Xbox: Series X|S & Project Helix
Xbox's present is a strong console line stretched by rising costs; its future has a name — Project Helix — and almost no confirmed details beyond it. This hub separates the two cleanly: what Series X|S offers today, and the short list of things Microsoft has actually said about its next generation.
Series X|S, today
The Series X remains one of the two most powerful consoles you can buy, and the Series S remains the cheapest way into this generation — though "cheap" is doing more work than it used to: console prices rose across 2026 in major markets (Which? logged a £170 rise on the UK Series X), driven by the same memory costs hitting every platform. Xbox chief Asha Sharma has publicly acknowledged demand outrunning console supply, with Microsoft encouraging trade-ins. The ecosystem story is the stronger one: Game Pass continues to anchor the platform, with Fable confirmed day one in February, and Xbox-published games now routinely cross to other platforms — Forza Horizon 6 reaches PS5 in January, and Fable launches on PlayStation the same day as Xbox. For GTA 6, Xbox is a full day-one platform: preload opens 10 Nov at 00:00 GMT worldwide, unlock is midnight per store region on 19 Nov. See our preload guide.
Project Helix: the record
Microsoft revealed the codename at GDC on 11 March 2026. Everything in this table traces to Microsoft's own statements — it is a shorter list than the internet would have you believe.
The rumour file
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Fortune's Helix reporting (20 Oct 2026) — Microsoft has confirmed none of it
A Fortune profile of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma reported — partly from unnamed sources — that Microsoft plans a next-generation handheld by the 2027 holiday season and the next console by the holidays in 2028, and that Helix's internal price projections run $1,200–$1,800 unless Microsoft subsidises. A separate report stream has suggested the Helix chip may have reached tape-out. All of this may prove directionally right or wrong; none of it is Microsoft's position, which remains: alpha dev hardware from 2027, timeline not ready to share. Tracked via Gaming Route's confirmed-facts log and Windows Forum's Helix summary.