Insider claims Project Helix will be "pretty expensive" and is being made for a "very niche audience"

Microsoft recently revealed Project Helix, the codename for what appears to be its next-generation console hardware. And according to insider SneakersSO, Project Helix may not follow the traditional console approach that players are used to. Instead of being a completely new console platform with its own development environment, the device could function more like a specialized gaming PC designed to deliver a console-style experience.

SneakersSO claims the system will rely on the Windows Full Screen Experience (FSE), a gaming-focused interface Microsoft recently introduced for devices like the ROG Xbox Ally X. This interface is designed to make Windows devices feel more like a console, allowing users to launch and manage games in a simplified full-screen environment.

If the claims are accurate, Project Helix would not have its own native development target the way previous Xbox consoles did. Instead, developers would simply create builds for the Windows Store using UWP applications. Players would still be able to access their existing Xbox game libraries through backward compatibility and emulation systems.

SneakersSO further added that Project Helix is expected to be “pretty expensive” and designed for a very niche audience, likely aimed at dedicated Xbox fans rather than the mass console market.

The insider also claimed that the direction for the project had already been decided internally long before the company’s recent leadership changes. However, the new CEO of Xbox Gaming, Asha Sharma, is only seeing it through because the company has already commited resources and development costs to the project.