The next Xbox generation has been confirmed by Microsoft Gaming and players now know that it is internally called Project Helix. Now that the company has teased the new console, it’s time for gamers to start speculating about exactly when it might arrive.
Codename ‘Project Helix’ Release Details
At this point, Microsoft Gaming’s new boss, Asha Sharma, has shared the codename for the project and confirmed rumors and speculation that the next-gen console will play both Xbox and PC games.
In the most recent update, Sharma shared her enthusiasm for the project after a Team Xbox meeting:
“Great start to the morning with Team Xbox, where we talked about our commitment to the return of Xbox including Project Helix, the code name for our next generation console. Project Helix will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games.”
Shortly after her quote was released the official Xbox social media accounts shared the name and logo for Project Helix with a short video.
At this point, nobody from Microsoft Gaming has shared any details about when consumers should expect the next-gen console to arrive (or when pre-orders might go live).
A look Back at Previous Codename Reveals before console Launches
Although Microsoft Gaming isn’t ready to share a release window for Project Helix quite yet, we can take a look back at the last two codename reveals to see what sort of lead time they had from codename reveal to console launch.
Project Scorpio – Xbox teased Project Scorpio at E3 2016 (summer 2016). The Xbox One X would go on to actually launch in November of 2017. That means the codename reveal for the mid-generation refresh arrived about a year and a half before the console’s launch.
Project Scarlett – Xbox announced Project Scarlett at E3 2019 (summer 2019) and the Xbox Series X generation officially launched in November of 2020.
If the Project Helix launch follows a similar pattern, then it seems like players might want to finish saving up for the next Xbox console by the late fall of 2027.
That said, it’s very important to keep the current RAM shortage in mind. The component shortage and the high demand for parts make this a very different production environment than the last two console generation launches. There is certainly a chance that Microsoft may be aiming for late 2027, but plans could change based on global economic and production issues.
At this time, there is no official release window for Project Helix.
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