Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Shares More Details on Project Helix 'Family of Devices'
As the next generation of consoles looms over the horizon, it's becoming clearer that Microsoft's Project Helix is going to be a whole lineup of gaming devices, rather than one console. In a leaked memo sent to staff and obtained by Windows Central, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma described the company's plans for the next generation as involving a family of devices. "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. The operating system is starting to look really good. We're very excited about this."
Anyone who's watched Microsoft's hardware strategy over the last few years shouldn't be too surprised by this. After all, the current generation of consoles launched with two separate boxes, the Xbox Series X and cheaper and less powerful Series S, with different users in mind. Then, last year, the company partnered with Asus to launch the ROG Xbox Ally X, which is still one of the best handheld gaming PCs on the market.
Sharma's statement suggests there will be at least one core console in the family—likely the successor to the Xbox Series X and the focus of Xbox's partnership with AMD. However, following the success of the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, it is expected that Microsoft will launch a whole lineup of Xbox-branded gaming PCs. The company already has the connections to branch out, so expectations range from more handheld gaming PCs to even Xbox-branded laptops and desktop PCs.
A major point of interest remains the operating system. While the Xbox Full Screen Experience has vastly improved, there is still room for improvement if Xbox expects it to have the same no-brainer approach that modern console UIs have. If Microsoft is hoping to embrace the PC gaming side of Xbox, though, it'll need to lean on more than just the Xbox app on Windows.
Furthermore, the memo reportedly mentioned Xbox PC and Battle.net, specifically noting how Blizzard's launcher is "almost on-par with Steam for user retention." With Xbox owning Blizzard, the company is expected to launch more games there. Ultimately, if Xbox can work out its kinks and deliver a Windows 11 (or 12) experience that's as easy to use as the Xbox Series X, Project Helix could end up defining the next console generation.