Microsoft has moved to set expectations ahead of today's first Xbox Game Dev Update show, with word on when fans will hear more details of the company's next-gen console, codenamed Project Helix.
In a post on X/Twitter this morning, Xbox hardware chief Jason Ronald said that Microsoft would share more details of its under-wraps machine "later this year."
"For those who have asked, this is a recap of our announcements from GDC for those who weren't able to make it," Ronald said of the Project Helix section in today's Xbox Game Dev Update show. "We will have more to share about Project Helix later this year."
Today's Xbox Game Dev Update dropped on YouTube at 9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern time, and we're watching it now for new announcements.
"We were really proud to announce Project Helix at GDC, direct to developers," said Xbox veteran Chris Charla, kicking off a recap of the console's formal announcement back in March. This was made by Jason Ronald, Xbox's VP of Next Generation, who now has full oversight over Project Helix's development.
IGN was in the audience for this presentation and reported it live at the time, which you can read for a rundown of its most important talking points. This was the presentation where Ronald confirmed Project Helix would play both Xbox and PC games, and that developers would receive alpha versions of the console in 2027.
Up next in today's Xbox Game Dev Update was a section led by Travis Bradshaw, principal product lead for Xbox's developer onboarding program. Bradshaw discussed developments designed to allow studios to ship games on Xbox faster and easier, and on every type of device players are using. This includes an easier workflow for studios wanting to use Xbox developer tools, and get started in as little as an hour.
Another focus here is Xbox's support of gameplay across multiple devices — such as on PC or handheld as well as consoles — through Xbox Play Anywhere. Bradshaw said that more than half of Xbox users play on multiple 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 in 2025, and a look ahead at how DirectX is adding machine learning tools into its rendering pipeline. Here, Hargreaves made clear that this meant work on things such as upscaling, frame generation, and texture compression, rather than fully generative AI.
The show's debut follows a series of changes from freshly-installed Xbox boss 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 new look for the Xbox logo, and a cut to the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (while booting new Call of Duty games from the subscription on day one).
More to follow…
Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
