Microsoft has revealed new details about its next-generation Xbox console, codenamed Project Helix, confirming that early versions of the hardware will be sent to game developers in 2027 as the company begins preparing for its next console cycle.

Xbox vice-president of next generation Jason Ronald said the company will distribute “alpha versions” of the new console to studios, likely in the form of development kits that allow game makers to start building titles for the platform.

The announcement signals Microsoft is moving deeper into development of its next Xbox, though the company has not confirmed when the device will launch for consumers.

Ronald says Helix will feature a custom AMD system-on-chip designed to deliver a major leap in graphics capabilities, including support for both real-time ray tracing and path tracing.

Microsoft claims the system could offer “an order of magnitude” improvement in ray tracing performance compared with the current Xbox Series X generation.

The console will also incorporate machine-learning powered graphics features, including next-generation upscaling, multi-frame frame generation and a technique called ray regeneration, designed to improve the quality and performance of ray-traced lighting and reflections.

“It delivers an order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance and capability, integrates intelligence directly into the graphics and compute pipeline, and drives meaningful gains in efficiency, scale and visual ambition,” Ronald said.

Beyond graphics, Microsoft is positioning Project Helix as part of a broader push to unify gaming across Xbox and PC. The console will reportedly support both traditional Xbox titles and PC games, aligning with Microsoft’s Play Anywhere strategy that allows players to access games across multiple devices.

The devkit rollout in 2027 is expected to give studios time to prepare games ahead of the console’s eventual launch, which could arrive late in the decade.

Microsoft has not yet disclosed final hardware specifications or pricing for Project Helix, saying those details will likely emerge closer to the platform’s official release.