The Redmond-based tech giant has revealed a few extra details about the device announced at the Game Developers Conference.
“Project Helix is designed to play your Xbox and PC games, delivering top-tier performance and ushering in the next generation of console gaming. Powered by a custom AMD system on a chip, Project Helix is co-designed for the next generation of DirectX and FSR, unlocking what’s next. It provides a significant leap in ray tracing performance and capability, integrates intelligence directly into the graphics and compute pipeline, and enables meaningful improvements in efficiency, scale, and visual quality. The result is more realistic, immersive, and dynamic worlds for players. As part of Xbox‘s 25th anniversary in 2026, we will roll out new ways to play some of our most iconic games from the past,” wrote Jason Ronald, Xbox Vice President of Next Generation, on Xbox Wire.
Microsoft Gaming also plans to bring Xbox Mode to Windows 11 in April, starting with select markets. Xbox Mode lets players seamlessly switch between productivity and play with a familiar, full-screen, controller-optimized Xbox experience, while still embracing the openness of Windows. An early version of the mode debuted on ROG Xbox Ally handheld PCs.
According to Ronald, this is only the beginning of the next generation and the next 25 years of Xbox, and the team can’t wait to share more later this year. As they listen, learn, and build in partnership with the industry and the community, they also thanked players for being part of the journey and for making gaming so unique and enduring.
Microsoft will begin shipping Project Helix alpha development kits to developers in 2027, and there’s a decent chance the new Xbox (which is slowly becoming a PC) could also land late next year. Of course, if the performance really is top-tier, a hefty price tag is basically guaranteed – and it’s anyone’s guess how far Microsoft will push it. 2013 – Xbox One, 2020 – Xbox Series, 2027 – Project Helix. It sounds logical.
