Microsoft Projects $1,200-$1,800 Helix Console for 2028 as OS Clash Threatens Handheld
Updated
Updated · Ars Technica · Oct 20
Microsoft Projects $1,200-$1,800 Helix Console for 2028 as OS Clash Threatens Handheld
3 articles · Updated · Ars Technica · Oct 20
Summary
Fortune reported Microsoft internally expects its 2028 Project Helix console to cost $1,200 to $1,800, a range that would set a new high for mainstream game hardware.
That estimate could fall if Microsoft subsidizes the device, but the report says slower chip advances and AI-driven component shortages are pushing cutting-edge gaming hardware costs higher.
The same profile outlined a dual rollout: a next-generation handheld by the end of 2027, followed by the Helix home console in the 2028 holiday season.
Project Helix still faces internal friction over software, with Xbox and Windows teams split between a trimmed-down Windows Home build and a bespoke Xbox-controlled operating system; one senior executive reportedly threatened to cancel the handheld.