Microsoft Reveals Project Helix Details at GDC, Announces Xbox Mode for Windows 11

Microsoft will begin to ship alpha versions of Project Helix to developers in 2027, the company announced at Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Wednesday. The Xbox parent shared more details on next-generation Xbox features, promising “an order of magnitude leap” in ray-tracing performance.

In a keynote at the latest edition of GDC, which began in San Francisco on March 9, Jason Ronald, vice president of Next Generation at Xbox, discussed next-gen Xbox hardware. Ronald said Microsoft was “hard at work” on its next-generation first-party console, codenamed Project Helix.

The next-gen console from Microsoft, which will play both PC and Xbox games, runs on a custom AMD SoC. Ronald said Project Helix was codesigned with AMD “for the next generation of DirectX and FSR to unlock what comes next.”

Project Helix Features

The executive also promised a major leap in performance, power, capability with Project Helix.

“It delivers an order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability, integrates intelligence directly into the graphics and compute pipeline, and drives meaningful gains in efficiency, scale, and visual ambition. The result is more realistic, immersive, and dynamic worlds for players,” Ronald said in his keynote, summarised on Xbox Wire.

Crucially, he confirmed Microsoft will begin sending out alpha versions of the next-gen Xbox to game developers in 2027. That timeline suggests Microsoft plans to launch the console sooner rather than later amidst fears of a delay due to memory and storage shortages and pricing concerns.

Project Helix will also be backwards compatible with all generations of Xbox consoles, just like Xbox Series S/X. Ronald said the company was “committed” to keeping titles from all 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,” Ronald said.

Xbox Mode Coming to Windows 11

The Microsoft executive also shared an update on Xbox on Windows, confirming that Xbox mode, which debuted as the Xbox full-screen experience on ROG Xbox Ally handhelds, will roll out on Windows 11 starting April.

The Xbox mode allows users to boot directly into the Xbox app, providing a more console-like intuitive UI experience. The mode will be available on Windows 11 in select markets to begin with, Ronald said.

Project Helix was officially announced by new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma last week. The new Xbox chief, who replaced Phil Spencer last month, said Project Helix would “lead in performance” and play both Xbox and PC games.

Microsoft has not confirmed its launch plans for the next-gen Xbox; neither has Sony for the PlayStation 6. Reports suggest that the tenth generation of home consoles will launch in late 2027, although there are concerns about delays due to RAM and storage shortages and price hikes. The ninth generation of consoles, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X, launched in 2020.