Xbox CEO speaks more about next-gen Project Helix as a ‘family of devices’, says its new OS looks ‘really good’
Asha Sharma gives a hint that the next Xbox may have a handheld version
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has shared more details on its next generation Xbox Project Helix system.
Speculation has been rife about Project Helix for a while now, but in recent months Sharma’s comments to various outlets and the Xbox Wire blog have been painting a gradual picture of what appears to be a hybrid system capable of playing both console and PC games.
In August, while speaking to the BBC, Sharma briefly referred to Project Helix as a number of devices rather than just one, saying the company was “hard at work on a great next generation and a great family of devices for Helix”.
Now, during a town hall meeting with Xbox staff (as reported by Windows Central), Sharma went into more detail on this, clarifying that Project Helix will still consist of a console, but other devices too.
“We are moving to a family of devices for Gen 10,” she reportedly said. “There is not one device that fits all. We will certainly have a great console first, but we also know that many players will be on the go.
“There are some things that we are the best in the world to manufacture, and there are other things that will we partner on. So, we will be sharing more about that as our plans develop.”
Sharma also stated that “the operating system is starting to look really good, we’re very excited about this,” potentially implying that Helix won’t have a similar front-end to Xbox Series X/S, which itself was very close to the Xbox One user experience.
Further reading
The suggestion that “many players will be on the go”, and the reference to “other things that we will partner on”, suggests that Xbox may be preparing a handheld that will be compatible with the Project Helix ecosystem and games – perhaps an updated version of the ROG Xbox Ally X, which is created by ASUS but offers access to Xbox PC games, as well as games on other PC storefronts.
In June, Sharma suggested the platform holder was also looking at ways to make Helix more affordable, saying: “I think we’ve reached a point where it will be hard to imagine that mass audiences can afford thousands of dollars to spend on a console generation.”
