Summary
- Project Helix rumored as a PC-like set-top box, priced like a gaming PC.
- Microsoft may drop a native Xbox SKU – games become Windows UWP builds, blurring console/PC lines.
- Handle with a pinch of salt – Helix targets a niche, luxury gaming audience.
Microsoft’s Xbox is in a bit of a strange position right now. First, we heard that it was giving up its exclusives and publishing its titles on as many consoles and devices as it can. Then we assumed that Microsoft was out of the console race. Then, Microsoft said it was still in the console race. Then, we heard rumors that Microsoft’s new console was actually more like a gaming PC running a tweaked version of Windows 11 that made it feel like a console. Yeah, things are a little confusing.
Well, to add more credibility to the claims that the new console will be more like a gaming PC, an Xbox insider has claimed that Microsoft’s newly announced device, Project Helix, will be quite expensive, as the company will price it more like a gaming PC than a console.
Microsoft confirms ‘Project Helix,’ its next-gen Xbox that can also play PC games
After months of rumors, it’s now clear the tech giant plans to blur the lines between console and PC.
Project Helix “will be pretty expensive,” claims insider
It doesn’t seem too implausible, either
As spotted by NotebookCheck, this claim comes from SneakersSO on the NeoGAF forums. SneakersSO has a reputation for calling some Xbox and PlayStation leaks in the past, which puts some credit on their name; however, as is the case with every single leak, always handle these with a pinch of salt, regardless of the leaker’s track record.
This time, SneakersSO replies to someone asking about Microsoft’s plans for its ‘next console.’
The problem is, we are thinking about this as if its a next console and console generation – its not.
This is basically a PC that uses the Windows Full Screen Experience (FSE) that we just saw in the Rog Ally X to emulate a console experience. The ‘native’ Xbox SKU, that had an updated build target that developers were building games for, thats going away, or rather – theres no Xbox Helix build target, its just a UWP build. You’re just shipping a game for the Windows Store. You still have access to your Xbox library thanks to BC emulation, but as far as having a ‘native’ Xbox console SKU you built your game towards, thats done.
SneakersOS calls Project Helix ” a set-top box version of the Rog Ally X” which means it will “be pretty expensive” and will be designed “for a very niche audience.” It seems similar to Valve’s plan with the Steam Machine, hinting at what might be ‘luxury consoles’ that work more like a PC than a closed system.