Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Opens Up on Future of Physical Games for Next Generation Console Project Helix

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma was cagey when asked if the company’s next console, codenamed Project Helix, will have a disc drive or not, but gave some optimistic insights into its approach to physical games.

Speaking with the BBC in August 2026, Sharma didn’t give a straight answer; instead, she said Xbox is currently focused on making its next generation hardware cost-effective and efficient.

“This next generation, we have to be thinking about efficiency and affordability alongside performance," she told the outlet.

"All of the industry needs to start to innovate on affordability and efficiency," she continued. "That is something that we have not had to do. But with the crisis that's currently happening in hardware and components, it is absolutely something all of us need to be thinking about and innovating on and giving people more choice in terms of how they play their console and how they purchase their console."

While she couldn’t outright confirm or deny the existence of a disc drive for Project Helix, Sharma is well-aware of the current debate surrounding physical media, and assured the BBC that she wants to give players a choice when it comes to how they choose to purchase content.

"I know players love physical media, and I know there's a lot of benefits in digital media, and I want to make sure people have a choice. There are stacks of games on everybody's shelves,” she said.

Although it wasn’t exactly a clear answer, her statement does give a positive impression of Xbox’s future plans for physical games — something the brand is already winning points for, having recently confirmed an initiative that will allow players to digitize their physical games into an online library.

First leaked earlier this summer, Xbox officially announced its disc-to-digital program on August 26 during Gamescom, which will roll out for Xbox Insiders starting on August 31 before becoming available to all players at an as-yet unconfirmed date.

This makes Xbox — which recently underwent one of the most significant restructurings in the company’s history — look pretty good in comparison to PlayStation, whose decision to end the production of physical game discs starting January 2028 has unsurprisingly turned out to be quite unpopular.

Disgruntled gamers are taking to the comments section of every social media post from the company to spread awareness about the ordeal, but Sony isn’t alone — GTA 6, the most highly-anticipated game in recent memory, is also forgoing a physical disc in favor of a digital code inside a disc case. Developer Rockstar has stood firm in its decision to bypass an actual disc, with Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick saying discs “don’t really make sense for the consumer.”

For now, it's anyone's guess as to what Project Helix will end up looking like when it comes to physical game discs, but previous reporting has hinted that it will likely be fully digital.

Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.