System
This section describes the system features of the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK).
In this section
Asynchronous Programming
Describes the Asynchronous Programming Model that's used with the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK).
DirectStorage
Describes DirectStorage functionality used with the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK).
Finding Threading Issues
Provides links to steps for identifying and debugging common threading issues by using both Performance Investigator for Xbox (PIX) and Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA)."
Game Saves
This section provides overviews, best practices, and the tools developers can use to save data to the cloud that will roam between different devices.
Memory (NDA topic)Authorization required
Provides an overview of how memory works in the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK).
MicrosoftGame.config
Describes the MicrosoftGame.config file that's used with the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK).
Users
Describes the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) concept of a user, how a user is represented as an XUser, and the relationship of a user to input devices.
Localization and globalization
Provides an overview of localization and globalization.
Error handling in the Microsoft Game Development Kit
Describes how to handle error results in the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK).
Franchise Game Hubs
Describes franchise game hubs.
Game DVR and broadcasting
Describes how the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) set of APIs allow broadcast notifications that show broadcasting UI, adding metadata to screenshots, video clips, broadcast, and capturing diagnostic screenshots and video.
Local storage on Xbox console
Describes the temporary local storage available to titles on Xbox consoles and how to access temporary locally stored data, installed game data, and the developer scratch partition.
Media Foundation transform decoding
Describes how to implement H.264 hardware decoding by using the Source Reader in the Xbox One Game OS.
Text-to-speech
Provides support for initializing and configuring a speech synthesis engine (or voice) to convert a text string to an audio stream, also known as text-to-speech (TTS). For example, voice characteristics, pronunciation, volume, pitch, rate or speed, and emphasis are customized through Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) Version 1.1.
Time-sensitive threads
Describes time-sensitive threads.
Using OAuth
Provides an overview of how to use OAuth in the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK).
UTF-8 support in the Microsoft Game Development Kit
Provides an overview of UTF-8 support in the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK).
Windows and messages
Describes how the GDK uses the Win32 programming style, including windows and messages. Although much of this is identical to what you might encounter on Windows PC, this topic describes what's supported on console and the differences from Windows PC.
Xbox Game Life Cycle (NDA topic)Authorization required
Provides details about the states, transitions, and handling of game life-cycle events, and the tools that are available to debug them.
Quick Resume Guidance for Developers (NDA topic)Authorization required
Quick Resume is a platform feature on the Xbox Series X|S consoles that allows for users to preserve their games while they are suspended so that they can be resumed later within seconds.
Xbox One vs. Xbox Series X|S CPU and memory (NDA topic)Authorization required
Provides details on the differences in the CPU and memory between Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Maximizing File Performance on Xbox One (NDA topic)Authorization required
Describes how to get the best performance for the file system by using the Win32 APIs on Xbox One.
Maximizing File Performance on Xbox Series X|S (NDA topic)Authorization required
Describes how to get the best performance for the file system by using the Win32 APIs on Xbox Series X|S.
Cost for Synchronization Primitives (NDA topic)Authorization required
Describes the performance costs for using the various thread synchronization primitives.
Cross Core Memory Costs (NDA topic)Authorization required
Provides details on cost of sharing data between cores
Supporting Games-as-a-Service (GaaS)
Recommendations on how the GDK can support Games-as-a-Service (GaaS)
Virtual keyboard support
The GDK provides two different solutions to handle text input using a virtual keyboard.
Protocol activation
Games can register a custom URI protocol that can be used launch their game if it isn't running and will bring the game to the foreground if the game is already running.