A new report claims Xbox’s next-gen console, Project Helix, has undergone several changes since initial planning. It’s said that PlayStation is partly to blame.
It’s becoming increasingly easy to blame PlayStation for the current faults in the game industry, with the company swearing to kill physical media in 2028, but vowing to keep its first-party titles off PC too.
The latter is one of the many reasons Xbox Project Helix is already struggling, and at this rate it might be dead on arrival.
Xbox Project Helix could avoid Steam support as PlayStation cracks down
PlayStation ending its physical disc production in 2028 is bad enough, and fans are even planning a ‘blackout’ in August to protest it.
However, it’s also claimed that it’s internally stepping away from PC ports following low sales, which is actually quite a blow to Xbox.
In a new report from Windows Central, Jez Corden commented on PlayStation’s reluctance to allow its games to be played on Xbox consoles. Before Asha Sharma came aboard, Xbox was keen to port its own games to Sony’s platform, but it was never reciprocated.
When talking about Project Helix Corden said: “Even if Sony wasn’t going to offer Xbox users its games, at least you could open up Steam and play Sony’s back catalog there instead.”
Corden went on to say: “Now PlayStation has pretty much officially jumped ship, and Xbox is also doubling down on its own exclusives, it disrupts at least one long-term major selling point of Xbox Helix’s previously planned model.”
He acknowledged that PC probably has enough exclusives to tempt new and old Xbox owners to buy Project Helix, but combine that with the supposed price and the odds aren’t looking favourable.
Valve’s Steam Machine for example was originally believed to be an affordable hop into PC gaming for the casual audience, before shocking the world with its $1,049 price-tag.
This was apparently due to the rising cost of components, and with Xbox Project Helix inevitably being the more-powerful console, its price to speculated to far exceed the Steam Machine’s.
Less and less gamers are willing to spend that much on a console, which is why selling-points are crucial. In the past that used to be exclusive games, and while the situation is finally improving Xbox is still playing catch-up after crippling itself for years.
In all fairness the PlayStation 6 is in an equally sinking boat. Sony’s console is likely to cost just as much as the next Xbox and its latest activity has done irreparable damage to its brand.
For Xbox though the problems seemingly run far deeper. It’s been running on borrowed-time for far too long and while the company has made some good decisions as of late, the writing may already be on the wall.
We’re still yet to get an official look at Project Helix, and Xbox is yet to confirm what kind of PC capabilities it’ll have on launch.
