Microsoft’s next console will not be a console, that is, in essence, what insider SneakersSO revealed on the NeoGAF forums, and the information shook the gaming community because it comes from someone with a track record: it was the same leaker who correctly anticipated that Xbox would bring its exclusives to other platforms earlier. […]
By Claudio Uson on 03/08/2026
The next console Microsoft It will not be a console, that is, in essence, what the insider revealed SneakersSO on the NeoGAF forums, and the information shook the gaming community because it comes from someone with a track record: it was the same leaker who correctly anticipated that Xbox would bring its exclusives to other platforms before the company officially confirmed it. According to your description, Xbox Project Helix It will basically be a PC con Windows that uses the Full Screen Experience (FSE)the same interface of ROG Ally Xto simulate the console experience. An expensive disguise for a product that, according to the leaker himself, Microsoft You already know that it is not going to sell massively.
A PC that pretends to be a console
The most radical change that describes SneakersSO It has to do with how it works. Project Helix for developers. In traditional consoles there is a native “build target”, that is, studios build their games specifically for that hardware. With Project Helix that disappears. The games will be published in the Windows Store like applications UWPexactly the same as on any PC with Windows. There will be no exclusive development environment for Xbox Helix to aim for. Backwards compatibility with previous titles Xbox will be maintained via emulation, but as a native platform with its own identity, the console Microsoft ceases to exist with this movement.
The direct consequence is that exclusives are definitively ruled out. If any game published on Project Helix It is simply a title Windows Storethere is no mechanism that ties you to that particular hardware. Halo, Gears, Forza and the rest of the catalog Xbox they have already arrived at PlayStation y PC; con Project Helixthe idea of a game that you can only play on one Xbox It becomes a thing of the past forever. Previous leaks suggest that Project Helix could be up to 6 times more powerful that the Series Xwith a performance of 20 times better ray tracing.
Microsoft knows this and is doing it anyway
The most striking thing about the leak is not the architecture of the device but the attitude with which Microsoft is developing it. According to SneakersSOthe company is fully aware that Project Helix It’s not going to be a massive success. The device is designed for a niche audience with high purchasing power, with a price that will be closer to that of a PC gaming high-end than that of a traditional console approximately $1,000 dollars. The leaker suggests that Microsoft It has committed the funds to the project and will continue ahead precisely because the modest sales will give it the justification it needs to permanently close its hardware division.
What is officially confirmed is that Xbox Project Helix will run both games Xbox as of PCaccording to the new CEO of Xbox, Asha Sharma. AMD also confirmed that it is developing the semi-custom chip known as “Magnus” for the device, with an estimated launch for 2027. The natural rival of Project Helix would not be the PS6 of Sonywhich will continue to be a traditional console with its own exclusives, but the Steam Machine of Valveanother high-priced hybrid device that targets the same segment of enthusiast gamers willing to pay for performance without tying themselves to a closed ecosystem.
Fuente
Former Xbox executive believes that the Steam Machine will be PlayStation’s biggest competitor and not the next Xbox: “Valve doesn’t make many mistakes”→
New Xbox will be up to 6 times more powerful than the Series X and 20 times better in ray tracing, while the PS6 will not be delayed despite the high price of RAM→
