Fortune reports that Microsoft’s Xbox and Windows teams clashed over which software should power Project Helix, the company’s next-generation Xbox hardware project.
According to the report, Windows leadership wanted an upcoming handheld to run a reduced version of Windows Home. Asha Sharma’s Xbox team instead pushed to develop and control its own software, with the goal of delivering the strongest possible gaming performance.
The disagreement reportedly became serious enough that a senior Xbox executive threatened to cancel the handheld project rather than accept the Windows build. Fortune attributed that detail to people briefed on the dispute, and Microsoft has not publicly confirmed the reported internal discussions.
Xbox is now said to be largely directing the operating-system strategy for Project Helix. However, Sharma rejected the idea that the gaming division is proceeding independently of Windows. She told Fortune that the two teams continue to work closely and said, “We can’t build Helix on our own.”
The account points to a difficult balance for Microsoft: Xbox wants enough control to optimize the gaming experience, while Project Helix still depends on expertise and technology from elsewhere inside the company. Fortune’s reporting does not establish the final software design or identify the executive who reportedly raised the possibility of ending the handheld project.
The operating-system dispute adds another piece to Microsoft’s still-partially disclosed hardware plans. In August, we reported that Sharma would not confirm whether Project Helix includes a disc drive.
Should Xbox control Project Helix’s software if that results in better gaming performance?
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