Microsoft Reveals Project Helix Features at Next-Gen Xbox GDC Talk, Alpha Versions to Be Sent to Devs in 2027
Microsoft will distribute Project Helix alpha kits to developers in 2027, enabling unified Xbox and Windows game development with advanced AMD hardware and ML-powered upscaling.
- At the 2026 Game Developers Conference, Microsoft VP of Next Generation Jason Ronald announced that alpha dev kits for Project Helix will ship to developers in 2027.
- Project Helix features a custom AMD-based SOC designed to "eliminate CPU bottlenecks," enabling real-time GPU workloads and supporting advanced ray tracing and neural rendering across consoles and PCs.
- Microsoft aims to provide "one common platform for game developers," allowing titles to run seamlessly across devices, while new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma promised a "renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console."
- Following recent leadership changes, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella insisted the company remains "long on gaming," focusing on integrating Xbox and Windows platforms to enhance cross-device accessibility.
- Shipping dev kits in 2027 suggests a potential consumer launch later that year or in 2028, while Microsoft also plans to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Xbox later this year.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Microsoft’s next Xbox, Project Helix, won’t reach alpha until 2027
We're here at the 2026 Game Developers Conference, where Microsoft "VP of Next Generation" Jason Ronald is talking about a topic near and dear to many gamers' hearts: the future of Xbox. Ronald says the next Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, will have a custom AMD chip with "an order of magnitude increase in raytracing performance" up to and including path tracing, and a next-gen version of AMD's FSR upscaling technology that relies on machine lear…
Xbox's Project Helix, Sony's PS6, and the PlayStation Handheld Still Targeting a Holiday 2027 Release
Today's slew of GDC 2026 presentations included a surprisingly interesting keynote talk from Jason Ronald, vice president at Xbox, providing some insight into the next generation of Xbox hardware with Project Helix. Included in that was the confirmation that the alpha versions of Project Helix's development kits won't be going out to developers until 2027, which sparked plenty of concern about the final release dates for the next generation of h…
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