Summary
- Xbox head Asha Sharma has confirmed that Project Helix is the codename for the next‑gen Xbox —the console will be able to play both Xbox and PC games.
- The next-gen system will reportedly be able to switch between the Xbox Full Screen Experience and Windows 11.
- Former Xbox head Phil Spencer's retirement continues to cloud Xbox's future, but Sharma says that Microsoft is staying in the console business.
Microsoft's new gaming CEO Asha Sharma, who only took over as head of Microsoft's Xbox division last week following Phil Spencer's retirement, has confirmed the codename for the next-gen Xbox, "Project Helix." On top of this, Sharma's recent X post reveals that the next Xbox will be able to play both Xbox and PC games, and mentions that she'll be discussing the next-gen system with "partners and studios" at GDC next week.
Rumors about the next-gen Xbox being capable of playing PC games have swirled for months, but this is the first clear confirmation from Microsoft that it plans to blur the lines between console and PC. With this in mind, it's not surprising that Sony recently reportedly decided to stop releasing its first-party titles on PC.
Xbox head Phil Spencer is retiring, and Microsoft's head of AI is taking over
It's unclear what this means for the future of the Xbox brand.
Not much else is known about the next Xbox
The console is expected to be compatible with third-party stores like Steam, Epic Games, EA Play, and more
Helix follows previous codenames like Durango for the Xbox 360, Scorpio for the Xbox One X, and Anaconda for the Xbox Series X. It's unclear what the next Xbox's public-facing name will be. Previous rumors suggest the next Xbox will be able to switch between Windows 11 and the Xbox Full Screen Experience, similar to the ROG Xbox Ally X and S. However, based on Sharma's X post, Microsoft's next-gen console will be able to play Xbox games, unlike the Xbox Ally.
While I like Microsoft's Xbox Ally X, even several months after its release, the Xbox Full Screen Experience doesn't feel as polished as it should, especially if it's powering the tech giant's next-generation console. Still, the prospect of a console with the versatility of a PC, allowing you to purchase games from various stores outside the Xbox ecosystem, including Steam, Epic Games, GOG, EA Play, and more, is very appealing.
Several questions remain about the next-gen system, including whether it will be backward-compatible with Xbox Series X titles. That said, former Xbox President Sara Bond confirmed in a YouTube video from June 2025 that Microsoft has forged a "multi-year" partnership with AMD to "co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices." In that same video, Bond mentions that maintaining compatibility with "your existing Xbox library of games" is a priority for its next-gen system.
Still, given the uncertainty surrounding the Xbox brand's future at Microsoft following Spencer's departure, Sharma's statement that the tech giant isn't leaving the console hardware business is reassuring for Xbox fans.
