Microsoft has made plenty of waves with its upcoming Project Helix console, and it appears the company is planning a whole family of devices rather than a single gaming box. Beyond the expected performance leap, it seems the upcoming console will deliver another surprise, and not the good kind, mind you. Here’s a hint: an astronomical price hike.
According to an expansive profile of Xbox chief Asha Sharma, Microsoft is eyeing a next-gen handheld for 2027, followed by Project Helix in 2028. The catch is the price. The next-gen Xbox could carry a steep asking price unless Microsoft absorbs part of the cost and eats into its margins, or even sells the console at a loss in the hope of making the money back through its services.
“As it stands, the price of the Helix console has internally been projected to cost consumers between $1,200 and $1,800, unless Microsoft decides to subsidize the cost,” says a report published in Fortune. This won’t be the first time Microsoft has sold the Xbox without worrying too much about hardware margins. Back in 2021, the company admitted that it had been selling Xbox consoles at a loss for years.
The situation in 2026, however, is very different. Thanks in no small part to the AI boom, memory costs have surged, pushing up the prices of consumer electronics across the board. Even brands with tight control over their supply chains, such as Apple, have been forced to raise prices on both existing and next-gen devices. Microsoft has already made similar adjustments, and the Project Helix family appears headed for the same fate.
Sony doesn’t seem to be faring any better. The company is reportedly struggling with the development of the PlayStation 6, and rumors suggest the console will likely cost more than $1,000. Some analysts predict that Microsoft and Sony could delay their next-gen consoles in the hope that memory prices finally come down, allowing them to launch at a more reasonable price.
