Windows Central Insider
Project Helix is the codename for Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox, described as a console‑PC hybrid built around a custom AMD system on chip codenamed Magnus and a Windows-based front end called the Xbox Full Screen Experience (later rebranded as Xbox mode).
Windows Central Executive Editor Jez Corden exclusively reported on the plans for the next Xbox on February 8th, 2026, before the Helix codename was made public, noting that the next-gen console is expected to ship in 2027 (likely in the fall). His earlier reporting in October 2025 revealed the true nature of the project, including the overlap with PC gaming.
The Helix device will reportedly run a variant of Windows that lets users boot to the Windows desktop, install PC apps and stores such as Steam and the Epic Games Store, and use PC tools alongside traditional console features.
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