TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
The AMD-powered box will continue the work started by the ROG Ally X.
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Microsoft continued the rollout of its future Xbox plans at GDC today in a talk hosted by VP of next generation Jason Ronald. Titled "Building for the Future with Xbox", the talk centered around Project Helix, the codename for the next Xbox console that will bridge the gap between a console and traditional PC.
Ronald expanded on what that dual identity will actually mean for the machine, and by the sound of things, Helix will behave similarly to Valve's upcoming Steam Machine with the distinction that it "plays your Xbox console and PC games." That's according to IGN, which live blogged the talk from the show.
We also got an early rundown of Helix's hardware, which is unsurprisingly another collaboration between Xbox and AMD. The console (PC?) will support AMD's next-gen upscaling, frame generation, and raytracing, and a number of other nice-to-haves.
Powered by custom AMD SOC
AMD FSR Next + Project Helix
Deep texture compression
Here's an overview of Project Helix features. Partnered with AMD, designed for the next generation of DirectX.
"The days of people defining themselves as (console/PC/mobile gamer) don't really exist anymore," Ronald said, as recounted by IGN. "What we've really learned is as we look at it, PC is becoming an increasingly important part of the Xbox experience." Microsoft is continuing its work to bring the Xbox dashboard to the PC as it began with the ROG Ally X's specialized Windows interface.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Ronald also announced that alpha versions of the Helix console will begin shipping to developers in 2027, suggesting that the earliest it'll be ready for primetime is 2028. By that time, the current Xbox hardware will be pushing eight years old.
That is, of course, assuming assembling PCs at a massive scale will still be feasible given our current AI-fueled RAM crisis—Valve's own console-ized PC box was delayed to sometime in 2026 until it can find enough RAM between the couch cushions to meet the moment.
2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a free...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
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Every Friday
GamesRadar+
Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.
Every Thursday
GTA 6 O'clock
Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.
Every Friday
Knowledge
From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.
Every Thursday
The Setup
Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.
Every Wednesday
Switch 2 Spotlight
Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.
Every Saturday
The Watchlist
Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.
Once a month
SFX
Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!
Microsoft continued the rollout of its future Xbox plans at GDC today in a talk hosted by VP of next generation Jason Ronald. Titled "Building for the Future with Xbox", the talk centered around Project Helix, the codename for the next Xbox console that will bridge the gap between a console and traditional PC.
Ronald expanded on what that dual identity will actually mean for the machine, and by the sound of things, Helix will behave similarly to Valve's upcoming Steam Machine with the distinction that it "plays your Xbox console and PC games." That's according to IGN, which live blogged the talk from the show.
We also got an early rundown of Helix's hardware, which is unsurprisingly another collaboration between Xbox and AMD. The console (PC?) will support AMD's next-gen upscaling, frame generation, and raytracing, and a number of other nice-to-haves.
Powered by custom AMD SOC
AMD FSR Next + Project Helix
Deep texture compression
Here's an overview of Project Helix features. Partnered with AMD, designed for the next generation of DirectX.
"The days of people defining themselves as (console/PC/mobile gamer) don't really exist anymore," Ronald said, as recounted by IGN. "What we've really learned is as we look at it, PC is becoming an increasingly important part of the Xbox experience." Microsoft is continuing its work to bring the Xbox dashboard to the PC as it began with the ROG Ally X's specialized Windows interface.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Ronald also announced that alpha versions of the Helix console will begin shipping to developers in 2027, suggesting that the earliest it'll be ready for primetime is 2028. By that time, the current Xbox hardware will be pushing eight years old.
That is, of course, assuming assembling PCs at a massive scale will still be feasible given our current AI-fueled RAM crisis—Valve's own console-ized PC box was delayed to sometime in 2026 until it can find enough RAM between the couch cushions to meet the moment.
2026 games: All the upcoming gamesBest PC games: Our all-time favoritesFree PC games: Freebie festBest FPS games: Finest gunplayBest RPGs: Grand adventuresBest co-op games: Better together
Morgan has been writing for PC Gamer since 2018, first as a free...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?