- New details about the upcoming Xbox console, Project Helix, have been revealed
- Microsoft says alpha versions of hardware will be available to developers in 2027
- It also says it’s “committed to keeping games from four generations of Xbox playable for years to come.”
Microsoft has shared new details about its next-generation Xbox console, Project Helix, and confirmed that it will be in the hands of developers sooner than expected.
At GDC 2026, Jason Ronald, Vice President of Next Generation at Microsoft, gave a 30-minute keynote offering a deeper look at the upcoming Xbox console, including its hardware specifications.
While there’s no official launch date for Project Helix yet, he did confirm that alpha builds of the console will be sent to game studios next year as they revolve around the “future of gaming” and player behaviors, adding that “the days where people defined themselves as (console/PC/mobile gamer) don’t really exist anymore” (thanks, IGN).
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“I’m excited to announce that we plan to deliver alpha builds of hardware to developers starting in 2027,” Ronald said in the official Xbox Wire post.
Since alpha versions will be available starting next year, it will likely be a while before the console gets into consumers’ hands.
Following the retirement of former Xbox Gaming CEO Phil Spencer from Microsoft, who was replaced by Asha Sharma last month, the original Xbox co-founder said he believed Microsoft’s continued push into AI would eventually see the end of Xbox gaming as we know it, despite Sharma’s promises that it would see “the return of Xbox.”
Now, Microsoft has put those rumors aside as it plans for the future, with boss Satya Nadella countering that concern last week by insisting the company is “going long on games.”
Ronald also shared a similar statement about the future of Xbox in his post, saying: “We are committed to keeping games from four generations of Xbox playable for years to come. As part of our 25th anniversary later this year, we’ll be rolling out new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past.
Project Helix was announced earlier this month, and rumors are already swirling that the console could “probably” cost $1,000 or more, similar to the price of the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld.
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