Microsoft announces new Xbox, says it can play PC games also

Microsoft's new gaming chief Asha Sharma has teased the next-generation Xbox, codenamed Project Helix. Sharma has hinted that the next Xbox will be able to play Xbox as well as PC games.

In Short

• Microsoft Gaming CEO teases next-gen Xbox console
• The new console is codenamed Project Helix
• Asha Sharma says new console will allow you to play Xbox and PC games

Microsoft has given the first official glimpse into the next-generation Xbox console. The company’s new gaming chief Asha Sharma shared the Project Helix teaser on X. Sharma also hinted that the next Xbox may be a hybrid console that will be also be able to run console games.

On X, Sharma wrote that Project Helix was the codename of the next-generation Xbox. She added, “Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games.”

Sharma was appointed the CEO of Microsoft Gaming after Phil Spencer retired from the company, 38 years after he joined the Redmond giant.

What to expect from Xbox Project Helix

Project Helix will be the fifth generation of Xbox consoles. The latest Xbox consoles include the Xbox Series X and Series X. Sharma’s statements and supporting reports suggest a direction that emphasises cross-platform compatibility and high performance.

While Sharma did not reveal more, Microsoft has previously hinted that the new console would be a big performance leap compared to the current generation. Xbox President Sarah Bond said late last year, “The largest technical leap you will have ever seen in a hardware generation.”

Reports indicate that Project Helix will be capable of playing PC games from various storefronts, such as Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Microsoft is changing what an Xbox is

Microsoft has been diversifying its Xbox business as sales of the current gen consoles fail to come close to Sony’s PS5.

In 2025, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated he hoped to "revisit" the idea of having separate consoles and PCs, suggesting that the next Xbox console may be more of a hybrid device. He said, “I kind of want to revisit some of that conventional wisdom”

The company has brought its Xbox experience to handhelds such as the Asus ROG Xbox Ally series. Xbox Cloud Gaming was also launched in India last year.

When will the next-gen Xbox launch?

Microsoft has not given a timeline for the next-gen Xbox console. Previously, AMD CEO Lisa Su stated that the new Xbox console with an AMD semi-custom SoC, is scheduled to launch in 2027.

Asha Sharma will be attending the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this month, where we may get more information about the new Xbox.

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