With Nintendo Switch support added in 2020 and PS4 in 2023 (soon also PS5) the only missing piece of the console puzzle is Xbox. We have worked long and hard to make this happen, with multiple applications sent to the Microsoft middleware team, but have so far not managed to get Defold into the middleware program.
It’s a bit of chicken and egg problem. In order for MS to approve Defold they need to see an interest from game developers, and in order for game developers to consider an application to the ID@Xbox developer program they need Xbox support in Defold…
It’s not all doom and gloom though. We (as in Refold, the service company we work from to support the Defold Foundation) have submitted a Defold game and had it approved for release on Xbox. This means that we now have access to the full GDK as well as two dev kits and we can start implementing Xbox support for Defold. The problem we have is that since Defold isn’t approved as a middleware provider for Xbox we can’t promote it and offer it to the community in the same way as Nintendo or PlayStation support.
This is where you come in, our awesome community! We would greatly appreciate if developers with games live on mobile, desktop or web also could submit their games and apply for a developer account. I know some developers that already has applied for a developer account. If you haven’t already, you can sign up here:
Note that it is free to sign up for an account. When you submit your game concept be sure to write that your game is developed using Defold. If you get approved into the program Microsoft will send you two Xbox dev kits free of charge!
Please let us know here (or send me a PM) if you decide to submit your game. We’ll use all these submissions to build a case when we contact Microsoft again.
@britzl have you any information about what Microsoft requires for accepting a developer? for example, does Microsoft require that the developer is an LLC or also an individual could be approved?
Update: It looks like the game needs to be in fairly finished state before it can be considered. I’ll resume once the game I’m working on has a functional game loop.
I am reaching out to inquire about the current status of Xbox support within the engine.
We are Green Sauce Games, a small indie studio based in Brazil. We currently use Unity, but we have hit a major roadblock: as a small studio, the Unity Pro subscription required to publish on Xbox is unaffordable for us at the moment. Consequently, we are currently unable to release our games on the platform despite being approved by ID@Xbox.
We are looking for a more sustainable and performance-oriented alternative, and we believe Defold is the right fit for our pipeline. We are already an approved developer for ID@Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation, and we have a portfolio of more than 10 titles ready to be ported and released.
Could you provide any updates on the Xbox native support or the process for us to access the console-specific extensions for our upcoming projects?
Our XBox support is progressing, albeit a bit slowly (as it’s not currently funded by anyone but ourselves).
Porting wise, we’re close to a point where our tool chain is useable (and testable). E.g. one should be able to build+bundle a game and run it on a device. I think this work should be in an alpha state in a couple of weeks.
In the past, we’ve also wanted make sure the whole Defold eco system works, in the context of releasing a game on the console(s). E.g. making sure we pass any TRC/TCR’s etc. So we’ve released a couple of games while testing things out. But in truth, most of that work is on the game or publisher side, and not so much on the tooling side. And this release process may well take a couple of extra months.
So, I propose that we may collaborate in that we (Defold) finish the tooling, and give you early access via the correct channels (i.e. XBox), and you can continue testing/verifying that Defold will work for your xbox needs.
We’ll reach out to our XBox account manager to see what’s needed to start setting this part up.
