Microsoft confirms "Project Helix," a next-gen Xbox that runs both Xbox and PC games

Early rumors point to an AMD Zen 6 and RDNA 5 chip powering the new console

by · TechSpot

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Looking ahead: Months of rumors have suggested that the next Xbox will be a hybrid of PC and console, supporting Xbox games alongside standard Windows software. A brief message from the Xbox division's new CEO now provides the first unambiguous confirmation of this plan from Microsoft, with more information potentially coming next week during the Game Developers Conference.

Asha Sharma, who recently replaced Phil Spencer as the head of Microsoft's Xbox division, provided a short update on the company's next-generation console. Revealing the codename "Project Helix," she confirmed that the upcoming device aims to lead in horsepower and will support both Xbox and PC games.

Since taking over Xbox last month, Sharma has emphasized her commitment to "the return of Xbox." Although she said the company will "refocus" on console, the announcement of Project Helix appears to confirm longstanding rumors that Microsoft's console and PC divisions will grow closer than ever.

The rumor mill has indicated since last year that the next Xbox will essentially be a pre-built PC that remains backward compatible with all games that run on the Xbox Series X.

Third-party takes on the hybrid console could also emerge from Asus and other OEM partners. These rumors align with comments from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who has expressed ambitions to create a "universal" gaming ecosystem. Nadella considers Windows Microsoft's most important gaming platform, and the company aims to streamline the operating system's gaming experience over the coming months and years.

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Microsoft plans to roll out multiple OS updates to improve drivers, background task management, graphics stacks, the user-facing interface, and other aspects of Windows. The goal is to make the operating system feel more "console-like."

The Asus ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming PC currently serves as a testbed for features the company plans to roll out to Windows 11 PCs and the next Xbox. The most important is likely the Full Screen Experience, which allows users to launch games immediately upon booting Windows without seeing the desktop, using only a controller. Windows Insiders can currently test the interface on other devices.

Leakers have also provided a fairly clear picture of the next Xbox's internal hardware, which reportedly centers around an AMD-designed APU codenamed Magnus. Magnus is believed to include 10 Zen 6 CPU cores and an unconfirmed number of GPU compute units based on the upcoming RDNA 5 architecture.

Compared to the Xbox Series X, which is based on Zen 2 and RDNA 2, Magnus should deliver substantial improvements in rendering, upscaling, ray tracing, and possibly path tracing performance. Although AMD recently announced that the chip will be ready next year, rumors indicate that Microsoft has not yet set a firm internal launch date for its next console.

Console-like devices such as the next Xbox and Valve's upcoming Steam Deck, which aim to facilitate playing PC games in the living room, might have been a factor behind Sony's rumored decision to step back from PC ports. If successful, living room PCs from Valve, Microsoft, and other manufacturers could bring PC and console gaming into more direct competition.

Sharma has promised to share more details with developers and partners at the 2026 Game Developers Conference, which begins next week.