Building your Unity project as an MSIXVC package

Use this topic to generate, install, and launch an MSIXVC package for your Windows PC title.

Build and Run features

The Build and Run menu includes the following options for generating your packaged title as shown in the following screenshot.

• Select Define MICROSOFT_GAME_CORE to define code in the editor that's conditionally defined by using #ifdef MICROSOFT_GAME_CORE. This catches compilation errors without performing a full build.

  Note

  This option is required to build your title. MICROSOFT_GAME_CORE is defined when you use Build or Build and Run in the Build Settings menu.

• Select Create package to upload to the store to encrypt the MSIXVC package that's generated. Packages must be encrypted to submit to Microsoft Store.

Build vs. Build and Run

The following differences between the Build option and the Build and Run option will help you determine which one is best for building your title.

• The Build option generates a Loose-file build and subsequent MSIXVC packages build off of that Loose file for usage. Build won't install or launch the MSIXVC package.
• The Build and Run option generates a Loose-file build and subsequent MSIXVC packages. Build and Run installs and launches the packaged installation for your Windows PC title.

Note

After an initial Build and Run, the packaged installation registers and appears in the Start menu. It launches subsequent times after the initial Build and Run for cases where the title is launched without any code or project change that requires re-creating the build.

Win32 output folder and Loose file build

After selecting the output directory of your build from the available Build option or Build and Run option, Unity generates a Win32 folder that contains the Loose-file contents of your build. This folder is used as the source for generating the MSIXVC package, which can be used for the following actions.

• Use Application Management (wdapp.exe) (NDA topic)Authorization required to register and launch the Loose-file build by using the Microsoft Game Development Kit command prompts (NDA topic)Authorization required.
• Make advanced modifications to the build process.

MSIXVC output folder and package files

After selecting the output directory of your build from the Build option or Build and Run option, Unity generates an MSIXVC folder that stores the packaged files for your title. The following are key files that are generated in the folder.

• The layout file layout_[guid].xml that indicates what's included in the package
• The results Validator_[PFN].xml that appear from the Submission Validator tests
• The MSIXVC package file PFN.msixvc

See also

Make package (makepkg.exe)
Get started with Unity for PC development