Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox may finally be ready to step into the spotlight. Newly appointed Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma has confirmed the company’s upcoming console is codenamed Project Helix and will play both Xbox and PC games. This news lines up with what industry leakers have been gossiping about for the last few months.
“Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console,” announced Sharma on X.
She added that the next-gen Project Helix is designed to be the most powerful Xbox yet. More details will be surfaced during the upcoming Game Developers Conference, scheduled for March 9-13, 2026, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.
“Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games. Looking forward to chatting about this more with partners and studios at my first GDC next week!”
Sharma’s comments line up with earlier rumors suggesting Microsoft’s next Xbox may move closer to a PC-like ecosystem rather than a conventional console. According to reports, the system could function as a ‘curated gaming PC,’ potentially supporting multiple storefronts and launchers, including Steam and GOG.
Sharma herself has hinted that a broader reset may be underway for Xbox. In an internal memo following her appointment as Microsoft Gaming CEO, she wrote that she wants to bring the brand back to its roots.
“I want to return to the renegade spirit that built Xbox in the first place,” Sharma said. Perhaps acknowledging that the gaming division has gone through turbulent years.
We will have to wait and see until GDC to learn more about what Microsoft is cooking up for the next-gen Xbox with Project Helix. But Sharma’s comments suggest the company could be preparing for its most radical console yet.
