Xbox Targets 2027 Handheld as Windows OS Fight Threatens Project Helix
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Oct 20
Xbox Targets 2027 Handheld as Windows OS Fight Threatens Project Helix
3 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Oct 20
Summary
Holiday 2027 is the new target for Xbox’s next-generation handheld, with CEO Asha Sharma pushing a successor to the Asus-made Xbox Ally X.
The plan is entangled in a turf battle over software: Xbox wants a gaming-optimized system, while the Windows team has pushed to base the device on Windows Home.
That clash grew sharp enough that a senior Xbox executive reportedly threatened to scrap the handheld rather than ship the Windows build, though Xbox now largely controls the OS direction.
The dispute matters because the current Ally X’s Windows-based interface is widely seen as clunky and less performance-friendly than rivals such as Valve’s Steam Deck.
Fortune also said Project Helix may span a 2027 handheld and a holiday 2028 home console, with unsubsidized console pricing potentially reaching $1,800.