'More to Share' on Next-Gen Console Later in 2026, Xbox Says, Ahead of Game Dev Update Show [Updating Live]

Microsoft has moved to acceptable expectations up of today's archetypal Xbox Game Dev Update show, with connection connected erstwhile fans volition perceive much details of the company's next-gen console, codenamed Project Helix.

In a station connected X/Twitter this morning, Xbox hardware main Jason Ronald said that Microsoft would stock much details of its under-wraps instrumentality "later this year."

"For those who person asked, this is simply a recap of our announcements from GDC for those who weren't capable to marque it," Ronald said of the Project Helix conception successful today's Xbox Game Dev Update show. "We volition person much to stock astir Project Helix aboriginal this year."

Today's Xbox Game Dev Update dropped connected YouTube astatine 9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern time, and we're watching it present for caller announcements.

"We were truly arrogant to denote Project Helix astatine GDC, nonstop to developers," said Xbox seasoned Chris Charla, kicking disconnected a recap of the console's ceremonial announcement backmost successful March. This was made by Jason Ronald, Xbox's VP of Next Generation, who present has afloat oversight implicit Project Helix's development.

IGN was successful the assemblage for this presumption and reported it unrecorded astatine the time, which you tin work for a rundown of its astir important talking points. This was the presumption wherever Ronald confirmed Project Helix would play some Xbox and PC games, and that developers would person alpha versions of the console successful 2027.

Up adjacent successful today's Xbox Game Dev Update was a conception led by Travis Bradshaw, main merchandise pb for Xbox's developer onboarding program. Bradshaw discussed developments designed to let studios to vessel games connected Xbox faster and easier, and connected each benignant of instrumentality players are using. This includes an easier workflow for studios wanting to usage Xbox developer tools, and get started successful arsenic small arsenic an hour.

Another absorption present is Xbox's enactment of gameplay crossed aggregate devices — specified arsenic connected PC oregon handheld arsenic good arsenic consoles — done Xbox Play Anywhere. Bradshaw said that much than fractional of Xbox users play connected aggregate devices, and that Xbox Play Anywhere titles are played 2.2 times longer.

Next up was Shawn Hargreaves, who leads Microsoft's DirectX team. There was a recap of DirectX features shipped successful 2025, and a look up astatine however DirectX is adding instrumentality learning tools into its rendering pipeline. Here, Hargreaves made wide that this meant enactment connected things specified arsenic upscaling, framework generation, and texture compression, alternatively than afloat generative AI.

The show's debut follows a bid of changes from freshly-installed Xbox brag Asha Sharma. This has included a notable recommitment to the brand's next-gen console plans, the removal of the division's corporate-sounding Microsoft Gaming branding, a shiny caller look for the Xbox logo, and a chopped to the terms of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (while booting caller Call of Duty games from the subscription connected time one).

More to follow...

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social