What you need to know
Project Helix could cost $1,600-$1,800 if Microsoft sells it without a subsidy, potentially making it the first profitable Xbox console. Microsoft’s plans remain unclear, and the price estimate comes amid record-low Xbox hardware revenue and reports of a handheld targeting 2027.
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Microsoft could charge up to $1,800 for its next-gen Xbox if the company chooses not to subsidize the console as it did with previous models.
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Gamers are still adjusting to sticker shock from higher-priced gaming hardware, and this trend is likely to continue into the 10th console generation. There’s speculation that Project Helix could deliver the first-ever profitable Xbox console…which could mean a higher price tag for the device.
New reports from Fortune put an estimate on Project Helix’s retail cost if Microsoft chooses not to subsidize the console.s with a retail cost ranging from $1,600 to $1,800 if the Xbox system is not sold to consumers at a loss
- Read more: Xbox console sales drop to lowest point in a decade as division loses $1.7 billion in FY26
- Read more: Console makes up 80% of Xbox’s business as Microsoft plots next-gen Helix console
- Read more: Xbox hardware revenue drops to record low of Gen9 Xbox Series generation
Historically, this has been the case, as Microsoft has sold all previous Xbox consoles at a losshttps://www.tweaktown.com/news/89223/microsoft-sells-xbox-hardware-at-substantial-loss/index.html and instead made profits back through game sales, subscriptions, and peripherals.
Microsoft’s plans remain unclear; however, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has said multiple times that Project Helix is a “family of devices,” with the recent Fortune article also noting that a new handheld is targeting a 2027 release.
How does Microsoft’s Project Helix pricing strategy differ from the loss-leading approach used for previous Xbox consoles?
What has Microsoft said about how the Xbox handheld targeting 2027 fits into Project Helix’s device lineup?
How are Xbox Series X consoles used in Microsoft’s cloud gaming servers, and how does that factor into Xbox hardware revenue?
What factors have been reported behind the $1,600-$1,800 Project Helix price estimate?
Want something else? Ask TweakBot.
The company’s hardware revenues were previously at an all-time low, with FY26 delivering $1.51 billion throughout the year, the lowest-ever point in the Xbox Series generation. These metrics aren’t totally representative of the division’s health, though, as there’s more context needed around things like exact retail console availability/overall supply, as well as how many units are being diverted to Microsoft’s cloud gaming servers, which are powered by Xbox Series X hardware.
