Technology and Scienceupdated 1h ago2 min read
Microsoft’s Project Helix Could Cost $1,800 for 2028 Holiday Console Release
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Handheld console planned for the 2027 holiday season. Helix price internally estimated at $1,200–$1,800 without subsidies.
Helix price, 2028 window
Microsoft’s next Xbox hardware, Project Helix, is described in a Fortune profile as targeting a 2028 holiday season console release with an internal price projection between $1,200 and $1,800, unless Microsoft decides to subsidize the cost. If Microsoft does not subsidize the new Xbox console, it could cost up to $1,800, and the hardware may not reach the market until the 2028 holiday season.
Ars Technica frames the same Fortune reporting as a dual release strategy, with a next-generation handheld device planned by the end of next year and a 2028 holiday season console release that could cost between $1,200 and $1,800. The more powerful rumored hybrid of console and PC could take another year to appear, even as Microsoft is reported to have tested the market through collaborations such as Asus ROG Xbox Ally.
Handheld first, OS fight
Fortune’s reporting, as relayed by Ars Technica, says Microsoft is internally debating whether its upcoming Helix handheld should run a “trimmed-down version of Windows Home” or a bespoke operating system built and controlled by the Xbox group. “People briefed on the clash” say one high-level executive threatened to cancel the handheld altogether if it were forced to use Windows.
Big N says the portable console is expected by late 2027 and would be developed in parallel with the next generation of home consoles whose code name is “Project Helix.” Big N also says Asha Sharma sought to ease tensions by stating that the two teams are now working closely together, affirming that Xbox “cannot build Helix alone.”
AI, Game Pass, layoffs
Sharma told the outlet that they won’t use “AI for AI’s sake.” Sharma told Fortune that they are using AI to solve engineering and performance problems, and it ties the Project Helix plan to a handheld release by holiday 2027.
GamesRadar+ reports that Fortune’s sources say Microsoft’s internal engineering deadlines for Project Helix have been moved up by several months, putting pressure on devs to get their work done faster, even if that means using AI. GamesRadar+ further reports that Xbox’s plan to lay off 3,200 developers is underway, and it says Fortune reports that 1,868 of those jobs have been cut so far, with more rounds set to occur in October, November, and January.