You’ve finished your game, congratulations! Now comes the part most indie devs underestimate: store submission and platform certification.
Certification and store submission aren't final steps. They're part of your development process.
Here’s the checklist.
1. Your Game’s Age Rating
You can’t submit a game for certification without an age rating. Not on PlayStation. Not on Xbox. Not on Nintendo Switch. Not on EGS.
Use IARC if you’re going with digital distribution. The International Age Rating Coalition lets you fill out one questionnaire and get all applicable regional ratings automatically. It’s the standard for Steam, Epic Games Store, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch. IARC itself is instant. You get your ratings the moment you finish the questionnaire, but you still need that rating in hand before you can complete your store pages. Add rated content later (new violence, language, anything that could shift the result) and you’ll need to update the assessment to match.
For physical releases or for release in certain regions, ratings from the official ratings boards may be required, and those traditional processes run on a different clock than the IARC questionnaire, Japan’s CERO in particular, which is required for any physical release and for 18+ content regardless of platform. Timelines vary by board and by how complete your submission is. Rather than quote week-ranges here that drift out of date, see our full board-by-board breakdown for current timelines and fees.
There’s much more work involved when you need a traditional rating, and they’re independent processes. Don’t wait for one to complete before starting the next.
2. Your Store Assets Are Ready
Every platform has mandatory store asset requirements. Many small dev teams start these too late.
- Icon: Pixel dimensions differ per platform (Steam, PSN, Xbox, Switch all want different sizes)
- Screenshots: Minimum count and aspect ratios vary. Steam requires at least 5, minimum 1920x1080, 16:9. PlayStation’s exact minimums live behind the gated Partners portal, confirm them there rather than assuming a number. None allow UI overlays, marketing copy, or pre-rendered cinematics standing in for real gameplay.
- Trailer video: Each platform has its own format and codec specs.
- Description text: Character limits and formatting rules differ. Check before you write.
- Key art: Platform-specific safe zones and resolution requirements. Get these wrong and your store page gets rejected.
- Capsule art (EGS): Epic’s current Storefront Media Guide specifies a 1200x1600px portrait offer image as the primary storefront thumbnail, the first thing players see in the Epic store.
Design these early. You don’t want to be blocked at the final step because of a key art dimension. They’re also crucial to your game’s visibility and should be thoughtfully designed.
3. Your Metadata Is Complete
Platforms are picky about metadata. Every field matters.
- Genre tags: Wrong tags hurt discoverability. Pick the ones that match your game, not the ones that sound popular.
- Descriptors: Content descriptors (violence, language, in-app purchases) must match your rating. Mismatches cause delays.
- Regional pricing: You need pricing for every territory you’re launching in. Currency conversion, tax rules, and pricing tiers vary by region.
- Publisher information: Legal entity name, address, contact details. Must match your business registration.
4. Platform-Specific Requirements
Each platform has its own technical requirements. Here’s what to watch for:
Steam:
- Controller support (if your game uses input devices)
- Achievement support (optional but recommended)
- Cloud save support (optional but recommended)
PlayStation:
- Full controller support (mandatory)
- System menu integration (mandatory)
- PSN cloud save (if you have persistent state)
- Age rating (mandatory before submission)
Xbox:
- Xbox Live integration (if you have any online features)
- Achievement support
- Controller support
Nintendo Switch:
- Joy-Con functionality (HD rumble, IR camera, motion controls)
- Local multiplayer support (if applicable)
- Power management (battery drain, sleep mode)
Epic Games Store:
- Developer account setup and verification (requires banking info for revenue payout)
- EGS First Run incentive enrollment (100% revenue share on first $1M per game per year. Confirm it’s active before launch)
- Capsule art in Epic’s required format
- IARC rating accepted directly in the developer portal
- Build upload via Epic’s developer portal or command-line tool
5. You Have a Submission Timeline
Certification takes time. Plan for:
Xbox runs a 1-2 week certification pass once submitted (Microsoft publishes a 4-business-day SLA for a Final Certification pass, longer with a resubmission cycle), but budget up to 3 additional weeks up front for ID@Xbox program approval, which has to clear before you can submit a build at all.
If you’re launching on multiple platforms, submit them all around the same time. Some platforms require booking a submission date, while others just need the materials uploaded. Each platform’s certification process runs independently, so your game can be in cert with multiple platforms at once. Just make sure you’re ready to react quickly to feedback as it comes in.
Certification Is Part of Development
Certification and store submission aren’t final steps. They’re part of your development process. Studios that ship on time start thinking about them in the first quarter, not the last.
If you’re planning a release and want a heads-up on what’s coming, reach out.