Xbox's new Project Helix console has gamers worried about the PlayStation 6

Official confirmation of the next generation Xbox console has caused plenty of excitement among the gaming world, but it's equally left Sony fans fearful as they worry about what it could mean for the PlayStation 6.

Consoles for the last few generations have typically launched at around the same time, and outside of an early launch for the Xbox 360 – which arguably gave it a head start to dominate that era of gaming – things have remained fiercely competitive between Sony and Microsoft.

PlayStation has undeniably surged again across the last decade following the launch of the PS4, however, with most gamers flocking to Sony's console prompting a major shift in approach for Xbox.

Not only have we just observed industry-shaking leadership changes at the top of Xbox, but now Microsoft's next generation console has finally been revealed, forging an unexpected pathway for the future of console gaming.

There have been plenty of rumors and hints across the last year or so regarding the next Xbox console, with confirmation from Microsoft of a partnership with AMD to provide impressive performance specs, but one thing that's captured the attention of many was the supposed links with the PC world.

What is Project Helix?

Project Helix, although likely merely a codename right now, is officially the next Xbox console following an official reveal from the gaming team at Microsoft last week.

Only a small number of specifics have been revealed so far, including the aforementioned AMD architecture inside the console, but one key detail has caught the attention of fans.

Microsoft, of course, holds a prominent position in the PC gaming space as every release is optimized for Windows first and foremost, and the latest reveal has confirmed that Project Helix "will lead in performance and play your Xbox and PC games," according to new CEO Asha Sharma.

This means that it'll offer more than you'd typically expect from a console, which has historically only offered games through its own exclusive marketplace. It's unclear whether the PC aspect will be limited to games available on the Microsoft store, or whether gamers will be able to access titles they own on Steam, Epic, and other platforms.

Additionally, Xbox consoles have offered gamers the ability to play using a mouse and keyboard for a while now, so there's every expectation that the next console could provide a native PC experience down to the peripherals.

How much will Project Helix cost?

Another major question that surrounds Project Helix right now is the price, and while there has once again been no explicit details provided by Microsoft, the rumored specs and confirmation of PC access has afforded some healthy speculation.

As shared by FilmoGaz, Project Helix is expected to offer enough performance to power framerates up to 120fps at 4K resolution, with rumors of six times the rasterization performance of the Series X and twenty times the ray tracing performance.

Considering how expensive PC components are – especially right now in the middle of an AI-related parts crisis – many believe that the next gen Xbox console could cost as much as $1,000, if not even more.

One thing that could cause the price to increase would be the inclusion of third-party marketplaces like Steam, as that would lose Xbox a significant revenue stream that would have historically subsidized the lower price of the console.

Both PlayStation and Xbox are able to price consoles lower than you'd expect because they make their money back on game sales – both first-party and third-party through the store – yet with that potentially removed or dampened, Microsoft could be forced to bump up the price.

When will Project Helix be released?

Project Helix doesn't currently have a release date, although the official confirmation from Microsoft has some speculating that it could be just a few years away at this point.

Game generations have lasted around eight years in recent cycles, and with the Xbox Series consoles releasing at the end of 2020, it wouldn't necessarily be out of the question to expect a new launch sometime in 2028 or 2029.

That could change thanks to the aforementioned issue with parts as a consequence of AI expansion – which Microsoft is obviously heavily involved in itself – so we might have to wait a little longer for this to die down before the console is released.

How does Project Helix affect the PS6?

Many have speculated that this could be a key reason why Sony has made the controversial decision to stop porting PlayStation exclusives to PC, but the release of Project Helix could prove to be pivotal in the next stage of the console war.

"Xbox might take the lead if they drop it before the PS6," wrote one X user in reaction to the reveal, and it's certainly not an outrageous suggestion even with the dominant market share that Sony possess.

There's no indication that the next PlayStation console is going to come out any time soon, and recent AI-related hardware shortages only seem to suggest that it could be pushed back even further.

If a new Xbox console not only provided industry-leading performance and graphics, but also let gamers play console and PC games on a single device, it would make many consider jumping ship if there was no familiar alternative in sight to convince them otherwise.

The elephant in the room remains still the lack of appealing first-party games for many, as there's little reason to buy a console if it can't offer anything worthwhile from a software perspective.

"That may work if they had games that were exclusive to the hardware," proclaimed one unconvinced gamer, with another arguing: "Zero chance. I've been die hard Xbox since the duke but Microslop isn't getting another penny from me."