System requirements
In order to develop games using XNA Game Studio, you will need a computer capable of running both Visual Studio 2010 and the XNA Framework extensions. The general requirements are listed in the following table:
|
Component |
Minimum requirement |
Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Operating System |
Windows Vista SP2 or Windows 7 (all editions except Starter) |
As of XNA 4.0, Windows XP is no longer officially supported. |
|
Graphics Card |
Shader Model 1.1 support and DirectX 9.0 support |
Microsoft recommends Shader Model 2.0 support as it is required for many of the XNA Starter Kits and code samples. The projects in this book similarly require Shader Model 2.0 support. |
|
Development Platform |
Visual Studio 2010 or Visual Studio 2010 Express |
You will install Visual Studio 2010 Express as part of the XNA installation later in this chapter. |
|
Optional requirements | ||
|
Windows Phone |
Windows Phone Development Tools, DirectX 10 or later, Compatible Video Card |
Development tools include a Windows Phone emulator to test applications, without deployment to a physical device. |
|
Xbox Live |
Xbox Live Silver membership and XNA Creator's Club Premium membership |
Xbox Live Silver is free. The XNA Creator's Club Premium membership costs $49 for 4 months or $99 for 1 year. |
