Xbox VP shares details on Project Helix, boasts exponential performance gains

Xbox just hosted a keynote at GDC where executives talked about the future of Xbox, and where Project Helix stands. Vice President of Next Generation, Xbox, Jason Ronald, spoke at the conference and shared some insights on the capabilities of the next Xbox console, Xbox mode, as well as timelines for developers, among other details.

As per the keynote summary shared on Xbox Wire, Ronald says that the team is “deep in development on our next generation Xbox console, Project Helix.” They are working with AMD on the custom APU and using FSR to power the next generation of neural rendering, machine learning (ML) upscaling, ML multi-frame generation, and ray regeneration for path tracing.

Ronald adds that the next Xbox console will deliver an “order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability” compared to the current gen Xbox consoles. This should result in more realistic, immersive, and dynamic game worlds. Of course, there were no benchmarks or statistics to back this up. A little too soon for that.

Moreover, the alpha versions of Project Helix will reach developers in the beginning in 2027, which means game studios can start building for the next generation Xbox starting early 2027. This could suggest that a reveal by the end of 2027 - with a early 2028 release - is still on the cards.

At the keynote, Xbox mode was also announced which is Xbox Fullscreen Mode with a new name. It will soon come to Windows 11 starting April, but only in select regions at first. The company has not shared a release date or the list of regions that will get it first, just yet. Another key directive for the next generation of Xbox is “Xbox Play Anywhere.” To improve the experience for developers, the tools are being made more user friendly.

Microsoft wants to reiterate that the Xbox consoles are not going anywhere and that the company will continue to invest in them for the foreseeable future.