The annual Game Developers’ Conference (GDC) is taking place this week in San Francisco. New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma promised last week that more details about Project Helix, the next Xbox, would be revealed at GDC and Microsoft did in fact provide some new details on the upcoming device.
Helix is meant to be a hybrid console-PC. During a talk titled “Building for the Future with Xbox” VP of Next Generation Jason Ronald explained what the hybrid means. Think of Helix as akin to Valve’s delayed Steam Machine as it will play both PC games and Xbox ones.
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Here’s an overview of Project Helix features. Partnered with AMD, designed for the next generation of DirectX.
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“The days of people defining themselves as (console/PC/mobile gamer) don’t really exist anymore,” Ronald said in his presentation. “What we’ve really learned is as we look at it, PC is becoming an increasingly important part of the Xbox experience.”
A summary of Ronald’s speech was posted to the Xbox site.
We maybe waiting awhile
Ronald announced that alpha versions of Helix wouldn’t ship to developers until 2027. Which means we might not see the console actually launch until 2028 despite hints at a 2027 reveal by AMD’s Lisa Su.
Other than an AMD chip and its hybrid nature, we don’t know anything else about Helix at this time.
A pushed out launch window might actually help Xbox since the ongoing memory shortage isn’t supposed to even begin resolving until 2028, at the earliest. By then, new factories should be handling the demand, assuming the AI bubble doesn’t pop by then.
It’s part of the reason Valve has delayed the Steam Machine and is struggling to maintain Steam Deck stock. At this rate, the Steam Machine and Xbox might launch around the same time and actually go head to head a la the battle Xbox used to have PlayStation.
Xbox mode for Windows
Microsoft is apparently expanding its work on “Xbox Mode” for Windows PCs based around the work it did on the Asus Rog Xbox Ally X handheld consoles. The goal is to optimize Windows 11 to like an Xbox console with reduced background processes and a prioritization of game performance.
This would include faster boot times, better controller support and improved frame stability.
“Xbox mode lets players seamlessly switch between productivity and play, with a familiar full screen and controller optimized Xbox experience while embracing the openness of Windows,” Ronald said.
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