Xbox Studio

Xbox Studio

Use this skill when the user wants a Mac app, menu bar utility, launcher, or troubleshooting flow for Xbox tasks.

Default product shape: the existing apps/xbox-studio menu bar app, with controller and Bluetooth readiness as the primary lane and cloud gaming, Remote Play, and captures as secondary flows.

Quick Start

1. Run python3 scripts/xbox_brief.py --goal "<user request>" to normalize the request.
2. If the user is asking for a broad Mac control hub or a controller and Bluetooth check, default to the existing Xbox Studio app in apps/xbox-studio.
3. To build and open the app fast, run bash scripts/run_xbox_studio.sh from the repo workspace. Use bash scripts/run_xbox_studio.sh --build-only for a smoke build.
4. Choose the lane only after the brief:
   • menu-bar-app
   • browser-helper
   • controller-setup
   • capture-helper
   • support-only
5. Be explicit about capability boundaries:
   • keep Microsoft sign-in inside Microsoft-owned browser or account surfaces
   • do not promise a public Xbox console control API unless current official docs prove one exists
   • on Mac, prefer the local Xbox Studio app, browser launchers, and controller-setup flows; Xbox pages that describe the Xbox mobile app target iOS or Android
6. If a real app scaffold is requested, prefer the existing SwiftUI menu bar app first and extend it rather than inventing a new Xbox shell.

Workflow

Choose The Lane

• menu-bar-app: extend or run the existing Xbox Studio launcher so controller checks, cloud gaming, Remote Play, and account surfaces stay one click away.
• browser-helper: use the user's signed-in browser session to launch cloud gaming, Remote Play, account pages, or support flows.
• controller-setup: focus on Bluetooth pairing, firmware guidance, and input troubleshooting on macOS.
• capture-helper: organize user-exported or downloaded captures locally and deep link into the official share or account surfaces when needed.
• support-only: explain the fastest supported path without building a local helper.

Build The Brief

Run the brief script first. Useful commands:

python3 scripts/xbox_brief.py --goal "control my xbox stuff from my mac"
python3 scripts/xbox_brief.py --goal "make a Mac menu bar app to open Xbox cloud gaming and remote play fast"
python3 scripts/xbox_brief.py --goal "help me pair my Xbox controller to my Mac" --lane controller-setup --focus controller
python3 scripts/xbox_brief.py --goal "organize Xbox captures on my Mac and open the official share surface" --lane capture-helper --focus captures
bash scripts/run_xbox_studio.sh
bash scripts/run_xbox_studio.sh --repo-root /path/to/codex-goated-skills --build-only

The brief should capture:

• primary focus: cloud-gaming, remote-play, controller, captures, account, or console-help
• requested lane and default Mac shell
• required supported surfaces
• trust boundary for sign-in and automation
• fallback path if the preferred action is not directly scriptable
• whether the current request should route into the existing Xbox Studio app

Capability Boundaries

• Treat Xbox or Microsoft web surfaces, the Xbox console UI, and Apple Bluetooth settings as the source of truth.
• Prefer xbox.com/play for cloud gaming and browser-first Remote Play entry.
• When the official Xbox pages describe app-only features such as installs, library management, or chat, remember that those descriptions target the Xbox mobile app on iOS or Android.
• On Mac, build helpers around browser launch, account handoff, local file handling, and controller setup rather than reverse-engineering unsupported endpoints.
• Do not invent direct APIs for console power, install queues, captures, or messages.
• If an action requires a signed-in Microsoft session or console confirmation, say so and optimize time-to-action instead of pretending it is fully automatable.

Menu Bar App Guidance

• Prefer MenuBarExtra or an accessory app with an NSStatusItem.
• For broad "control my Xbox stuff from my Mac" requests, default to the existing apps/xbox-studio app and improve that experience first.
• Keep the main surface action-oriented:
  • show controller and Bluetooth readiness first
  • open Bluetooth settings or the Apple pairing guide
  • open Xbox controller help or firmware guidance
  • open cloud gaming and Remote Play
  • open Xbox account or subscriptions
  • open captures folder or official share surface
• Prefer a small popover for status and a settings window for console nicknames, saved links, and capture-folder preferences.
• Treat launch-at-login as optional.
• Always include a clear quit path in the UI.

Controller Setup Guidance

• Use Apple's Bluetooth pairing flow for supported Xbox controllers on Mac.
• Keep controller firmware updates in Microsoft's documented surfaces.
• Treat controller troubleshooting as the primary app journey:
  • Bluetooth off
  • Bluetooth permission needed
  • Bluetooth resetting or unknown
  • no controller detected
  • non-Xbox controller detected
  • Xbox controller connected
• If the user asks for remapping, verify the exact supported tool path first rather than inventing a general-purpose Xbox remapping API on macOS.
• Load references/controller-symptom-matrix.md when shaping UI copy, troubleshooting states, or support actions.

Cloud Gaming And Remote Play

• Cloud gaming is a browser-first lane. Use xbox.com/play.
• Remote Play can begin from xbox.com/play when the user switches to Remote Play and their console has remote features enabled.
• Check subscription, region, and browser constraints before promising availability.
• If browser automation is needed, pair this skill with $playwright.

Captures And Sharing

• Prefer user-owned local folders or exported media once files are on disk.
• Build helpers that watch, rename, sort, transcode, or surface capture files after export or download.
• For browsing or sharing flows that stay inside Microsoft-owned surfaces, launch or guide the user there instead of simulating a private API.

Security And Privacy

• Keep Microsoft credentials out of custom storage unless the user explicitly requests that risk and understands the tradeoff.
• Prefer signed-in browser sessions and Microsoft-owned surfaces.
• Never frame account access, device control, or console management as appropriate for systems the user does not own or administer.

Implementation Preferences

• Start with the smallest reliable flow that meets the request.
• Prefer:
  • existing Xbox Studio app
  • browser launcher or deep link
  • menu bar wrapper only when extending the existing app is not enough
  • automation last
• If the user wants a real macOS app scaffold in the local workspace, extend apps/xbox-studio rather than creating a second Xbox app by default.

Required Deliverables

• A short implementation brief with the chosen lane.
• A clear statement of what is directly automatable versus what hands off into official Xbox or Microsoft surfaces.
• A concrete Mac surface:
  • menu bar app
  • browser helper
  • controller setup flow
  • capture helper
  • support steps
• The fastest user path to the actions they actually asked for.

Resources

• scripts/xbox_brief.py: normalizes the user's request into a build brief.
• scripts/run_xbox_studio.sh: builds and opens the existing Xbox Studio app from a repo workspace, or does a smoke build with --build-only.
• references/official-supported-paths.md: concise guardrails for what Xbox officially documents for browser, mobile, and controller flows, plus what to avoid claiming on macOS.
• references/controller-symptom-matrix.md: controller-first symptom map for Bluetooth state, controller detection, and Remote Play readiness copy.