Lead Game Developer (Console)

Playdawn; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Playdawn is seeking a Lead Console Developer to own Xbox Series X|S and PS5 platform integration, including certification, SDK lifecycle, submission packaging, and crash/stability debugging. This is a hands‑on, non‑managerial role with daily code work and ownership of cert pipelines.

You should bring 10+ years in game development, 5+ years on consoles, Unity on console, and extensive Xbox GDK/PS5 SDK experience. Porting/outsourcing history and recent coding activity are highly valued.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional game development.
• Minimum 5 years of console experience (Xbox/PlayStation).
• Shipped at least one title through Xbox XR certification.
• Shipped at least one title through PlayStation TRC certification.
• Unity on console: IL2CPP builds, per‑platform compilation, Unity Input System, on‑device profiling.
• Xbox GDK: MicrosoftGame.config, Submission Validator, Xbox Identity, achievements, PLM.
• PS5 SDK: param.json/sfo, Check, Prospero tools, Trophies, save‑data API.
• Experience shipping on codebases you did not build (ports, rescues).
• Currently coding (no gap >1 year).

Responsibilities

• Lead platform integration for Xbox Series X|S and PS5 and own certification pipelines.
• Handle SDK lifecycle, submission packaging, crash and stability debugging.
• Write code daily and contribute across platforms.
• Collaborate with teams to integrate platform features and tooling.

Skills

10+ years game development

5+ years console experience

Xbox certification shipping

PlayStation certification shipping

Unity on console

Xbox GDK

PS5 SDK

Shipping on unfamiliar codebases

Active coding

Porting/outsourcing experience

Unity version migrations on console

Middleware: Wwise/FMOD

PS5 DualSense features

Accessibility guidelines

Tools

Razor GPU profiler

PIX

Wwise/FMOD middleware

Rewired

Job description

Lead Console Developer

Hands‑on technical lead owning both Xbox Series X|S and PS5 platform integration — certification, SDK lifecycle, submission packaging, and crash/stability debugging. Not a management role. They write code daily, own both cert pipelines, and debug on codebases they didn't build.

Must Have :

• 10+ years professional game development
• Minimum 5 years on console (Xbox / PlayStation)
• Shipped at least one title through Xbox certification (XR) — personally owned platform integration and submission
• Shipped at least one title through PlayStation certification (TRC) — personally owned it (doesn't need to be the same title)
• Unity on console — IL2CPP builds, platform‑dependent compilation, Unity Input System, on‑device profiling
• Xbox GDK — MicrosoftGame.config, Submission Validator, Xbox Identity, achievements, PLM (suspend/resume/constrained)
• PS5 SDK — param.json/sfo, Check, Prospero tools, Trophies, save‑data API, system‑language detection
• Experience shipping on codebases they did not build — ports, rescues, takeovers
• Currently coding — if they haven't committed code in the last year, wrong role

Good to Have :

• Worked at a porting/outsourcing earlier
• Unity version migration on console (LTS upgrades, plugin breakage after SDK updates)
• Middleware — Wwise/FMOD, Rewired, analytics SDKs, platform store/social plugins
• PS5 DualSense — haptics, adaptive triggers, controller speaker
• Xbox and PS5 Accessibility guidelines implementation
• On‑device profiling — Razor GPU profiler (PS5), PIX (Xbox)

Preferred Not Mandatory :

• Unreal Engine console experience in addition to Unity
• Multiplayer / online services — PlayFab, Xbox Live, PSN
• PS5 Trinity support configuration
• Experience mentoring junior console developers

Please note: This position is for one of Playdawn's clients, and successful candidates will be hired directly by the client, not by Playdawn.

Our client is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. They are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, disability, or other protected characteristics. They believe that diversity fuels innovation and creativity, and they strive to create an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to shared success.