A few days ago Microsoft unveiled to the world Project Helix, the hardware/software platform behind the next Xbox. Now, thanks to a recent speech at GDC, we find out when the first "alpha" development kits will begin to circulate among software houses for the creation of new games.

During his speech at the Game Developers Conference, the vice president of Xbox's Next-Gen division, Jason Ronald, officially confirmed that the "alpha versions" of the hardware will be sent to developers starting in 2027.

The distribution of these preliminary devkits over the next year offers us a first, important clue to try to guess the timing needed before the new machine actually arrives on the market; if the Alphas are available in 2027, it is difficult to imagine a release of the new console in the same year, with 2028 as an increasingly plausible period for the arrival of Microsoft's next gen.

We remind you that Project Helix has been described as a console capable of bridging the distance with the PC world, being able to run both native Xbox games and those of previous generations, as well as PC titles, even from stores outside the Microsoft one.

We will continue to keep you updated as soon as more details emerge on this interesting evolution of the Xbox world; Stay tuned!