Xbox CEO says Project Helix console will play Xbox and PC games

New Xbox CEO Asha Shar confirms Project Helix console will support both Xbox and PC games

Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console, currently codenamed Project Helix, will be capable of playing both Xbox and PC games, according to a statement from the company’s newly appointed Xbox CEO, Asha Shar.

Shar, who assumed the role following Phil Spencer’s departure on February 20, shared the update on March 5 after meeting with the Xbox team ahead of the Game Developers Conference. In a post on X, she confirmed the codename of the upcoming hardware and outlined one of its key features.

“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,” Shar wrote.

“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!”

Shar’s statement references a long-standing rumour about Microsoft’s plans for future Xbox hardware. Reports over the past year have suggested the company has been exploring ways to align its console platform more closely with the PC ecosystem.

Microsoft has already taken steps in that direction through initiatives such as Xbox Play Anywhere, which allows certain titles purchased digitally to be played on both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs.

The company is also continuing its hardware partnership with AMD for the next generation of Xbox systems. AMD previously designed the custom processors used in the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, and the company has confirmed it is working with Microsoft again on future console hardware.

Project Helix is widely believed to be the successor to the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, which launched in November 2020.

Microsoft has not yet announced a release window or technical specifications for the new console.