Xbox CEO says next-gen Project Helix will be a “family of devices,” hinting at another Xbox Series S|X-style lineup

According to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, the tenth-generation Xbox, Project Helix, will ship as a “family of devices.” Beyond that, not much is known about the lineup’s price tag or release window.

Asha Sharma told the BBC that Microsoft’s upcoming tenth-generation console won’t be one machine. Beyond that, Microsoft remains tight-lipped on the project.

Speaking to the BBC’s Laura Cress at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, Sharma said that Project Helix won’t be a single machine, contrary to what its March reveal appeared to imply. The likely strategy seems to be that Xbox will release a repeat lineup of home consoles similar to the Xbox Series S and X.

Offerings at multiple price points

Project Helix could ship on multiple architectures at different price points, so a cheaper, budget-friendly sibling could be in the works if Xbox and Microsoft decide to lower the price point by absorbing component costs.

Still, Project Helix remains a series of interviews, quotes, rumors, and reports, with no confirmed price tag, launch date, or disc-drive commitment. Furthermore, alpha development hardware won’t reach studios and developers until 2027 at the earliest.

All we know so far is what Asha Sharma announced about Project Helix in March, when Microsoft revealed its next-generation gaming machine on social media under the project codename and a single promise.

She said it would run both Xbox and PC games and would use a custom chip in partnership with AMD. Now, five months later, the codename has gone plural, being touted as a family of devices, a double helix, per se.

Not many details beyond what has already been revealed

In the BBC interview, Asha Sharma stated, “We’re not sharing more on Helix,” when asked whether it would feature a disc drive. She continued, “But look, we’ve been hard at work on a great generation and a great family of devices for Helix, and we’ll share more soon.”

A segmented Project Helix lineup could be the way forward, as it would build an affordability tier upon launch, rather than discounting the flagship later once buyers have already balked at the sticker price.

The “family of devices” will likely repeat something akin to the Xbox Series S|X lineup, with more in tow. For now, what’s changed for Microsoft’s next gaming console is the vocabulary around it, as Sharma put it, while the console or lineup itself could stay the same.

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