So you want to write and publish an XBox One App? Well, you can, but...

Dave Voyles - How do I publish apps on Xbox One?

I get this question all of the time, and I end up answering it in email on a pretty consistent basis, so I thought it was about time I made a post to point developers towards.

What is the team looking for?

They are looking largely for MEDIA applications. Take a look at what is currently on there, to get a better gist. Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Twitch, etc. They want experienced developers. If you haven’t written an application before, they will likely not consider you.

They prefer that you use their HTML5 / JS framework. It is based on WinJS, so basically WinJS + some Xbox One specific things. I’d *STRONGLY* encourage you to start writing your app in WinJS if you want to be considered. There is no WebGL on Xbox One’s version of IE at the moment.

Which languages can I use?

I discussed this in detail on Scott Hanselman’s podcast in February.

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What types of questions will they ask?

When you reach out to them, here is what they will ask for:

They will respond with the following questions (and a few more):

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There's always a but and they always stink (sorry for the boy humor... ;) So, while "Universal Apps" have a promise and we were teased about building XBox One apps a the last Build, it looks like, well you can see, it's still very controlled and selective. I guess that's good as we don't, don't, don't need a zillion XBox One Fart or Flashlight apps...

Still this bugs me a little as I REALLY want an great Weather App on my XBox One, powered via Kinect/Voice. I just want to say "XBox Weather"... A "Big Screen" Weather app could be awesome... :)

Oh and I want the XBox One to be Miracast enabled. And I want a Twitter Sidebar app. And... and... lol