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Asha Sharma Leads Xbox into Future with Project Helix
By James Moreau | 30 Mar, 2026

Newly minted CEO Asha Sharma marks a new era for Microsoft Gaming with the custom AMD-powered Project Helix.

Asha Sharma was named EVP and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft Gaming in February 2026, marking a historic leadership transition for the Xbox brand.  Since stepping into the role, she has been engaging directly with the online community to better understand the player experience, citing Halo and GoldenEye as personal favorites.

Sharma has signaled a “Return to Xbox” strategy reset focused on revitalizing the brand’s core identity.  Her primary commitments include prioritizing the console as a core hardware foundation, breaking down technical barriers for developers, and exploring new business models.  She pledged that as these models evolve Microsoft will not chase short-term efficiency or flood the ecosystem with “soulless AI slop.”

On March 5th, Microsoft unveiled Project Helix, a next-generation console powered by a custom AMD system on chip that natively plays both Xbox and PC games.  Designed to deliver an order of magnitude leap in ray tracing performance, the platform will begin shipping alpha hardware to developers in 2027 to empower them to build more immersive, dynamic worlds.

Before her promotion to CEO, Sharma provided vital leadership as the President of Microsoft’s CoreAI product division beginning in 2024.  Her career has also included a high-impact tenure as the Chief Operating Officer of Instacart, where she started in 2021 and acted as a primary architect of the company’s 2023 $9.9B IPO.

Beginning in 2017 she spent four years as Meta’s Vice President of Product & Engineering, serving as a driving engine behind global platforms including Messenger and Instagram Direct.  Sharma’s start in leadership roles was with the startup Porch Group in 2013, after beginning her career at Microsoft as a marketing intern in 2010.

The Indian American executive is a native of Racine, Wisconsin, and earned a bachelor of science in business from the University of Minnesota in 2011.

In addition to her role at Microsoft, the 37-year-old serves on the corporate boards of The Home Depot and Coupang.