Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has confirmed the codename for the next-generation console and promised further details at GDC next week.

Microsoft has dropped the bombshell. After repeatedly confirming that its teams are already working on the next Xbox console, the tech giant has now officially announced Project Helix – the codename for its next-generation system. According to Asha Sharma, CEO of the gaming division, the new device will be capable of running both Xbox and PC titles.

“The next generation of Xbox consoles: Project Helix.” With those words and a brief teaser on X, the company reaffirmed its commitment to staying in the console business. Sharma also shared a separate post highlighting two key features of the new device: “We had a great morning kickoff with the Xbox team where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox, including Project Helix, the codename for our next-generation console. Project Helix will lead in performance and will allow you to play your Xbox and PC games. I’m looking forward to sharing more about this with partners and studios at my first GDC next week!”

Project Helix: The Most Open Xbox Console Ever

The Project Helix announcement is essentially an appetizer ahead of the Game Developers Conference, running from March 9 to 13. The festival, attended by hundreds of industry professionals, will be a key moment for learning more about Xbox‘s plans. The final console will obviously not be called Helix – this is simply an internal codename, consistent with Microsoft‘s past practice of using project names like Durango (Xbox 360), Scorpio (Xbox One X), and Anaconda (Xbox Series X) before official reveals.

What about Project Magnus? Rumors have swirled for months around that name as a potential identifier for the new Xbox. Windows Central offers an interesting clarification: Project Helix will be Microsoft‘s next-generation first-party hardware, and it will use AMD‘s hybrid PC-and-Xbox SoC codenamed “Magnus.” Many details remain to be clarified, however, and GDC will be the place to look for concrete technical specifications.

It is also worth recalling Microsoft‘s current philosophy for its gaming division. Following the departures of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond, Sharma took over as CEO and outlined a set of goals that together define the company’s new chapter. One of those is the “return of Xbox” – a goal centered on recapturing the founding spirit of the Xbox team: the element of surprise, of “creating something no one else was willing to try.” Sharma has been clear that this journey starts directly with consoles. “You’ll hear more soon; we’ll have some announcements coming. You’ll see us collectively investing here. We also know there are many players who don’t use our consoles or hardware, and we want to deliver great games to them too,” she said.

All signs point to Project Helix becoming the most open Xbox console ever built – a device that unifies Xbox and PC libraries, delivers a spectacular visual experience, and aims to elevate the brand to a level never seen before. This is only the beginning; in a matter of days, Microsoft‘s GDC presentation will reveal much more.

Source: 3DJuegos