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Microsoft will host its first ever Xbox Game Dev Update showcase today and it's promised to formally introduce its next-gen console. Project Helix was first announced with a whisper, a tweet followed up with more information on its AMD SoC at GDC in March. Today (at 12pm ET / 7PM BST), Chris Charla, general manager of portfolio and programs, and Jason Ronald, VP of next generation, will take to the new Game Dev Update YouTube channel to give us some more updates.
Back in March, Microsoft confirmed that Xbox Project Helix was "co-designed [with AMD] for the next generation of DirectX and FSR." While there will certainly be updates for developers around the former, it's the FSR Diamond technology running the show that will be of particular interest in the Project Helix vs PS6 vs Steam Machine debate.
Sony's own PS6 performance rumors have been doing the rounds in the last few weeks, suggesting gains of 3.1x the PS5's ray-traced framerates. While none of this is confirmed by Sony, hard numbers will put Microsoft in the forefront of players' minds while the speculation spins.
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After all, with CEO Asha Sharma recently nodding to RAM shortages having a material impact on the Project Helix price and availability, it's unlikely we'll see too much talk of pricing or a launch window. It's likely that FSR Diamond will be running this showcase.
What do we already know about the technology rumored to polish Project Helix pictures? FSR Diamond is the next step from FSR Redstone, introduced last year. It's slated to have been built alongside Project Helix, likely using the RDNA 5 graphics rumored for the console. This is where we will see the "order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability" touted in Microsoft's Xbox Developer Summit keynote address (Microsoft). Diamond is currently expected to boost upscaling, add multi-frame generation, and improve ray regeneration.
With next-gen console launches reportedly being bumped to 2028, we're still in the early days of rumors and speculation. This afternoon's event could clear some things up, but having been through this rodeo before I'm sure there will be even more lingering questions once the stream is through. You can catch it all via the Microsoft Game Dev channel.
Managing Editor of Hardware at GamesRadar+, I originally landed in hardware at our sister site TechRadar before moving over to GamesRadar. In between, I've written for Tom’s Guide, Wireframe, The Indie Game Website and That Video Game Blog, covering everything from the PS5 launch to the Apple Pencil. Now, i'm focused on Nintendo Switch, gaming laptops (and the keyboards, headsets and mice that come with them), PS5, and trying to find the perfect projector.
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