14 DAY TRIAL // The team at Microsoft in charge of the Xbox One is ready to announce that the home console can now be turned into a video game development kit by all those who are interested, although the feature is still considered to be in preview mode and only experienced users should try to use it for the moment.
The announcement came during a live stream of the Microsoft Build 2016 event, and the company is saying that a full feature release with all the required tools will be coming alongside the Anniversary update for Windows 10 that's set to arrive in the summer.
Those who want to use development kit capabilities on the Xbox One will be able to create and then test their own Universal Windows Apps, which includes video games, and everything can be done using applications obtained from the Xbox Store.
Those who are interested should not be members of any other preview group for the home console, which means they will need to opt out of the System Update Preview Program to get developer access.
They will then have to join the Windows Insider Program and get the special SDK for Windows 10 before getting and installing Visual Studio 2015 Update 2.
Microsoft adds, "Download and run the Dev Mode Activation app from the Xbox store on your console to gain access to the Dev Mode software that will be made available to you as a member of the Dev Preview Group. When you run the app, you will receive an activation code."
A small payment is required to get an Xbox One developer version
A Windows Developer Center account created via PC is required, with a one-time payment of 19 dollars or Euro, and then users will be able to enter the activation code and get into the Dev Preview Group.
The Xbox One will then download a system update and might reboot, and those interested will once again have to run the Dev Mode Activation app.
When running as a developer kit, the device will be unable to play apps or classic video games, and the company is mentioning that some content might be automatically removed in the future.
At the moment, the Xbox One is lagging behind the PlayStation 4 from Sony when it comes to overall sales, with third-party observers putting them around the 20 million mark, and the launch of a developer mode might give the console a boost.