Between $1,200 and $1,800. That’s the internal price projection Microsoft has reportedly attached to Project Helix, its next-generation Xbox console, according to a Fortune profile of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, as reported by Ars Technica and Video Games Chronicle. Microsoft has not confirmed a retail price or a launch date. What the company has confirmed is that Project Helix is designed to play both Xbox and PC games, with the 2028 holiday season cited as a reported target window, not an announced launch commitment.
If the projection holds, it would place Helix well above every current console and closer to mid-range gaming-PC pricing. That represents a significant departure from the subsidized-hardware model Microsoft and its competitors have used for decades.
A Console That Wants to Be a PC
Microsoft’s next Xbox is designed to run both Xbox and PC games, a confirmed ambition that points toward PC-class hardware.
Choosing between a gaming PC and a console used to be straightforward. One costs more and does more; the other costs less and works immediately. According to reporting from The Verge and Polygon, Microsoft is positioning Helix as a device capable of running both Xbox and PC games libraries. Microsoft has confirmed that Helix uses a custom AMD system-on-chip co-designed for next-generation DirectX and FSR, though storage configuration and physical design remain undisclosed.
Why $1,800 Isn’t a Typo
Rising component costs hit every manufacturer, but Project Helix reportedly sits at the expensive end of what those pressures can produce.
Memory and storage expenses are a reported primary driver behind the projected range, according to Ars Technica and Video Games Chronicle’s coverage of the Fortune report. Microsoft has already raised prices on the Xbox Series S and Series X, citing soaring component costs, and has introduced buy-now-pay-later options through its own stores. The $1,200–$1,800 figure is an internal projection reported by Fortune, not a finalized MSRP, and it could shift before any retail announcement as component costs, specifications, and exchange rates change.
Microsoft’s Math Problem
The traditional console playbook depends on affordable hardware and software revenue. Project Helix may not have that option.
Console manufacturers have historically sold hardware near or below cost, recovering revenue through game sales and subscription fees. Microsoft could still pursue that approach with Helix through Game Pass bundles, hardware subsidies, multiple pricing tiers, or accessory revenue. No commercial model has been finalized
2027 Before 2028
An Xbox handheld reportedly arrives ahead of Project Helix, adding another variable to Microsoft’s hardware roadmap.
While the Helix console reportedly targets the 2028 holiday season, a separate Xbox handheld is reportedly aimed at the 2027 holiday window, per Fortune’s reporting as covered by Ars Technica and Video Games Chronicle. Reports also describe an internal dispute over whether Helix should run a Windows-based or traditional Xbox operating system, though that disagreement has not been confirmed as resolved by any primary Microsoft source.
The Numbers That Actually Matter
Project Helix’s real story won’t be clear until Microsoft confirms specs, price, and how it plans to offset the cost for buyers.
Watch for confirmed hardware specifications beyond the custom AMD SoC, a finalized retail price, and whether Microsoft launches multiple configurations at different price points. The subsidy structure and Game Pass positioning will ultimately determine whether Helix reaches a broad audience or serves enthusiasts only. Your next hardware purchase decision may look very different depending on which version of Helix actually ships.
