Xbox boss says the next generation will be a 'family of devices'

[Henry10]

Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma has said more about Project Helix, the next generation Xbox, which is described as a hybrid system able to play both console and PC games, VGC reports. At an internal town hall reported by Windows Central, Sharma reportedly said: "We are moving to a family of devices for Gen 10." She added: "There is not one device that fits all." Xbox will manufacture some of the devices itself and work with partners on others

"We will certainly have a great console first, but we also know that many players will be on the go," Sharma reportedly said. She also reportedly said the new operating system was starting to look good and that the team was very excited about it. VGC suggests this could mean Helix will not use the current Xbox Series front end, and speculates that the on the go comment hints at a Helix compatible handheld, possibly an updated version of the ASUS ROG Xbox Ally X. That second part is VGC's own guess

Sharma has been building towards this for months. In August, she told the BBC that Xbox was "hard at work on a great next generation and a great family of devices for Helix." In June, she said it "will be hard to imagine that mass audiences can afford thousands of dollars" for a console generation. Rising component costs, which have pushed up the prices of everything from phones to graphics cards this year, are clearly on her mind

A family of devices is a big shift from the traditional idea of a single console per generation. It could mean cheaper and more expensive options, handhelds and possibly PCs that run Xbox software. It fits with Microsoft's push to make Xbox games available everywhere, rather than tying them to one box. Whether players want that flexibility or find it confusing remains to be seen

Do you want a single next generation Xbox or a range of devices? And would a Helix handheld tempt you?

Xbox CEO speaks more about next-gen Project Helix as a 'family of devices', says its new OS looks 'really good' | VGCwww.videogameschronicle.com