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System resources for UWP apps and games on Xbox One

  • Article

UWP apps running on Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S share resources with the system and other apps.

The resources available to a UWP running on the console depend on whether you submit as an app or as an Xbox Live Creators Program game.

  • Maximum available memory while running in the foreground:
    • Apps: 1 GB
    • Games: 5 GB

The maximum memory available to an app running in the background is 128 MB. Background mode only applies to concurrent applications, like background music players. Games will be suspended and terminated in the background.

Exceeding these limitations will cause memory allocation failures. For more information about monitoring memory use, see the MemoryManager class reference.

Note

When running your app or game from the Visual Studio debugger, these memory constraints do not apply. This limit is only applicable when not running in debugging mode.

  • CPU

    • Apps: share of 2-4 CPU cores depending on the number of apps and games running on the system.
    • Games: 4 exclusive and 2 shared CPU cores.

  • GPU

    • Apps: share of 45% of the GPU depending on the number of apps and games running on the system.
    • Games: full access to available GPU cycles.

  • DirectX support (Xbox One)

    • Apps: DirectX 11 Hardware Feature Level 10.1
    • Games: DirectX 12 with Hardware Feature Level 11.0; DirectX 11 with Hardware Feature Level 10.1.

  • DirectX support (Xbox Series X|S)

    • Apps: DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 with Hardware Feature Level 11.0
    • Games: DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 with Hardware Feature Level 11.0

  • All apps and games must target the x64 architecture in order to be developed or submitted to the store for Xbox.

For application development, resources available may be limited in comparison to a standard PC and can vary based on the number of apps and games running on the system.

For games development, the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, like other games consoles, is a specialized piece of hardware that requires a specific hardware-based development kit to access its full potential. If you are working on a game that requires access to the maximum potential of the Xbox One hardware, consider registering with the ID@Xbox program to get access to an Xbox One development kit.

See also