The Xbox Toolset (GDK) integrates new features that will power the future console, established PCs and other Microsoft devices.
More and more aspects of what the next generation of Xbox will be are being revealed. Microsoft will leave behind the traditional Xbox Series X|S console model to build a renewed ecosystem across multiple devices, from consoles to computers, including its services.
Jez Corden, editor of Windows Central, has been saying for weeks that the new Xbox will be a PC disguised as a console, with native backwards compatibility, free online and everything you can expect from a gaming computer, but much more comfortable and focused than what you see in Series.
But these improvements are not just for the future user, but also for developers. There will no longer be a need to create two different versions as Xbox Play Anywhere will make it easier for you the same game is valid for Xbox and Windows or Xbox on PC.
ROG Xbox Ally is a perfect demonstration of what’s to come in the future. Microsoft presented the news for its GDK or toolkitSo creating games for your devices will be easier than ever.
From the new API Game entrancepassing by cloud cross save system (which now includes Steam), Xbox Game Package Managernew executables or authentication and social functions.
Everything will be more comfortable in the future of Xbox, and now we look at the big changes and new features we can expect from the new console, with the ROG Xbox Ally as the “testing ground”, according to Windows Central’s Jez Corden.
New coat of paint for Xbox dev tools
Microsoft Game Dev has published a new video on YouTube, where it announces the new features, changes and improvements that its GDK (development toolset) receives for Xbox Series X|S, Windows and ROG Xbox Ally, which in the next generation will be a single platform.
We start with GameInput, Microsoft’s new custom API, which integrates all controls, keyboards and control devices possible in a single dedicated interface.
This interface equalizes Xbox and Windows keyboards into one, so developers can unify controls, controller support, and gaming accessories for the same ecosystem into a single code.
Another new tool is Games saved on PlayFaban improvement to the Xbox and Windows cloud, saving this now integrates Steam. Games like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 now allow games to be saved between Steam and the Xbox ecosystem, even without the need to play connected to the Internet.
Uploading game data will also be easier thanks to Xbox Game Package Manager, a system that Merges XVC (Xbox) and MSIXVC (PC) extension data in one. This should also be a strong boost for Xbox Play Anywhere.
While not as notable, the new Xbox GDK update also allows merge ARM64 and x64 into a single buildwhich also results in the integration of crossplay between Steam, Epic Store and Xbox, with authentication and social functions.
There’s still work to be done (Corden himself mentions that some developers have told him they have trouble adapting their games to Xbox Play Anywhere), but these bugs will be fixed soon to bring Microsoft’s future games to fruition.
Some players may feel hurt by the change in strategy, the abandonment of physics and the goodbye to the traditional model, but it cannot be denied that an Xbox fully integrated into Windows and the PC world builds a robust ecosystem for the coming years of this industry.
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