Coming up to the sixth year of the Xbox Series consoles, the Xbox Twitter account has today shared the codename for their next generation console: Project Helix. Outside of a small teaser animation, little was shared from the official account, with the more interesting details being shared by the new Xbox CEO Asha Shar.

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The most interesting point here is the fact this system will be capable of playing both Xbox and PC titles, further blurring the lines between modern consoles and PC hardware. This decision appears to mark a distinct split in strategy between Xbox and Sony, with Sony appearing to be moving away from the PC market. With PC parts getting more expensive, would a console capable of playing your PC library be enough to tempt you into the next generation of Xbox hardware?

Source

 

[Flame]

That name makes sense.

 

[lightwo]

PC games on Xbox? About time.

As long as it doesn't mean they start a new wave of locking consumers into their operating (eco)system, I don't mind.

 

[Dark_Ansem]

Could actually threaten the Steam Machine?

 

[Foxi4]

Hey, if it plays PC games *and* Xbox games, it’s pretty interesting by default. I’ve heard murmurs about an Xbox compatibility layer for Windows for *years*, and the Play Anywhere program games were a small taste of what *could* be. If this is just a box running Windows stripped of most nonsense unrelated to playing video games, thus reducing overhead (no doubt to compete with SteamOS) then I have no complaints.

 

[x65943]

Watch this just be a PC

In other words, the end of the xbox

 

[Bladexdsl]

like i said earlier consoles are DEAD

 

[x65943]

like i said earlier consoles are DEAD

Nintendo switch 2 says hello

 

[Bladexdsl]

Nintendo switch 2 says hello

silly boy that's not a console it's a tablet!

 

[lightwo]

Could actually threaten the Steam Machine?

Considering only the price, it would have to be cheaper than Steam Machine. If it ends up more powerful too (which only makes sense for a successor), it would probably outsell it.

At this point I pray that they fumble once more to finally kill their brand for good.

 

[Foxi4]

Watch this just be a PC

In other words, the end of the xbox

All consoles are “just PC’s”, and always have been. The difference between a NES and an Apple II is not that big, they’re just 6502 computers. Every classic console you can think of was made with off-the-shelf components with some dedicated special sauce added on-top, like the PPU on the NES.

 

[LandonAndEmma]

View attachment 560498​

Coming up to the sixth year of the Xbox Series consoles, the Xbox Twitter account has today shared the codename for their next generation console: Project Helix. Outside of a small teaser animation, little was shared from the official account, with the more interesting details being shared by the new Xbox CEO Asha Shar.

​

The most interesting point here is the fact this system will be capable of playing both Xbox and PC titles, further blurring the lines between modern consoles and PC hardware. This decision appears to mark a distinct split in strategy between Xbox and Sony, with Sony appearing to be moving away from the PC market. With PC parts getting more expensive, would a console capable of playing your PC library be enough to tempt you into the next generation of Xbox hardware?

Source

And it's just a Xbox that runs Windows and uses proprietary crap.

 

[Bladexdsl]

Could actually threaten the Steam Machine?

unless this is able to run emulators (and kodi) out of the gate the steam box will still be a better buy

 

[x65943]

All consoles are “just PC’s”, and always have been. The difference between a NES and an Apple II is not that big, they’re just 6502 computers. Every classic console you can think of was made with off-the-shelf components with some dedicated special sauce added on-top, like the PPU on the NES.

Yes, but if the next Xbox "console" is a PC running windows 11 then the brand is dead

 

[tech3475]

PC games on Xbox? About time.

As long as it doesn't mean they start a new wave of locking consumers into their operating (eco)system, I don't mind.

Don't be surprised if they're locked to the MS store, remember they already have a cross platform initiative:
https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/xbox-play-anywhere

Unless this thing does in fact run 'full Windows' similar to the Steam Deck, like some rumours have suggested.

Yes, but if the next Xbox "console" is a PC running windows 11 then the brand is dead

Question is, will it be priced using the 'razor and blade' model, because a subsidized PC may be attractive to consumers.

That said, how much of a PC would it be? Will it have a 'desktop mode' like Steam OS? Will it's bootloader be unlocked potentially allowing for a cheaper Steam Machine?

 

[voddy]

please forbid ki while developing it or it will be a mess like win 11 :s

 

[FR0ZN]

unless this is able to run emulators (and kodi) out of the gate the steam box will still be a better buy

Also consider that Steam Machine is a Linux PC.
All the big and famous titles like CoD and Battlefield don't run on Linux due to their Anti-Cheat implementation.
Also other famous titles like Fortnite are not available anymore on Steam.

Enthusiasts could of course somehow make all that work.
You can install Windows for the few titles, you can install 3rd party launchers that give you all the games from other store fronts.
But you have to fiddle your way there.

Xbox is in a better position here.
Their system runs Windows out of the box, so you won't have any issues no matter the anti cheat stuff.
The next Xbox will also give you acces to ALL major stores from the dashboard.

If Microsoft can price the system right and subsidize the system with game sales (which Valve won't do), I honestly don't see the Steam Machine as competition here.

For the average console gamer that just wants to turn on the system and play games, the next Xbox will be the better choice.

 

[River_01]

can I install Linux on it?

 

[NinStar]

Well, now this explains why Sony is changing their strategy on PC games.

I hope this means that in the future they consider making an official PC emulator for Xbox (the original) and Xbox 360, even if it is only for select games. It would give me a good reason to use Windows for something after years of exclusively using Linux.

 

[Foxi4]

Yes, but if the next Xbox "console" is a PC running windows 11 then the brand is dead.

The current Xbox is just a PC running Windows, at least under the hood. It’s the special sauce that matters. A dedicated version of Windows with Big Picture-like functionality made specifically for gaming sounds great, and the average consumer who *only* wants to play video games will consider this an upgrade from the status quo. Now more than ever, considering the price of storage, GPU’s and memory is through the roof. This isn’t a primary machine for PC Master Race people, they’ll always prefer desktops, but a regular gamer who just wants to sit down and play might appreciate a cost-effective solution to their needs. If that wasn’t the case, consoles would’ve stopped selling a long, long time ago.