As Microsoft has started its slow trickle of information regarding its next-generation console—curently referred to as Project Helix—many questions have popped up. Chief among them is how challenging it will be for developers to work on games for the platform. In an interview with IGN, general manager of portfolio and programs at Xbox, Chris Charla was asked about this, especially for teams that may have never worked on an Xbox game before.
Charla noted that the team is working hard to ensure that developers can make a single build targeting Xbox for their games, and have it work on a variety of hardware, including Project Helix, PC, and even through cloud streaming. “We’re working hard so developers can make one Xbox build in the future and it’ll run on their Project Helix console, on PC and on streaming and cloud surfaces like smart TVs and other devices,” he said.
He also revealed that Microsoft will offer a similar level of support to developers for Project Helix as it does now for Xbox Series X/S and Windows. As for any advice he might have for developers, Charla thinks they should start working with development kits for Xbox and PC sooner rather than later. This, he believes, will put them in a better position for when Project Helix rolls around. While developing for PC might be challenging, thanks in large part to the variety of hardware available these days, Charla noted that having a single target, like Xbox for PC, could then help developers bring it over to consoles as well.
“Someone looking to be ready for next-gen with Xbox should be developing for Xbox console today, developing for Xbox on PC, and supporting Xbox Play Anywhere,” he said. “That’ll put you in pole position for the next generation and ensure your Xbox on PC game runs natively on Project Helix. The exact specifics may differ per developer and game. In a lot of cases if you’re coming from a Steam or stock PC build it may be smarter to start with the Xbox for PC version first and then use that as the basis for the Xbox console version. Of course we’ll have more details about how developers can take advantage of the specific hardware features of Project Helix in the months ahead, but doing this ensures they’ll have a native build on Project Helix.”
Charla also spoke about new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma, and what her leadership has in store for the company. “I think [Sharma’s] leadership is going to be really good,” he said, before going on to discuss the three principles she laid down in her first town hall meeting with the Xbox Team. Generally speaking, he is quite optimistic about the future of Xbox. “We’re in the best time ever to be playing games,” he said.
Project Helix was officially unveiled earlier this month, and while Microsoft has been tight-lipped about its hardware and software features, reports have been coming around indicating that it might have a performance lead over Sony’s rumored PS6, at least on paper.
