Microsoft’s next console, currently known as Project Helix, could theoretically offer the largest game library of any home console ever built. According to a leaked memo obtained by The Verge’s Tom Warren, the device will run titles from every generation of Xbox, stretching all the way back to the original 2001 machine and continuing through the Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. On top of that, it will play PC games and whatever new titles launch alongside it.
The leak fills in some significant gaps in what we already knew about Microsoft’s plans. We knew the company was bringing a limited selection of original Xbox games to PC and was working on a way to digitize physical discs from more recent generations. Now it is clear that Xbox 360 games are coming to PC as well, and that digitized copies of your existing disc-based games will follow you across devices. Five generations of gaming under one roof sounds remarkable on paper.
But there are catches, and they are big ones. For starters, Helix may not even include a disc drive, meaning you will likely be relying entirely on digital versions of older titles. More importantly, every element of this backwards compatibility plan appears to require publisher opt-in. Microsoft’s leaked memo reads like a sales pitch addressed directly to publishers, complete with sections explaining how they stand to profit from reselling old catalog titles or converting physical media owners into long-term digital customers.
That publisher dependency should temper expectations considerably. Microsoft managed to make roughly a quarter of the Xbox 360 library playable on modern hardware between 2015 and 2021 before largely calling it quits. Even first-party titles are not guaranteed to remain available indefinitely, as multiple Forza Horizon games have been delisted over expired licenses for cars and music. Still, if Microsoft can convince enough publishers to sign on, Project Helix could arrive sometime around 2027 as something genuinely special: one box that truly plays them all.