Microsoft has revealed further insights into its upcoming generation of Xbox console, known as Project Helix. During the Game Developers Conference (GDC) this week, Jason Ronald, Microsoft’s Vice President of next-gen development, presented a session titled “Building for the Future with Xbox.” In this presentation, he reiterated the earlier announcement made by the newly appointed CEO of gaming, Asha Sharma, emphasizing that the next-gen Xbox will be capable of running both Xbox console games and PC titles.

Ronald highlighted that Project Helix aims to enhance the gaming experience through high performance and user-centric design. He noted that the console will be empowered by a unique AMD-based system on a chip (SoC) that is co-engineered for the next iteration of DirectX.

A presentation slide also outlined several key features of Project Helix:

Custom AMD SoC

• Co-designed for the next generation of DirectX
• Advanced ray tracing performance and capabilities
• GPU-directed work graph execution

AMD FSR Next + Project Helix

• Developed for the next generation of neural rendering
• Enhanced machine learning upscaling
• New machine learning multiframe generation
• Next-gen ray regeneration for ray tracing and path tracing

Deep Texture Compression

• Neural texture compression
• Direct storage with Zstandard compression

Ronald mentioned that Project Helix will deliver a significant improvement in ray tracing performance.

As Microsoft looks to the future of gaming, Ronald indicated that the company is shifting towards a more holistic view of gaming experiences. He remarked, “The traditional labels of console, PC, and mobile gamers are increasingly blurred,” suggesting that Microsoft sees PC gaming as becoming an essential component of the Xbox ecosystem.

Regarding the timeline for developers, Ronald announced that alpha versions of Project Helix will start shipping in 2027.

Asha Sharma previously confirmed Project Helix on her social media, stating that it will “lead in performance.”

This announcement marks one of Sharma’s significant early actions as Microsoft’s head of gaming, as she takes over from Phil Spencer following his retirement after nearly 40 years with the company. Meanwhile, Sarah Bond, who was anticipated as a potential successor, also announced her departure from Xbox.

For further updates on Microsoft’s gaming leadership and future strategies, stay tuned.