Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has declined to confirm whether the Project Helix disc drive will exist, telling the BBC that the next generation has to be thinking about “efficiency and affordability alongside performance.”
The question came during a Gamescom interview. Sharma was asked directly whether Helix, the next-generation console due in 2027, will ship with a disc drive. She did not say yes, and she did not say no.
“This next generation, we have to be thinking about efficiency and affordability alongside performance.”
“All of the industry needs to start to innovate on affordability and efficiency. That is something that we have not had to do [previously].”
The hedging has a backdrop. Component prices have climbed through 2026 as AI demand soaks up memory and storage supply, and Sharma said the new hardware has to deliver “hardware efficiency in terms of how you use storage and memory, the kind of price per unit, the components, things like that”.
Why the Project Helix disc drive is in doubt
A drive is one of the easier parts to cut from a bill of materials, and the Project Helix disc drive is the line item everyone is watching. Microsoft has already shown it will trim there: the Series X launched with a drive, the Series S never had one, and a digital-only Series X followed.
This month Xbox added its Disc to Digital programme, which converts thousands of physical games into digital copies. Sharma called it part of giving people “more choice in terms of how they play their console and how they purchase their console”. In a separate interview with Windows Central, she was more direct: In a separate interview with Windows Central, she was more direct:
“I know players love physical media, and I know there is a lot of benefits in digital media, and I want to make sure people have a choice.”
“I know players love physical media, and I know there is a lot of benefits in digital media, and I want to make sure people have a choice.”
The choice framing does not extend to the drive itself. Pure Xbox reads the Disc to Digital push as preparation for an all-digital Helix, and a refusal to confirm the drive is not a denial. It is a console that has not been announced, declining to promise the part that costs money. The disc-to-digital scheme already exists for the people who want it.
Does the Project Helix console have a disc drive?
Xbox has not confirmed either way. CEO Asha Sharma declined to answer during a BBC interview, saying the next generation has to prioritise efficiency and affordability alongside performance.
What is Project Helix?
Project Helix is the codename for Xbox’s next-generation console, expected in 2027. Microsoft has said it will play PC games as well as Xbox titles.
What is Xbox Disc to Digital?
A programme that converts supported physical Xbox games into digital copies. It launched in August 2026 supporting thousands of titles, and is widely seen as preparation for an all-digital console.
