16-year Xbox veteran Chris Charla, who worked on the ID@Xbox program for 13 years, has recently been talking about the company’s next-generation system, codenamed Project Helix. If you didn’t already know, the next-gen Xbox will be able to play both PC and Xbox games, so it’s already positioning itself as a uniquely versatile piece of kit – especially with Sony reportedly returning to a more console-exclusive approach for its first-party, single-player titles.

Charla was present at GDC (Game Developers Conference) earlier this month, and an interview with IGN’s Rebekah Valentine provides us with more insight into Project Helix. Charla says the team is working towards streamlining the game launch process for Xbox and PC, so developers in the future can just make “one Xbox build” compatible with multiple platforms.

Developing for Project Helix will mean easy PC and cloud gaming support

“We’re working hard so developers can make one Xbox build in the future and it’ll run on their Project Helix console, on PC and on streaming and cloud surfaces like smart TVs and other devices. […]

Someone looking to be ready for next-gen with Xbox should be developing for Xbox console today, developing for Xbox on PC, and supporting Xbox Play Anywhere.”

Chris Charla, General Manager, Portfolio & Programs at Xbox

Charla adds that those developing for Xbox consoles and Xbox on PC today will be in “pole position” for having their game(s) running “natively on Project Helix”. The team at Xbox is expected to be able to deliver the same support it currently does to developers. Project Helix is currently slated for a 2027 or 2028 release; support currently lent to developers includes Xbox API implementation, backend system work, and marketing/promotion.

He says “it may be smarter to start with the Xbox for PC version first” as a basis for the console version, and more details on how devs can take advantage of hardware features specific to Project Helix will be available “in the months ahead”. There’s still much to learn about the next-gen system, though rumor has it, it’s almost like a “gaming PC” based on Windows 11.

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Jack Goodall

At PC Guide, Jack is mostly responsible for reporting on hardware deals. He also specializes in monitors, TVs, and headsets and can be found putting his findings together in a review or best-of guide.