Microsoft has begun lifting the lid on its next Xbox console, sharing the first official details during this week’s Game Developers Conference.
After months of rumours and purposeful vaguery, Microsoft has begun to properly discuss its next gen Xbox console, now codenamed Project Helix.
The name was casually revealed by Xbox’s new CEO, Asha Sharma, just last week, although calling it a console is something of a misnomer as Project Helix is officially confirmed to be more of a gaming PC.
While Microsoft has yet to show what it looks like, it has gone into more detail about what to expect from Project Helix, with new details lending further credence to rumours about its release date and pricing.
It’s long been suspected that the console is aiming to launch in 2027, with insider KeplerL2, who has been consistently accurate with their claims regarding Microsoft and Sony hardware, asserting that both Project Helix and Sony’s PlayStation 6 remain on track to launch ahead of Christmas 2027.
Not only that, but the much rumoured PlayStation handheld is apparently due at the same time, with KeplerL2 implying that it and the PlayStation 6 are not one and the same.
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That’s somewhat surprising as the ongoing memory shortage has sparked theories that both consoles would be delayed, but the odds of Project Helix launching in 2027 sound more viable now that Jason Ronald, vice president of Next Generation at Xbox, has said Project Helix dev kits will be shipped in 2027.
Ronald was speaking during a keynote speech at this week’s Game Developers Conference (GDC), in an attempt to get developers on board with the new format, so that they can release games on it as soon as possible.
Just before Christmas is almost always when Sony and Microsoft release new consoles, but it’s entirely possible that Microsoft will need to push Project Helix into early 2028, in the event of any complications – including the memory crisis.
Former Xbox president Sarah Bond once described the console as a ‘very premium’ product, meaning it’ll likely be geared towards hardcore enthusiasts as opposed to something with broader appeal like the Nintendo Switch 2, which can be easily advertised to both dedicated gamers and families.
Microsoft didn’t share any pricing info during GDC, but it was recently claimed Project Helix will be sold for anything up to £1,100. That’s still cheap for a high-end gaming PC, especially as chip maker AMD, which is partnering with Microsoft on the console, has unveiled new FSR technology called FSR Diamond.
‘Powering the experience: super excited to unveil AMD FSR Diamond, designed to be natively optimised for Project Helix,’ reads an X post by AMD senior vice president Jack Huynh.
FSR is AI upscaler tech used for boosting frame rates and resolution, so games run smoother and look sharper, but KeplerL2 has chimed in to say that this new Diamond tech will also be exclusive to the newer RDNA 5 graphics card and not support any of the older ones.
This further supports the idea that Project Helix will be very expensive and thus less appealing to general consumers. Depending on when it releases, it may also struggle when competing with Valve’s own Steam Machine, which is similar in concept and potentially of more concern to Sony.
Granted, the Steam Machine isn’t expected to be particularly affordable either, but Valve is insistent that it will launch this year, which will give it a head start over Project Helix.
If it makes a strong first impression, and is in any way cheaper than Microsoft’s offering, then it could risk shutting Project Helix out entirely.
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