Project Helix: Microsoft’s next Xbox generation becomes a ‘family of devices’

• According to reports, it is a custom AMD design that can run both Xbox console games and PC games.
• Xbox executive Asha Sharma is said to have described Microsoft’s plans as a “family of devices” rather than a single console.

What happened

GameRant reported on October 6, 2026, based on earlier reporting and an internal town hall account, that Microsoft is positioning Project Helix as a successor to the Xbox Series X/S. In that description, Helix is a custom AMD-powered system meant to support both Xbox games and PC games. The reporting ties Helix to Microsoft’s broader hardware strategy for the next generation, where the focus would not be a traditional console alone, but also other devices that fall under the same product family.

The same report quotes Xbox CEO Asha Sharma as saying that Helix will be a “great console,” but not the only part of Microsoft’s hardware plans. She is said to have described the next Xbox generation as a “family of devices.” That is an important detail, because it suggests Microsoft is not presenting the next generation as a single device, but as a range of products sharing the same platform layer. However, that wording comes from an internal town hall account rather than a public product announcement.

So the reports do not point to one new console, but to a broader hardware line built around the same generation. Microsoft has not publicly confirmed the AMD specifications mentioned, nor the full lineup. It is also unclear which devices would be included in that family, or whether that means a main console, a handheld system, or other variants. For now, the core of the reporting is that Project Helix appears to play a central role, while the exact product names and technical details have not yet been officially locked in.

Background

Project Helix is being described in reporting as part of Microsoft’s next Xbox hardware strategy. The core idea appears to be that Microsoft is not betting on one console alone, but on multiple devices within the same generation. That fits the phrase “family of devices,” which is central to the reported comments from Asha Sharma. The term is broad and leaves room for different hardware forms, but the available information does not yet name a final product list.

The biggest uncertainty is the source layer. The comments about Helix and the “family of devices” come through an internal town hall account and an article that references it. Because of that, it is still unclear which details have been formally confirmed by Microsoft and which remain secondhand. The claim that Helix is a custom AMD design is repeated in the reporting, but Microsoft has not yet backed that up with an official announcement or technical product page.

So the current picture is that Microsoft is reportedly working on a next Xbox generation with a broader hardware setup than previous generations. Helix is being positioned as a key part of that strategy, while the exact shape of the rest of the family remains open. The mention of both Xbox and PC games is also notable, since it suggests Microsoft wants to blur the line between console and PC ecosystems even further. At the same time, it remains unclear how far that integration will go in practice and which devices will ultimately be included.

Related GAME-scanner articles

• Project Helix: Microsoft sets the next Xbox generation up as a ‘family of devices’
• Xbox says it is seeing growth again after layoffs and studio closures, and outlines a ‘family of devices’ for the next generation

Sources

• GameRant, October 6, 2026: report on Project Helix and Microsoft’s next Xbox generation.
• Previously cited internal town hall reporting on comments from Asha Sharma.