Microsoft Says It Will Share More on Project Helix, the Next-Gen Xbox Console, Later This Year

Xbox hosted a Game Dev Update on Thursday bringing developer-focussed news from the Xbox platform. Announcing the show last month, Microsoft said it would offer a “closer look at Project Helix,” but turns out the show only recapped the introduction of the next-gen Xbox console from this year's Game Developers Conference (GDC). Ahead of the show, Xbox confirmed more details on Project Helix are coming later in 2026.

Jason Ronald, VP of next generation at Xbox, took to X to clarify there would be no new announcements on Project Helix at the Game Dev Update show, but there's next-gen news on the way this year.

“For those who have asked, this is a recap of our announcements from GDC for those who weren't able to make it. We will have more to share about Project Helix later this year.”

What We Know of Project Helix

Xbox revealed the first details about Project Helix at GDC in March, promising “an order of magnitude leap” in ray-tracing performance with the next-gen console. In his keynote at the conference, Ronald said Microsoft was “hard at work” on the successor to the Xbox Series S/X.

Ronald said the next-gen Xbox console would deliver “more realistic, immersive, and dynamic worlds for players.” While Xbox has teased a major technical leap for its console and has confirmed Project Helix will play both console and PC games, specific details about the console are still under wraps.

At GDC, Ronald also confirmed that Microsoft would start sending out alpha versions of the next-gen Xbox to game developers in 2027, suggesting the company intends to launch the console sooner rather than later despite concerns about delays due to the ongoing memory and storage shortages.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma revealed the Project Helix codename for the next Xbox console in March. Sharma 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 console yet, but it is ahead of Sony, which is yet to reveal any details about the PlayStation 6. The tenth generation of consoles are expected to launch in late 2027.