Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, is being developed as a “family of devices” rather than a single console, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said, signaling a broader hardware strategy for the brand.
CEO describes Helix as a device family
Sharma first introduced Project Helix in March as the codename for Microsoft’s “next-generation console,” language that implied a single device. In a later interview with the BBC, she expanded that description, saying the company has been working “on a great next generation and on a great family of devices for Helix,” and that Microsoft will share more details soon.
The comment came after Sharma was asked whether Helix would be a disc-less console; she did not answer that question directly.
AMD partnership points to multiple devices
- In 2025 Microsoft and AMD announced a “multi-year strategic partnership” to work on a “portfolio of devices,” explicitly including the next-generation Xbox;
- The collaboration suggests AMD may be involved across the device family associated with Project Helix;
- It remains unclear which specific devices would belong to the portfolio; rumors mention third-party manufacturers possibly releasing Helix-based hardware.
Jason Ronald, Xbox vice president in charge of next generation, stopped short of denying a multi-device approach. Ronald said the “Project Helix will be available as its own Xbox console,” a statement that leaves open the possibility of additional device types in the project.
Helix could run PC games
Microsoft has indicated Project Helix will be capable of running PC games, narrowing the gap between Xbox and PC gaming. That capability is one of the factors differentiating Helix from past Xbox generations and supports a more platform-oriented strategy.
This approach suggests Microsoft may distribute the Helix platform across different hardware formats rather than concentrating it in a single traditional console. Which devices will be offered and whether they will differ significantly remains unknown.
Timeline: alpha in 2027, commercial launch later
No commercial launch date has been announced. In February — shortly before Sharma unexpectedly took charge of Xbox — AMD said it would be ready to support a next-generation Xbox launch in 2027.
In March, Jason Ronald stated that Project Helix would only reach alpha stage in 2027, implying that a retail release would come later and that project details could change before Microsoft makes an official announcement.
