Microsoft reportedly projects $1,200 to $1,800 price for 2028 Project Helix
Fortune says Microsoft is weighing subsidies as internal estimates put Project Helix at $1,200 to $1,800, with a handheld and home console planned.
- On Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Fortune reported Microsoft's internal projections for Project Helix, targeting a 2027 holiday handheld release and 2028 holiday console launch. Internal estimates suggest a consumer price between $1,200 and $1,800 without subsidies.
- Xbox CEO Asha Sharma cited a "hardware component crisis," noting memory costs have surged to over five times levels seen two years earlier. Rising DRAM and NAND costs, driven by AI data-center demand, have prompted this pricing pressure.
- Additionally, Microsoft plans a "major overhaul" of its Game Pass subscription service to an à la carte model. Meanwhile, internal friction persists between the Xbox division and Windows team regarding the handheld's operating system.
- Helix could become the most expensive Xbox console at launch, with analysts warning that without significant subsidies, the $1,200 to $1,800 price point remains unsustainable. Executives face mounting pressure to balance profitability with hardware affordability for mass audiences.
- Microsoft continues this rebuilding phase as it navigates the transition toward its next-generation family of hardware devices. These developments occur amid a broader restructuring, with Sharma implementing layoffs across the division in October, November, and January.
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The Economic Times
Times of IndiaRs 1.7 lakh next-gen Xbox? Project Helix launch reportedly set for 2028
Microsoft's next-generation Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, could cost between $1,200 (approximately Rs 1.13 lakh) and $1,800 (approximately Rs 1.69 lakh), according to Fortune. The report says the range reflects internal projections, with the final price potentially lower if Microsoft subsidises the console. Project Helix will support Xbox and PC games, while alpha hardware is expected to reach developers in 2027.
The cost of Project Helix components, the provisional name of Microsoft’s future console, would exceed the cost of PlayStation 6 by about $200.
informacion.es
Microsoft could have important innovations reserved for the future of Xbox, starting with a new portable console that, according to the latest leaks, could be destined to animate the Christmas season of 2027. Meanwhile, Project Helix, the next generation platform officially announced by Redmond's company also has a possible release date at the end of 2028.
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