Microsoft presented the first concrete details about its next-generation console, currently with the working name Project Helix, at the gaming industry conference GDC in San Francisco. Microsoft describes the new hardware as a huge technical leap forward. Project Helix is expected to blur the line between console and Windows games.
Jason Ronald from Microsoft announced that Project Helix will be powered by a custom-built AMD chip designed to deliver high performance, especially in ray tracing and machine learning. A major feature of Project Helix is that it will be able to run both Xbox games and Windows games. Microsoft plans for this to work both ways, and in connection with Xbox's 25th anniversary, they plan to roll out new ways to play classic titles from the four previous Xbox generations.
The specific technical specifications or performance metrics of the custom AMD chip have not been disclosed. Microsoft plans to send out the first development kits to game developers during 2027. It remains to be seen when the console itself will be available in stores, but it sounds like it will be at the earliest in 2028.
The exact release date or timeframe for the console in stores is still unknown.