Microsoft surprised the gaming world last night with a teaser video announcing the codename for its next line of Xbox consoles. It has been nearly six years since the launch of the Xbox Series X|S consoles, and gamers have been anxiously awaiting what Microsoft has in store for a follow-up. Well, the wait for more details could be just around the corner.
The next generation of Xbox console: Project Helix pic.twitter.com/YQUrCgCb9J
— Xbox (@Xbox) March 5, 2026
Not long after the teaser vid dropped, Xbox’s new CEO Asha Sharma posted on social media that more will be revealed at GDC next week. One detail that had been a rumor up until now is that the next gaming console will indeed be a hybrid of sorts in that it will be able to run games made for both PC and Xbox platforms.
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.
— Asha (@asha_shar) March 5, 2026
Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games. Looking forward to chatting about… pic.twitter.com/Xx5rpVnAZI
Project Helix could be a very ambitious new beginning for the Xbox platform, which some have speculated might be abandoned by Microsoft. It also aligns with recent rumors that Microsoft is exploring options to merge PC and Xbox subscription services on Game Pass. Having a console that plays games from both platforms but then has access to its game streaming service with the same options makes perfect sense to keep things streamlined for gamers. The two biggest questions will be specs and pricing.
In regard to specifications, it’s already known that Microsoft and AMD have renewed their partnership, and the next console will once again utilize a custom processor from AMD. Rumors have suggested that Microsoft may opt to use AMD’s “Magnus” solution, which allows a tiled approach whereby the same motherboard can be used in multiple console models, while the tile itself can have parts replaced per configuration needs. This could make for lower costs for Microsoft if it plans to launch base and premium models with Project Helix.
When it comes to pricing, those details become a bit more mysterious. At this point, most are aware of how the ongoing DRAM/NAND chip shortage is affecting prices on a plethora of consumer products. Valve recently admitted that it was having to re-evaluate its options with its suppliers before it could commit to a price for its upcoming Steam Machine. No doubt, both Microsoft and Sony are having to strategically plan with their hardware supply partners to ensure competitive pricing for their next-gen models. That being said, the closest thing we have to facts right now is that Valve’s console might launch this fall, while Microsoft’s and Sony’s could be as far out as 2028.