Xbox CEO Asha Sharma confirmed on Oct. 6 that Xbox Helix, the company’s Gen 10 platform, will arrive as a “family of devices” rather than a single next-generation console. Sharma made the comments during an internal town hall meeting, according to GameSpot and Kotaku.
“We are moving to a family of devices for Gen-10,” Sharma said, according to GameSpot and Kotaku.
What Sharma Confirmed About Xbox Helix
Sharma told employees that Microsoft is rethinking how it approaches Xbox hardware for the next generation. Rather than a single box that works for every type of player, Xbox Helix will cover a range of devices built for different ways people play.
“There is not one device that fits all,” Sharma said, according to GameSpot and Kotaku.
Even so, Sharma made clear that a traditional console remains part of the plan. “We will certainly have a great console first,” she said, according to the outlets. She also said handheld gaming devices will continue to be part of Xbox’s lineup for players who want to game on the go.
Not Every Helix Device Will Be Built By Microsoft
Sharma indicated that Microsoft won’t manufacture every piece of hardware in the Helix family itself. Some devices will instead come through partnerships, similar to the ROG Xbox Ally handheld built with Asus.
“There are some things that we are the best in the world to manufacture, and there are other things that we will partner on,” Sharma said, according to CBR.
Sharma also said the operating system “is starting to look really good,” though she did not specify whether that refers to a gaming-focused overlay like Valve’s SteamOS or the next Xbox Dashboard iteration.
What’s Still Unconfirmed
Sharma confirmed the family-of-devices strategy and the continued role of partners in building some hardware, but did not name specific devices or say which products Microsoft will manufacture in-house versus hand off to partners.
No release date, pricing or technical specifications for Helix hardware have been announced yet.
What’s Next
Xbox has not announced a date for further Helix details. More specifics on individual devices, manufacturing partners and the operating system are expected as the company moves toward launch.
Reporting from Cbr, GameSpot and Kotaku contributed to this story.
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