The next Xbox console is Project Helix and it will 'play your Xbox and PC games,' new CEO promises

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A new kind of console

Xbox Project Helix
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Xbox's new CEO Asha Sharma has a tough job ahead as she tries to revive the 25-year old gaming brand, or as some on the internet believe, lead it gently into the good night.

After trying to prove her gaming bona fides to the unwashed masses of X, Sharma has confirmed the next-generation Xbox is in the works with a codename, Project Helix.

"Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games," Sharma wrote on X. She added that she'll be discussing the console with partners and studios at GDC this month. Potentially, more details could be revealed to us then.

Sharma's post seems to confirm the rumors that Xbox is working on a hybrid console/PC. Previous rumors have suggested that Xbox will reveal its new console before the end of 2026. It's also possible the company could unveil an Xbox PC.

Previous Xbox president, Sarah Bond, hinted that the next Xbox console would be a "very premium, very high-end curated experience."

Sharma just took over the gaming division at Microsoft after longtime Xbox head Phil Spencer retired. It'll be interesting to see if she is pivoting away from the projects Spencer and Bond were working on, or if she'll stay the course based on what's already available.

Sharma has described herself as a "platform builder" in an interview, and she is committed to "being grounded in what the community is telling us."

Over the summer, a leaked "Magnus APU" suggested Microsoft was working on an upgradeable console that would get more frequent updates than your usual seven-year console lifecycle. Basically, the leak hinted that the next Xbox would be more akin to a pre-built PC.

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Scott Younker
Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.

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