Tag

Project Helix

All articles tagged with #project helix

gaming2 days ago•119 min saved

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Outlines Post-Layoff Strategy: Reviving Battle.net and Launching 'Family of Devices'

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told staff at an internal town hall that the division is recovering from an 'all-time low' after a massive restructuring. She highlighted a 30% boost in brand sentiment and strong sales for titles like Gears of War: E-Day. Sharma announced a strategic pivot to strengthen Battle.net as a PC platform, noting its retention rates rival Steam's. She also confirmed that the next-gen 'Project Helix' will be a 'family of devices' rather than a single console, prioritizing a home unit first while partnering for portable hardware. The reorganization, which involved significant layoffs, is described as 75% complete, with a focus on reinvesting in core businesses and making Game Pass more flexible.

via Windows Central|

#asha-sharma #battlenet #gaming

gaming2 days ago•3 min saved

Xbox CEO Sharma Claims Growth Recovery After 'All-Time Low' Amid Ongoing Restructuring

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told staff that the division has begun recovering from an 'all-time low' in growth, citing strong launches for titles like Gears of War: E-Day. She confirmed that next-gen hardware, Project Helix, will be a family of devices rather than a single console, while acknowledging that the company is still 75% through its painful restructuring process.

via GamesIndustry.biz|

#asha-sharma #game-pass #gaming

gaming3 days ago•117 min saved

Xbox Chief Asha Sharma Rejects Sale Rumors, Vows Long-Term Focus on Console and Game Pass

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has explicitly denied reports that Microsoft is selling the gaming division, stating in an interview with The New York Times that 'Xbox is not for sale.' In a recent internal town hall, Sharma outlined a strategy to reverse previous declines by treating the Xbox Series X|S as a 'core' product, expanding Game Pass, and leveraging Project Helix as a family of devices. While Microsoft is planning to lay off up to 3,200 employees in its 2027 fiscal year, Sharma emphasized a long-term view, noting that first-party game growth has returned after a period of 'free fall.'

via Windows Central|

#asha-sharma #game-pass #gaming

technology1 month ago•12 min saved

Project Helix: Xbox's Next Gen to Launch as a Family of Devices

Xbox chief Asha Sharma says Project Helix will ship as a “family of devices,” signaling a multi-tier lineup rather than a single console. While it will be AMD-powered and capable of running both Xbox and PC games, Microsoft has not shared pricing, release timing, or whether a disc drive will be included. Alpha development hardware isn’t expected until 2027, and the strategy may mirror the Series S/X approach with multiple architectures at different price points.

via Notebookcheck|

#amd #gaming-consoles #microsoft

gaming1 month ago•3 min saved

Sony Reconsiders Digital-Only Timeline as Xbox Bets on Physical

Rumors from Eurogamer Spain suggest Sony is rethinking its plan to go disc-free for PlayStation, with projections that the December 2028 digital-only deadline could be pushed back by one or two years as Microsoft’s Project Helix pushes a 100% physical strategy. The chatter notes publisher concerns, potential loss of major titles to Xbox or Nintendo if Sony can’t guarantee physical releases, and tensions observed at Gamescom, though Sony has not confirmed any changes.

via MP1st|

#disc-to-digital #gaming #playstation

news1 month ago•16 min saved

Xbox Explores a Helix of Devices, TES6 Exclusivity Still Unclear

At Gamescom 2026, Xbox touted Project Helix as a “family of devices” and stressed affordability and cross‑play support, but declined to commit on whether The Elder Scrolls 6 will be exclusive to Xbox, signaling that exclusivity will be balanced against a healthy business and potential new hardware form factors while rumors swirl about a broader, multiplatform strategy; meanwhile, Forza Horizon 6’s PS5 window is reportedly delayed to 2027.

via Kotaku|

#affordability #exclusivity #news

technology1 month ago•4 min saved

Xbox bets on affordable, digital-first next-gen plan

Xbox chief Asha Sharma says affordability will define the next-generation console (Project Helix), confirming a digital entitlement for around 1,000 disc-based titles and ongoing backwards compatibility, while keeping the potential disc-drive decision open as the company pursues hardware efficiency amid AI-driven cost pressures.

via BBC|

#affordability #backwards-compatibility #digital-entitlement

business1 month ago•14 min saved

Pricing Next-Gen Consoles at $1,000 May Shrink the Gaming Market by 39 Million

Ampere Analysis warns that pricing PS6 and Xbox Helix at $1,000 could cut the next-gen install base by about 39 million units over five years and reduce player spending by roughly 12% in the first three years, risking a lost generation; to avoid this, the report suggests delaying launches, subsidizing hardware, or pursuing more radical innovations, with Nintendo’s cheaper Switch 2 adding price pressure.

via Kotaku|

#ampere-analysis #business #console-pricing

technology2 months ago•4 min saved

Xbox 360 titles arriving on PC under Project Helix plan

A leaked Microsoft document outlines bringing Xbox 360 games to PC via Project Helix, with developers able to toggle backward compatibility and choose pricing or Game Pass inclusion, and a gradual rollout planned for 2027–2028 on next-gen devices; the plan also mentions a disc-to-digital feature for Xbox One/Series discs and a separate October 2026 target for original Xbox games to reach PC.

via eurogamer.net|

#backwards-compatibility #disc-to-digital #pc-gaming

technology2 months ago•2 min saved

Xbox 360 Classics Eye PC Debut Through Backward-Compatibility Plan

Microsoft reportedly plans to bring Xbox 360 titles to PC through backward compatibility for the forthcoming Project Helix, a PC-based platform, with developers able to set prices and potentially include games on Game Pass; a disc-to-digital program to convert physical copies to digital is also expected, building on a broader effort to port Xbox and original Xbox titles to PC using emulation, with a rollout likely over the coming years.

via Engadget|

#backward-compatibility #game-pass #pc-gaming

gaming2 months ago•3 min saved

Xbox 360 titles head to PC under Microsoft’s cross-device plan

Microsoft plans to allow Xbox 360 titles to run on PC via Project Helix, with developers able to set pricing and Game Pass availability, as part of a broader strategy to make Xbox games portable across devices; rollout is expected gradually from 2027–2028 on next-gen devices, while a full original Xbox-to-PC launch is slated for October 2026. A disc-to-digital licensing path for digital copies from physical discs across Xbox devices is also described, with a beta planned for July and general availability in August, all amid Microsoft’s post-July Xbox reset.

via The Verge|

#backward-compatibility #gaming #microsoft

technology2 months ago•5 min saved

Xbox Disc-to-Digital Rumor Points to August 2026 Rollout Amid All-Digital Push

A leaked internal email reportedly reveals Xbox's disc-to-digital program (Positron) launching in August 2026, linking a digital license to the physical disc; Windows Central later corroborated the August 2026 timing, lending credibility. The leak also mentions a broader backward-compatibility effort on PC via Project Helix, with publishers needing to authorize titles, underscoring Xbox's push toward an all-digital future as Sony lines up similarly.

via Wccftech|

#august-2026 #backward-compatibility #disc-to-digital

gaming2 months ago•14 min saved

Xbox’s Helix Could Bring Back Disc Play to Challenge PS6 Digital Future

A Digital Foundry podcast suggests Microsoft’s Project Helix might include optical disc support to keep backward-compatibility and lure players who resist a fully digital next gen, potentially giving Xbox an edge over Sony’s all-digital PS6. The plan could involve an external drive or a disc-to-digital path, but the news rests on leaked sources from before Xbox leadership changes, making it speculative rather than confirmed.

via Notebookcheck|

#backward-compatibility #disc-drive #gaming

technology2 months ago•3 min saved

Xbox Eyes Steam Exit as PC Plan Gears Up for 2026

Rumors say Microsoft’s Xbox is weighing a move away from Steam as part of a broader PC strategy tied to its next-gen Project Helix, with Windows Central’s Jez Corden noting a window to pull out but warning it would leave substantial revenue on the table; the discussion comes amid corporate restructuring and rising hardware costs, though no firm confirmation exists.

via Wccftech|

#microsoft #pc-gaming #project-helix

gaming2 months ago•112 min saved

Xbox Helix: Open-Platform Dreams Collide with RAM Costs

Microsoft’s Project Helix aims to bring PC-like openness to Xbox, potentially letting players run PC games on a living-room box, but soaring memory costs (the RAMpocalypse) threaten to push open hardware to premium prices and hurt profitability. To keep a reasonable console-like price, Helix may need to stay closed or adopt a hybrid model (paywalls or revenue-sharing storefronts) rather than a true Steambox. Sony’s retreat from PC ports and the evolving stance on exclusives further shape the risk-reward, while CEO Asha Sharma says Helix will still “play your PC games” as aspects are re-evaluated, leaving the final model up for grabs with several strategic options on the table.

via windowscentral.com|

#asha-sharma #gaming #project-helix