Xbox says Project Helix will be a family of next-generation devices

Xbox's next step is not one console. It is several.

Chief executive Asha Sharma says Project Helix, the codename for Microsoft's next-generation Xbox hardware, will arrive as a family of devices for Gen-10. Gen-10 is shorthand for the tenth generation of consoles, the next hardware cycle. The detail comes from an Xbox town hall meeting, an internal staff session, as reported by Eurogamer.

"We are moving to a family of devices for Gen-10," Sharma told staff. "There is not one device that fits all."

That is the core of the plan. A codename is a temporary working title used while hardware is still in development. A family of devices means more than one type of machine sold under the same generation, often with different sizes, prices or ways to play.

Sharma said the traditional home console still comes first. It is the box that sits under the television and runs games on the big screen.

"We will certainly have a great console first, but we also know that many players will be on the go," she said.

Portable play was the reason given. Sharma did not name the other devices, give a release date or give a price. She framed the range as a response to different habits, with one machine for the living room and other options for play away from it.

On power and compatibility, Sharma set two clear goals. She said Helix will lead in performance and will play both Xbox and PC games. Performance, in console terms, covers speed, responsiveness and visual detail. Compatibility across Xbox and PC libraries would mean one machine able to run games first built for consoles and games first built for personal computers.

Sharma first discussed Helix in public in a BBC News interview at gamescom 2026, as noted by Engadget. Gamescom is an annual public showcase where publishers show upcoming hardware and software. She kept the detail broad at that stage.

"We've been hard at work on a great next generation and a great family of devices for Helix, and we'll share more soon," she told the BBC.

What makes this stand out is the emphasis on choice over a single flagship. Sharma is describing a home console as the starting point, not the whole range.

For players, this means waiting for the fuller reveal. The name Helix remains a codename. The number of devices, their designs and what they will cost are still to be announced.