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Microsoft reportedly projects $1,200 to $1,800 price for 2028 Project Helix
Fortune says Microsoft could price the next Xbox at up to $1,800 unless it subsidizes hardware, as component shortages push costs higher.
- 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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146 Articles
146 Articles
The next Xbox could cost up to $1,800
·Copenhagen, Denmark
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Aspects such as increasing the cost of components, such as RAM and other chips, could influence the final price
·Madrid, Spain
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The next PlayStation and Xbox consoles could cost a lot if the rumors prove true.
·Helsinki, Finland
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Microsoft's internal estimate suggests that the next Xbox console, planned for 2028, could cost up to $1,800.
·Zagreb, Croatia
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Total News Sources146
Leaning Left10Leaning Right4Center18Last UpdatedBias Distribution56% Center
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
56% Center
L 31%
C 56%
13%
Factuality
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