June 2021 GDK Update 1 Public Release

June 2021 Microsoft Game Development Kit (GDK) Update 1

2021.07.24 Release Notes

Special Note: We are still optimizing our GDK and GDK documentation releases for public use. There are still many references that link into our secure program resources or references processes that are commonly known to developers inside the program, but will be unfamiliar or potentially inaccessible to those just starting with the GDK.

Thank you for feedback, patience, and collaboration to help us enable any developer, anywhere on the planet, make games for Windows PCs, Xbox consoles, and Cloud Gaming.

• This is the first Update to the June 2021 GDK. This standalone installer package replaces the June 2021 GDK major release from 2021.06.24.
• There are three major GDK release branches every year.
• Each of these major releases (labeled by the Month and Year) are treated as a separate branch. Update release for each branch may be issued as-needed.
• The GDK is intended for developers learning about and onboarding into the Xbox ecosystem to build Win32 games for the Xbox App on Windows and Xbox Game Pass for PC.
• A separate license through a confidential Xbox program (e.g. ID@Xbox) is required to PUBLISH games into the catalog or access the Microsoft Game Development Kit with Xbox Extensions (GDKX) which contains the Xbox developer environment APIs and tools necessary to target games for Xbox consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S).
• The GDK is not for use to self-publish through the Xbox Creators Program which is currently based on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP).
• Please see the ReadMe.MD in the official GitHub repo (https://aka.ms/gdk) or the corresponding GDK public documentation (https://aka.ms/gamedevdocs) for more details; more detailed, technical release notes will be migrated from the GDKX to the GDK in future releases as we add to the resources available in the public vs. the confidential versions of the GDK.