Next Xbox console could cost up to $1,800, report says
According to Fortune, Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console, Project Helix, is currently projected to cost $1,200 to $1,800. The high figure is tied to surging prices for memory and other components.
Microsoft's next-generation Xbox console, known as Project Helix, could cost between $1,200 and $1,800 unless the company chooses to subsidize the hardware. That is according to US outlet Fortune, which published a lengthy profile of new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. A price that high could complicate Sharma's goal of Xbox reaching more than 1 billion people daily.
Two devices, two timelines
Project Helix is a console that will also play PC games. Fortune's reporting suggests a handheld device will arrive first, slated for the 2027 holiday season, with the full console following in the same period in 2028. Sharma said in an August interview that Project Helix would be a family of gaming devices, so multiple releases are not unexpected.
Pricing pressure
Engadget notes that the steep price could stem from rising costs of RAM and other components, driven by AI development. Xbox currently has a reported 100 million daily active users. The outlet also points out that buyers could instead choose the currently cheaper Steam Machine, Valve's device. A lot could change over the next two years, and the final price may turn out lower.
Game Pass and layoffs
Fortune's sources also describe a possible overhaul of the Game Pass subscription service, adding optional paid extras for console-only games, cloud gaming and multiplayer. In addition, the next round of layoffs in Xbox's ongoing downsizing is expected this month, with further cuts planned for November and January.
