reaches a playable state without errors
~5m
XR-129 ★ · Intelligent Delivery Content Management
Titles using Intelligent Delivery must handle scenarios where non-installed chunks are needed — call PackageInstallChunksAsync to install them.
Accessing content from an uninstalled Intelligent Delivery chunk triggers installation gracefully (no crash)
~5m
PackageInstallChunksAsync used when additional content needs to be installed from disc or Xbox network
~5m
XR-123 ★ · Installation/Unlock of DLC During Gameplay
Users must be able to download/unlock DLC without having to quit and relaunch the game.
DLC purchased and downloaded while the base game is running becomes available without a title restart
~10m
XR-037 ★ · Dependencies on Content Packages
Purchasing DLC must not be required to complete main game content. Optional content packages must not depend on other optional content packages.
All main game content and features completable without purchasing any DLC
~5m
No DLC package requires another DLC package to function
~3m
Save games referencing DLC-specific content load on the base game (or provide clear messaging why they cannot)
~5m
Purchasing and Commerce
XR-036 ★ · In-Title Pricing Information
Any real-world currency prices shown in-title must be sourced from the Xbox catalog — including promotional or subscription discounts.
Prices displayed in-game match Microsoft Store catalog prices exactly (including any active promotions)
~5m
Subscription-based discounts shown in-title sourced from Xbox catalog, not hardcoded
~3m
XR-039 · Common Purchase UI
All real-money transactions initiated on console must use the Xbox commerce platform and the Xbox common purchase UI.
Every real-money purchase triggered from within the title opens the Xbox console common purchase UI
~5m
No external payment processor or custom purchase flow bypasses the Xbox commerce platform
~3m
XR-007 · Cross-Network Play and Store Parity
If content is sold on other platforms, the Microsoft Store offer must be equal to or better than those other platforms.
Microsoft Store content offer matches or exceeds offers on other platforms (pricing, release timing, bonus content)
~5m
Title does not direct users away from the Microsoft Store for purchases
~3m
Cross-network players visually identified when playing with off-network users
~5m
Warning shown to user before entering a game mode where cross-network players are present
~3m
Title does not require cross-network play for all multiplayer modes
~3m
User Profiles and Account Management
XR-112 ★ · Establishing a User and Controller
Titles must establish one or more active users at launch and handle user/controller state correctly on resume from suspend.
Title correctly establishes primary user on launch using GDK Simplified or Advanced User Model
~5m
If no controller assigned to default user, XUserFindControllerForUserWithUiAsync invoked to select one
~5m
Resume from suspension: user/controller pairing validated; prior session resumed or new user acquired
~10m
Entry point to account picker available in title (Advanced User Model / ERA / MUA titles)
~3m
XR-115 ★ · Addition and Removal of Users or Controllers During Gameplay
Titles supporting multiple users must handle controller add/remove and user sign-out scenarios without crashing.
Controller removed mid-gameplay: title prompts to reestablish controller (e.g. 'Press A to continue') — no crash
~5m
Primary user signed out (via Guide, SPOP, or otherwise): player removed from game or re-sign-in prompted
~5m
New user sign-in does not automatically switch active user or interrupt current player
~5m
On user removal, connected storage written and MPSD session updated to reflect the player leaving
~5m
XR-045 ★ · Xbox Network Account Privileges
Titles must check Xbox network privileges before gating online features. Child accounts must see system UI to request exceptions.
Privilege 254 (MULTIPLAYER_SESSIONS) checked before allowing online multiplayer with real players
~5m
Privilege 252 (COMMUNICATIONS) checked before allowing voice or text communication with any user
~5m
Privilege 185 (CrossNetworkPlay) checked before allowing cross-network gameplay
~5m
Privilege 247 (USER_CREATED_CONTENT) checked before showing or enabling UGC online
~5m
Child account blocked from a privileged feature sees system UI to request parent/guardian approval
~5m
XR-046 ★ · Display Name and Gamerpic
Gamertag must be used as the primary display name. Modern gamertag: all 16 chars including # suffix. Classic: all 15 chars.
Gamertag displayed as primary display name in all in-game player lists and UI
~5m
Modern gamertag: full 16 characters displayed correctly including # and suffix (e.g. MajorNelson#881)
~3m
All Unicode ranges supported for modern gamertags (no rendering failures on non-ASCII characters)
~5m
XR-047 ★ · User-Profile Access
Users must be able to access other Xbox network users' gamercards wherever display names are listed.
Tapping / selecting any Xbox network user's display name in-game opens their gamercard
~5m
XR-048 ★ · Profile Settings Usage
User profile data from Xbox network must not be stored permanently on game servers — only local cache for offline support.
Gamertags and profile data not permanently stored on title servers
~3m
Local profile cache updated on next available connection to Xbox network
~3m
XR-052 ★ · User State and Save Roaming
Progress and save state must be associated with the correct user. For titles sharing a TitleID across generations, saves must roam.
Progress, saves, and achievements correctly associated with the user who earned them
~5m
Title does not save state for users who are no longer signed in
~5m
Game save data has no dependencies on shared content or local storage paths
~3m
For same TitleID across Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S: save roaming works correctly between generations
~10m
Achievements and Awards
All Xbox console titles are required to have achievements. Demos must not have achievements.
XR-055 ★ · Achievements and Gamerscore
Minimum 10, maximum 100 achievements at launch. Base game Gamerscore exactly 1000G. Single achievement max 200G. Lifetime limits: 500 achievements, 5000G.
Base game ships with between 10 and 100 achievements
~3m
Base game Gamerscore totals exactly 1000G
~2m
No single achievement exceeds 200G
~2m
All achievements are achievable (none permanently locked or unobtainable)
~5m
Unlocking achievements requires meaningful exploration of or engagement with game content
~5m
XR-057 ★ · Unlocking Achievements
All achievements must be earnable through in-game actions without purchasing additional content. No direct unlock via real-money purchases or cheat codes.
Every achievement earnable through base game gameplay alone (no DLC required)
~5m
No real-money purchase directly unlocks an achievement
~3m
No cheat code, console command, or menu option directly unlocks an achievement (difficulty reduction permitted)
~3m
Achievement unlock triggers at the correct in-game moment — not on title launch, not retroactively on load
~10m
XR-058 · Achievements Across Titles or Platforms
Achievements must not be shared across different titles. Same TitleID across platforms must share the same achievement set.
No achievements shared with a different TitleID
~2m
If same TitleID on multiple platforms: achievement set is identical across platforms
~3m
XR-060 · Modifying Active Achievements
Published achievements cannot be removed or have unlock rules changed. Text and art may be modified.
No previously published achievement has been removed in this submission
~2m
No unlock rules or rewards for existing achievements have been changed
~2m
XR-062 · Achievement Names and Descriptions
Achievement names and descriptions must not contain content exceeding PEGI 12 / ESRB E10+ rating, or profanity in any form.
All achievement names and descriptions reviewed — no content exceeding PEGI 12 / ESRB E10+
~5m
No profanity in achievement names or descriptions (clear or redacted)
~3m
Multiplayer Sessions
XR-064 ★ · Joinable Game Sessions and Online Play
Titles with joinable sessions must enable joinability through the Xbox shell interface.
Joinable sessions accessible via Xbox shell (guide overlay → join friend's game) without error
~5m
Accept invite from Xbox shell joins the correct session in the correct state
~5m
XR-067 ★ · Maintaining Multiplayer Session State
Online multiplayer titles must maintain session state in Xbox MPSD, or use Multiplayer Activity Recent Player feature.
MPSD session created and maintained correctly for online multiplayer sessions
~5m
Player leaves session: MPSD session updated to reflect departure
~3m
XR-070 ★ · Friends Lists
Xbox network Friends list must be the primary friends list. Friends data not permanently stored on game servers.
Friends list sourced from Xbox network APIs — not maintained independently on title servers
~3m
If secondary publisher friends list shown, Xbox network friends visually distinguished from publisher friends
~5m
XR-124 ★ · Game Invitations
Multiplayer games must allow players to send game invitations using the Xbox network platform from within the game.
In-game invite sent via Xbox network platform reaches the recipient
~5m
Accepting invite joins the correct session regardless of whether cross-network players are present
~5m
Beta / Game Preview (if applicable)
These requirements apply only to titles released as a Beta or Game Preview. Skip this section for full release submissions.
XR-117 ★ · Beta/Game Preview Notification
Beta titles must display a splash screen or message after launch but before gameplay communicating the pre-release status and support boundaries.
Splash screen or message displayed after launch but before gameplay stating the title is beta/pre-release software
~2m
Notification states that platform and game features may not work correctly and the title may crash
~2m
Support boundaries for the beta clearly outlined in the notification
~2m