Developing a new title with the Microsoft Game Development Kit in Visual Studio

Article
03/16/2023

This topic describes how to create a new Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) project in Visual Studio.

Gaming titles developed on Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) can target PCs, Xbox consoles, or both platforms (if a common codebase is used). These gaming titles can also have capabilities designed to take advantage of the features unique to each platform. You choose the target platform and whether (and how extensively) device extensions are used.

Getting started with the project templates in Visual Studio for Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK)

When you install the Gaming eXtensions Development Kit (GXDK) on a development computer with Visual Studio, the following templates are also installed.

Five project templates for targeting the PC
Four project templates for targeting the Xbox console

Target platform	Template	Description
Desktop	Direct3D 12 Desktop Game (Classic)	In the Visual Studio project system, creates a project that builds a standalone PC game executable using the Gaming Runtime and stock x64 MSBuild platform.
	Direct3D 12 Desktop Game	In the Visual Studio project system, creates a project that builds a standalone PC game executable using the Gaming.Desktop.x64 custom MSBuild platform.
	Direct3D 12 Desktop Game Makefile	Creates a project that's suitable for building a PC game from a makefile by using a command prompt
	Desktop Static Library	In the Visual Studio project system, creates a project that builds a static library suitable for inclusion in a Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) game that targets PCs using the Gaming.Desktop.x64 custom MSBuild platform.
	Desktop DLL	In the Visual Studio project system, creates a project that builds a dynamic-link library suitable for inclusion in a Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) game that targets PCs using the Gaming.Desktop.x64 custom MSBuild platform.
Console	Direct3D 12 Xbox Game	In the Visual Studio project system, creates a project that builds a standalone game executable that targets the Xbox console.
	Direct3D 12 Xbox Game Makefile	Creates a project that's suitable for building an Xbox console game from a makefile by using a command prompt.
	Xbox Static Library	In the Visual Studio project system, creates a project that builds a static library suitable for inclusion in a Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) game that targets the Xbox console.
	Xbox DLL	In the Visual Studio project system, creates a project that builds a dynamic-link library suitable for inclusion in a Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) game that targets the Xbox console.

To access these templates:

Open Visual Studio.
Choose File -> New -> Project. The New Project dialog appears.
In the New Project dialog, set the All Languages filter to C++, set the All Platforms filter to Xbox or Windows, and set All Project Types to Games. You can search for the project names above as well.
From the list of Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) project templates, select the project template you want.
Click OK.

Choosing a template

If you're starting a new Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) project, one of the first things you need to do is decide which Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) template to use. The answer depends on whether your game is targeting PCs, Xbox, or both.

Games for PCs only

The Direct3D 12 Desktop Game template is the common starting point. Here are some of the template's key features.

Uses Windows API Family WINAPI_FAMILY_DESKTOP_APP and links against typical PC libraries, including kernel32.lib, user32.lib, etc. The full set of PC APIs is available for use in the game.
Includes the necessary headers and libraries. The template is ready for the addition of the Direct3D 12 graphics implementation that's compatible with the PC. The template provides a simple swapchain, Direct3D device, and basic game update & render loop.
Includes XGameRuntime.h and links to XGameRuntime.lib. All the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) Gaming Runtime capabilities are ready to use.
The Xbox Live API (XSAPI) extension library is also available by default. Additional Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) extension libraries can be added as well.
Declares a build configuration that's based on either the 'stock' x64 platform or the custom MSBuild platform Gaming.Desktop.x64, which builds an x64 target with the expectation that you're iterating on the game locally (on your development computer) by using the local debugger.
Creates a MicrosoftGameConfig.mgc file with placeholder information that you fill in with your title's information from Partner Center.

Games for Xbox

The Direct3D 12 Xbox Game template is the common starting point. Here are some of the template's key features.

Uses Windows API Family WINAPI_FAMILY_GAMES and links against XGamePlatform.lib, restricting the set of core platform APIs to those guaranteed to be supported on the Xbox Game OS.
Includes the necessary headers and libraries. The template is ready for the addition of the D3D12 graphics implementation that takes full advantage of Xbox device-specific hardware extensions.
Includes XGameRuntime.h and links to XGameRuntime.lib. All the Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) Gaming Runtime capabilities are ready to use.
The Xbox Live API (XSAPI) extension library is also available by default. Additional Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) extension libraries can be added as well.
Declares a build configuration that uses the MSBuild custom platform Gaming.Xbox.XboxOne.x64, which builds an x64 target with the expectation that you're iterating on the game by using an Xbox One ERA dev kit set for remote debugging.
Creates a MicrosoftGameConfig.mgc file with placeholder information that you fill in with your title's information from Partner Center.

Games for PCs and Xbox

We recommend that you start with one of the two previously mentioned templates and add a second build configuration within your project. For example, if you start with a Direct3D 12 Desktop Game project, which automatically includes a build configuration for the Gaming.Desktop.x64 platform, you can add a second build configuration which has the platform set to Gaming.Xbox.XboxOne.x64. When you build your project, Visual Studio then builds one version of your game for the PC and another for the Xbox console.

This recommended approach requires you to tailor your source code (either by using #define/#ifdef or by partitioning platform-specific code into separate DLLs) such that the PC configuration of your game uses "stock" Direct3D 12, and the Xbox configuration of your game uses the device-extension equivalent Direct3D 12.x. As you switch your active configuration between Gaming.Desktop.x64 and Gaming.Xbox.XboxOne.x64, tooling settings change appropriately, such as which debugger to use and which libraries to link against.

Next steps

After verifying your GDK installation by creating a new project, your next steps depend on whether you are developing a PC game or an Xbox game.

If you are developing a PC game you should follow the steps in Get started with PC game development.
If you are developing an Xbox game you should follow the steps in Get started with Xbox console development (NDA topic)Authorization required.