Xbox confirms next-gen plans beyond Project Helix as it gains upper hand over PS6

The Xbox next-gen console plan already sounds like a winner, but the driving force behind it isn’t the tech; it’s something Sony is currently lacking.

Xbox has had its ups and downs over the past year and it’s certainly not out of the woods yet. It shuttered multiple studios and cancelled numerous projects in the process, such as Halo 7.

However, the company is adamant that it’s for the greater good, and nothing screams that more than its next-gen console plans.

In a recent town hall, the Xbox CEO Asha Sharma teased the next-gen line as a “family of devices', implying the existence of another upcoming handheld.

Sharma explained that not all of these devices would be made by Xbox itself, and some would be outsourced in collaboration with the company’s partners. This is the strongest indication that another handheld is on the way.

Xbox next-gen console plans will place it a league above PlayStation’s offering

While a gaming handheld is nothing new, they’ve always been immensely popular. Nintendo made the inspired decision to create a console that’d work in your hands as well as on the TV, and it’s clear other gaming companies felt like they’d missed a trick.

The Steam Deck was the next logical step. A device for gamers who don’t care about a TV or monitor setup and just want a powerful device that can be played anywhere. It sounds like Valve is working on a successor too.

READ NEXT: Steam issues hopeful update for highly anticipated hardware after RAMpocalypse Steam Machine price woes

Xbox and PlayStation have thrown their own hats into the ring, but Xbox was the clear winner with the ROG Ally X.

That’s going to be Xbox’s leg-up when the new systems are rolled out: options. It’s something Xbox has already been doing in spades so far, and based on what we’ve heard about Project Helix, it’s going to be a huge part of its next-gen philosophy.

Until Sony confirms otherwise, its Gen 10 launch line-up includes the PlayStation 6, an all-digital console that’ll probably be followed up by a Pro variety sometime after.

Over on Xbox’s side of the fence, though, there’s going to be a new home console, some kind of handheld, and possibly an upgrade for PC users too. That’s three different types of hardware that should all play your Xbox games; we just need to know if the next Xbox will accept discs.

Combine that with Xbox’s rediscovered passion for first-party exclusives and you get what should be a competitive hardware line-up.

Of course, a lot of the above is pure speculation. While we know for a fact that Xbox and PlayStation 6 are working on new consoles, we’re yet to see what they look like, what they play and how powerful they are. It’s the cost that’s keeping us up at night, though.

But, based on what we’ve seen and heard so far, Xbox could finally become a powerful rival to PlayStation again if it plays its cards right.

READ NEXT: Xbox Game Pass is losing one of the best RPGs I've ever played, but you still have time to roll credits