All Xbox One consoles are now development kits lying in wait

Keep locked on to our #Build2016 portal for detailed coverage of Microsoft’s flagship developer event.

If you have an Xbox One and have a penchant for making your own games, Microsoft is making it a little bit easier for you.

The company has announced at Build 2016 that all retail Xbox Ones will be allowed to become Xbox One dev kits, making it easier for indie developers to craft titles for the platform.

This move makes the console a more interesting proposition for the serious and casual developer alike, who had to previously go through the ID@XBOX system to obtain a development kit.

If you’re part of ID@Xbox, we’ll be sending out some info soon. If you’re not… Now its a good time to sign up at https://t.co/gZDqF1OZ8I

— ID@Xbox (@ID_Xbox) March 30, 2016

We should note that this isn’t as free as it seems though. Developers will still need to purchase a Windows Developer Account for US$19. Users will also need to register the console as a development kit. Once that’s complete, users can launch the dev mode app on the console and fun. Users will also need to submit titles to the company for content approval before they’re published on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP). You’ll also be required to enroll in the Windows Insider program.

And if you don’t fancy you Xbox One as a development kit any longer (according to Xbox’s Phil Spenser, it might not play nicely with some established games), you’ll need to reformat the console.

Spenser didn’t give an exact availability date, but the word “soon” was thrown around so expect a thicker wad of information to surface in the coming weeks.

Developing…