microsoft has released GDK plugins for Unreal Engine 5.8, streamlining the Xbox game development process for PC. These plugins eliminate the need to use WinGDK as a separate platform, allowing developers to stay on Win64 while creating Xbox-compatible games.
Microsoft says this change is aimed at reducing “friction” between Xbox games and other PC stores.
What changed for developers and the four new GDK plugins
Building for Xbox on PC in Unreal Engine used to require developers to use WinGDK, a separate platform that often caused compatibility issues and complicated workflows when released to multiple PC stores.
The new plugins now allow developers to stay on Win64 instead of switching to WinGDK, continue using existing third-party plugins, adopt a development process better aligned with other PC stores, and distribute a single executable to multiple stores.
Microsoft releases four new add-ons as part of its latest update:
- Microsoft GDK Store, which allows developers to configure games directly within Unreal Editor and generate the necessary packages for Xbox on PC from the Project Settings menu. The second is the
- Microsoft GDK Runtime, which provides access to GDK APIs at runtime to enable features such as Xbox-compatible cloud saves, user selection, and integration with the system UI. The third is the
- GDK online subsystem, which uses the Unreal Engine platform abstraction layer to manage achievements, friends, presence, and other Xbox services. The fourth is the
- Inline subsystem selector, introduced in Unreal Engine 5.8, which allows developers to submit a single executable across multiple PC stores and automatically change the behavior of the inline subsystem at runtime.
This last feature is particularly important for studios releasing titles on multiple PC platforms, as it eliminates the need to maintain separate builds for Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store.
Documentation, recent tools and what this means for Project Helix
Microsoft has published documentation on how to get started with the new add-ons. The plugins are now available, allowing developers to integrate them into existing Unreal Engine 5.8 projects.
Microsoft’s latest release aims to make Xbox PC development more accessible to indie and mid-tier studios. Recent updates include Xbox Godot Sample, which provides tools for Godot engine developers, and
Xbox PC remote tools to speed up game deployment, testing, and debugging. The company also continues to invest in cross-store compatibility with tools like Online Subsystem Selector.
These development tools improvements are part of Microsoft’s broader effort related to Project Helix, the codename for the upcoming Xbox hardware platform, which is expected to be PC-based. Simplifying Unreal Engine development for Xbox on PC also helps developers more easily prepare games for the upcoming hardware.
Microsoft has not announced specific timelines for expanding engine support beyond Unreal Engine 5.8 and Godot, but has indicated continued investment to facilitate PC development on multiple engines.
