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?

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[Vixi]

Calling it Helix is blasphemy against my religion.

 

[x65943]

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.

That all sounds wonderful, but if they follow the Xbox rog ally approach (aka, put in zero effort) it will leave a very sour taste

 

[Lumpofcoal]

IMO, this could be a good or bad thing. Good because it could mean that the PC version is better on launch day since the devs are now essentially working on just one version (besides PS). The bad is that it means XBOX console users are now potentially subjected to the performance vagaries of the PC platform and it could result in a worse release for them.

Anyway, I have the sinking feeling that the true movtive behind such a move is to harness the power of PC for whatever AI shenanigans the new ceo is cooking up.

 

[SecureBoot]

I meant to put this on a thread the other day- I think the one about Sony removing first parties from steam. I think at this point in time, steam machines are the way to go, or console manufacturers should throw in the towel. Compute is getting faster, more efficient, and (generally) cheaper.

Translation layers like Wine/Proton and Fex are maturing rapidly, greatly expanding what devices are capable of playing games. This also provides the benefit of developers only really having to program one version of their game in many cases.

Smaller players are cropping up that are making hardware that is more capable than ever before. I've been playing with the Ayn Thor recently. Cheaper than a Switch 2 (or even Switch 1 depending on the model you get) and infinitely more capable. I can play switch games, PC games, retro titles, game streaming, media consumption all in a clamshell form factor that fits in my pocket. I haven't touched my Switch 2 since I finished Metroid. Before Metroid, not since Bananza.

Operating systems like bazzite and steamos have made great strides to simplify the PC gaming experiences to suit the needs of a casual audience.

There is nothing any of the big three are doing or can do to gain any significant advantage, other than offer a substantial library of exclusives. With how expensive games are to make, how many exclusives can you really expect? We're about a year into Nintendo's new generation and what do you have? 2... Maybe 3 heavy hitters depending on how you count? Depending on who you ask, that number my drop down to 1. And what are we looking forward to as the next system seller? I can't think of anything until pokemon in 2027.

Back in the 90s-early 10s, gaming was much more fractured. Manufactures were racing to put together the best performing machine at prices that couldn't be best, or trying to offer some unique way of play. The prices no longer undercut PC hardware. Niche form factors are abandoned by everyone except your AYNs and Retroids.

I think it's time to give gamers what they actually want. They can already practically play whatever they want on any of the three arbitrary boxes. Let's just call it there. No more boxes. Let's focus on software. We've reached the final frontier. Anything you want to make, you can make.

 

[AshuraZro]

I think the difficulty with this announcement is that it doesn't define what they consider to be Xbox games at this point really. An absurd marketing blitz last year pushed that everything is an Xbox due to Cloud Gaming. Until this gets defined properly, it's just fluff in my eyes.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

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.

They're computers, but they're not PCs. PC would imply that you actually control the hardware and the software that runs on it and almost no game console gives you that kind of access.

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

That's not a tablet, tablets don't have physical controls.

 

[Vixi]

I think the difficulty with this announcement is that it doesn't define what they consider to be Xbox games at this point really. An absurd marketing blitz last year pushed that everything is an Xbox due to Cloud Gaming. Until this gets defined properly, it's just fluff in my eyes.

It is defined properly, everything is an xbox, except bento boxes and cat boxes.

 

[ChronoCrossfangirl2002]

At least they didn't name it Project Dome

 

[jumpman17]

I really hope they continue their confusing stupid ass naming conventions for their consoles. Can't wait for Xbox 180 Series X-Five S.

 

[Ambers_Crimson_8K]

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

The Xbox Series X Does!

 

[YoureALoser]

Watch this just be a PC

In other words, the end of the xbox

I guess you missed the part where Asha said Microsoft will be focusing on console exclusives? Where have you been? Phil was the end of the Xbox console brand. Phil has ran the Xbox console brand straight into the ground over the last 2-3 generations. Game pass is absolute dog shit from an investors perspective. Having no console exclusives put the final nail in the coffin of the Xbox console brand.

 

[x65943]

I guess you missed the part where Asha said Microsoft will be focusing on console exclusives? Where have you been? Phil was the end of the Xbox console brand. Phil has ran the Xbox console brand straight into the ground over the last 2-3 generations. Game pass is absolute dog shit from an investors perspective. Having no console exclusives put the final nail in the coffin of the Xbox console brand.

I'll believe it when I see it

xbox has been losing ground and fumbling for 13 years now

 

[YoureALoser]

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.

I can tell you're clueless on this subject "consoles would've stopped selling a long, long time ago". Software sells hardware, hardware does not sell software. Sony & Nintendo continue winning because they have exclusive software. Microsoft consoles continue failing because they have no exclusive software.

 

[Foxi4]

That all sounds wonderful, but if they follow the Xbox rog ally approach (aka, put in zero effort) it will leave a very sour taste

I'll believe it when I see it

xbox has been losing ground and fumbling for 13 years now

Microsoft’s biggest enemy on the market is Microsoft. It was true during the media player era, it was true at the advent of the smartphone and it’s true now. Microsoft had a huge head start in all of those fields and consistently failed to deliver a compelling product due to complacency. If someone can screw up an easy win like this, it’s them.

I can tell you're clueless on this subject "consoles would've stopped selling a long, long time ago". Software sells hardware, hardware does not sell software. Sony & Nintendo continue winning because they have exclusive software. Microsoft consoles continue failing because they have no exclusive software.

Thank you for this valuable insight considering no platform on the planet has access to more software, especially more *exclusive* software than PC’s (more specifically Windows PC’s) do. Steam, the de facto PC gaming hub, has 132 million active monthly users. I understand that you live in a comfortable walled garden, but there’s a huge world outside of your little pumpkin patch. If “software sells hardware” as you say then no doubt you’ll have a great explanation as to why the Gamecube or the Wii U were massive fucking bombs in spite of Nintendo’s “killer” library. As it turns out, there’s more to it than your surface understanding of the subject that lacks nuance.

They're computers, but they're not PCs. PC would imply that you actually control the hardware and the software that runs on it and almost no game console gives you that kind of access.

PC just means personal computer. What you associate with a PC today is simply a matter of one platform being overwhelmingly successful.

That's not a tablet, tablets don't have physical controls.

”Tablet” is just a form factor, it does not preclude the existence of physical controls. Most early tablets had loads of physical controls and often included a D-Pad or joystick because touchscreens were still awful, often requiring a dedicated pen to achieve any degree of accuracy.

 

[MarkDarkness]

It's called a PC.

 

[VinsCool]

Helix? Isn't that the TV box thing by Videotron, I have one for like a decade and it's a broken pile of junk, I miss Illico.

Oh it was Xbox this time, I guess that name, Helix, is bad omen for them too.

 

[Xzi]

Xbox will have already been dead and buried for three years by the time they release this thousand-dollar PC in 2030. Jet Set Radio Future and the Rareware Collection are the only remaining exclusives, and those can be emulated pretty easily.

 

[Kioku]

That all sounds wonderful, but if they follow the Xbox rog ally approach (aka, put in zero effort) it will leave a very sour taste

What? You don't like the Xbox controller attached to a crappy screen approach that doesn't add anything of value?

 

[CoolMe]

this is pretty interesting, it's not surprising as they were headed toward this play anywhere and xbox/pc merge for a while, the question that remains is if the hardware required is or if any pc could be rigged to be an xbox/pc just like with steamos/bazzite etc? probably not, the xbox os/ecosystem will probably exist only in these machines (only GP on pc). another thing to consider is whether they'll put a disc drive on it or not, this is pretty important sp for BC games, mainly for og xbox & 360 and not just the current & previous gen' games.

 

[Viri]

Xbox will have already been dead and buried for three years by the time they release this thousand-dollar PC in 2030. Jet Set Radio Future and the Rareware Collection are the only remaining exclusives, and those can be emulated pretty easily.

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