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The next-gen Xbox—currently given the moniker Project Helix—is a PC in all but name. While that console won’t arrive until at least 2027, Microsoft is pinning all its hopes on making every existing PC into an Xbox, as well. Hopefully it isn’t a buggy, incomprehensible mess.
At GDC 2026, Xbox offered a few more details about Project Helix and how the project is changing Windows 11 as well. Starting in April, all Windows 11 PCs will now sport an “Xbox mode.” Like the name suggests, PC gamers will be able to enter a special interface designed for controller navigation. It will let you access all your games whether they’re on the Xbox app, Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Ubisoft, or EA clients. Xbox mode will be accessible on all desktops, laptops, or tablets running Windows 11.
If you want to know what this looks like, glance back to the Asus ROG Xbox Ally X from last year. The handheld used the full-screen experience, or FSE, to help users eschew navigating the Windows desktop. Or, at least, it keeps you from having to use the touchscreen too much. According to IGN, Jason Ronald, the VP in charge of Project Helix, said during a GDC 2026 showcase that Microsoft wants to craft an experience on PC that’s similar to what exists on Xbox consoles.
If we really want to make a PC an Xbox, we should hope to actually play our older Xbox games on our PCs. Microsoft hinted at GDC 2026 that we’ll soon learn more about a supposed Xbox preservation program. The Windows maker implied we’ll be able to play older titles through software emulation. Ronald wrote in Xbox’s announcement post that we should have “new ways to play some of the most iconic games from our past.”
The lack of details or on-screen demos leaves us with mere speculation. The Xbox Ally’s FSE was a buggy mess at launch. The handheld was hindered by sleep and wake-up issues that would drain the battery when users pressed the power button in-game.
Over the past half year, Microsoft has improved the handheld experience dramatically. There are new Xbox “pop” sounds when you move between games. The sleep/wake bugs are (mostly) fixed. Xbox also added default game profiles to maximize performance for titles so users don’t have to futz with resolution or graphics settings. However, I still face issues where the UI locks up after exiting the quick menu.
The UI still looks like a barren, dark gray void. Recently, Xbox showcased improvements to its cloud gaming interface that we suspect will become the default on Xbox mode and the next-gen Xbox.
Xbox mode would also demand console-specific features, like controller wake-up and sleep settings that let you jump right back into a game after hitting the power button. The FSE doesn’t allow users to easily change Windows settings—like display settings. It still uses third-party Armoury Crate software for changing performance and resolution settings. Xbox has had months to improve its handheld UI, and in all that time, it has felt like Microsoft was relearning how to do a console all over again.
The era of “everything is an Xbox” is being put into a shallow grave. Game Developer first spotted that Microsoft deleted practically any instance of “This is an Xbox” on its official Xbox Wire blog. Now, all that’s left are the ghosts of the ad campaign found on the Internet Archive. It’s long been clear that consumers were confused by the campaign, especially since streaming through Xbox Game Pass was inherently more restrictive than playing games natively on a console or PC.
🚀 Big moment for the future of gaming.
Thrilled to partner with @Xbox and @asha_shar on Project Helix, a multi-year deep co-engineering partnership driving next-gen performance, breakthrough graphics, and compatibility with your existing Xbox game library.
Powering the… pic.twitter.com/twGyonqgQS
— Jack Huynh (@jackhuynh) March 11, 2026
So we have to return to console hardware. AMD is making the chip inside the next-gen Xbox. The chipmaker’s senior VP of computing, Jack Huynh, said the next Xbox will have better upscaling technology and improved ray tracing capabilities to showcase more realistic lighting in games. There are enough leaks to suggest the console will be powerful—so powerful it could cost $1,000 or even more.
If we can run any PC as an Xbox, there may be ways to get cheaper console alternatives for TV gaming. That is, if Microsoft can finally remember what makes a console experience fun and easy.
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Source: Gizmodo