Xbox Research

Fill out the signup survey linked above to let us know the best way to contact you and some general information about your gaming experience. The link will direct you to a userinterviews.com page. They are a customer relationship management tools company and maintain the secure participant database for Xbox/MSGUR.

Our studies look for a variety of players from individuals who are relatively new to gaming to those who are dedicated fans of our different franchises and studios. Even if you don’t play our games we want to hear from everyone to make our gaming experiences better.

Eligibility Requirements

• Age- Anyone 18+ can sign up to participate in research.

• Location- We have both remote and onsite studies. Onsite studies typically take place in Redmond, Washington or Vancouver, Canada. You must be able to supply your own transportation to the research session.

• Language- The majority of our research is conducted in English unless otherwise specified.

Xbox Research has been pioneering gaming research at Microsoft and Xbox for over 20 years. Our researchers help support product spaces across Xbox and Microsoft including Xbox Game Studios, Xbox services like Xbox Game Pass, the Xbox gaming platform, and Xbox hardware like the Xbox Series X and Series S. We collect feedback to help improve gaming experiences for everyone who might want to play games or use our products.

Just email MSGUR@microsoft.com from the email address associated with your initial sign-up and we will remove your information from our contact list. Please allow 7 business days for your information to be removed.

Your contact information will be stored in a secure database that will only be used to contact you for research for Microsoft gaming and Xbox. If you ever want to opt out of the program, email MSGUR@microsoft.com and we will remove your personal information from the database. Please allow for 7 business days for your information to be removed from our system. For more information, please read about Microsoft’s privacy policy here https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement.

Our researchers have teamed up with the company Experis to help us find and manage research participants. You should receive emails from MSGUR@microsoft.com or research@userinterviews.com. Survey email will typically come from invites@mailer.surveygizmo.com.

Our research team will send out emails as studies become available. Each study has different criteria for participating so you may receive additional surveys asking about your gaming experience. We want to make sure we find the right research opportunities for you so please make sure to answer each survey accurately to the best of your ability. If you are selected for the study, you will receive a follow-up email or text with additional details. Make sure to reply to that email to confirm your participation.

Before committing to a test, you will be informed of how long the study will be including average response times for surveys. Communications from our research team will also let you know if the opportunity is remote or takes place in the Xbox labs onsite. Some possible studies you could be invited to participate in include:

• Playtests- (3 hours- multiple days) During playtests you will either play a game or interact with an Xbox experience while answering a series of survey questions.

• Surveys- (15 mins-90 mins) For surveys, you will receive an email with a link to the survey which will predominantly be hosted on a website called Alchemer. The surveys you will receive can cover a broad range of questions including your experience with specific games, your experiences with Xbox’s services, and your general gaming and entertainment preferences.

• Usability- (30 mins-2 hours) During a usability test you will be asked to complete a series of tasks while interacting with different products including still in development and released experiences and games. During usability tests you will typically interact one on one with an Xbox researcher.

• Interviews- (30 mins-1 hour) During an interview you will speak with an Xbox researcher about your experiences and preferences with gaming.

• Focus Groups- (30 mins-1 hour) During a focus group, you and a group of other participants will talk to an Xbox researcher about various topics.

You can check or follow our Twitter account at: https://twitter.com/ms_gur

Gratuity and rewards will depend on the type of research you participate in. If you are selected for a study, you will be informed of possible gratuity before you agree to participate. Surveys will also list possible gratuity or sweepstakes offers on the introduction page. For more information about sweepstakes rules, please consult this PDF.

Please email the contact you received with the specific study information as son as you figure out you will not be able to participate. They may be able to reschedule your session if other timeslots are available.

While you can say you participated in research with Microsoft and Xbox, you cannot discuss which products you tested or any topics the study covered. It is important that the research, games, and materials be kept confidential so our teams feel secure sharing early experiences with our participants. Disclosing any information about the study may result in removal from our database as well as other non-disclosure agreement violation actions. This includes anything from survey content, what kind of games you might have tested, or questions the researcher may asked you during a research session. You will receive a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with more information when you sign up for a study or receive a survey.

Due to COVID-19, we are not currently running studies onsite in Redmond, WA or Vancouver, B.C.. You can still participate in remote research opportunities, and we will make sure to update the website when we reopen the onsite labs.

Make sure to bring a valid form of I.D. which matches your sign-up information. If you do bring your phone, you will be asked to either leave it in your vehicle or place it inside a secure locker during the test.

Please try to arrive at least 10 minutes before your scheduled study unless the study email indicates otherwise. This will allow you time to check in with Microsoft reception and our lab staff.

Study participation is invitation only. You should not bring guests with you to the study unless you need additional assistance or special accommodations. Make sure to communicate with our lab staff if you will be bringing someone with you so reception will know who to expect. Studies which involved multiple members of your household will be specified in the study invitation. We do not have child care available on-campus so children cannot accompany their parents for studies.

If you participate in any of our onsite research you will not be interacting directly with Xbox developers. You will also not be able to visit any non-public areas outside of our research labs.

You can contact us at MSGUR@microsoft.com.

This opportunity is not tied to employment at Microsoft, Xbox, or any of its game studios. If you are interested in job opportunities, please visit https://careers.microsoft.com/ for jobs or the various studio specific webpages for Xbox Game Studios.