Microsoft Confirms Next-Gen Xbox "Project Helix" Will Play Both Xbox and PC Games
- Sagar Mankar
- Mar 6
- 2 min read
Microsoft has officially confirmed its next-generation Xbox console, codenamed Project Helix, and revealed that it will be capable of playing both Xbox and PC games.
The announcement came from new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, who took to X to share the news with fans. "Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console," Sharma posted.
"Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games. Looking forward to chatting about this more with partners and studios at my first GDC next week!"
This marks the first official confirmation of something that had been circulating as a rumor for quite some time. Microsoft has spent the past several years actively working to bridge the gap between console and PC gaming. From pushing the Xbox App on Windows and publishing titles on third-party platforms like Steam, to hardware collaborations such as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X, the direction has been clear. Project Helix feels like the natural next step in that journey.
Sharma also confirmed she will be discussing Project Helix with partners and studios at GDC, which kicks off March 9-13, 2026, in San Francisco.
According to previous reports, AMD confirmed it is working with Microsoft on a semi-custom SoC for the console, with a launch window targeted for 2027.
On the leadership front, Sharma recently stepped into the Xbox CEO role following Phil Spencer's retirement. Spencer had been the face of Xbox for decades. Xbox President Sarah Bond was also replaced by longtime Microsoft executive Matt Booty.
Sharma has already made her priorities known. In open letters published by Microsoft, she stated her goal simply as "Understand what makes this work and protect it." She also addressed the role of AI in gaming directly, saying, "We will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us."
More details on Project Helix are expected at the GDC meet.
