The next generation of Xbox is upon us! The new console has officially been announced as Project Helix (or at least, its codename has), and therefore we could be getting on our hands on it within the next couple of years.
For the past 12 months, we've been hearing rumours that the next Xbox console could get a 2027 release date, but that Microsoft hasn't committed to a definite launch window due to various factors. In fact, a recent report stated that 2027 is the "best case scenario" for a release, but there's every chance it could slip to 2028 as well.
"Microsoft hasn't fully internally committed to a hard 2027 launch window for the next-gen Xbox platform, since so much of it hinges on improvements to Windows 11 and other factors. Microsoft's Windows and Xbox teams are collaborating harder than ever to get the OS into shape for a polished, console-like experience on Xbox."
However, there are multiple reasons why a 2027 release date seems pretty likely to us. The main one is that AMD has already stated things are "progressing well" for the next console to release in 2027, and although Microsoft may have other plans, you'd think AMD wouldn't say anything about a date unless they were pretty confident.
The other key thing is that we have a codename now! Looking back, when Project Scorpio was revealed as the codename for the Xbox One X at E3 2016, the actual console ended up releasing a year and a half later in November 2017. When Project Scarlett was revealed as the codename for the Xbox Series X at E3 2019, the console again released a year and a half later in November of 2020.
If Microsoft follows the same pattern as recent consoles, then Xbox's next-gen "Project Helix" should get a release date that falls inside of November 2027. That's not to say it'll definitely happen, but it sounds like a reasonable estimate.
We'll have to wait and see — for now, let us know your thoughts in the poll and comments below!