October 23, 2026
2 min read
Next Xbox 'Project Helix' Could Cost Up to $1,800, Report Says
When a game console starts chasing PC performance, the sticker shock usually follows right behind.
The short version
Microsoft's next Xbox console, Project Helix, could cost $1,200 to $1,800 unless subsidized and is targeting the 2028 holidays, according to internal projections reported by Fortune on October 20, 2026. A first-party Xbox handheld would come first, by holiday 2027. Microsoft hasn't confirmed either.
By Chuy, Senior Staff Writer
Oct 23, 2026 · Reviewed by the Nexzy newsroom
Project Helix (reported)
VS
PS5 Pro (current)
US price
$1,200 – $1,800 (unsubsidized, reported)
$899.99 (since April 2026)
Launch
2028 holiday season (reported)
November 2024
Plays PC games
Yes, per Xbox CEO Asha Sharma
No
Status
Unannounced price and date
On sale
Who it's for
Microsoft's next Xbox console, Project Helix, could cost between $1,200 and $1,800 unless the company subsidizes it, according to internal projections reported by Fortune on October 20. The console is reportedly aimed at the 2028 holiday season, with a first-party Xbox handheld planned to arrive first, by holiday 2027.
None of it is official. Microsoft hasn't announced pricing or dates, and Pure Xbox urges caution on the details. For scale, the top of that range is exactly twice a PS5 Pro, which Sony raised to $899.99 in the US in April.
The pitch for the price is PC capability. "It's a console that's also going to allow you to play your PC games," Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said of Helix in June, per Windows Central. Console with PC games, priced like a PC: on paper, the numbers are at least consistent.
The details
- Reported price: $1,200 to $1,800, unless Microsoft subsidizes it
- Reported launch: 2028 holiday season
- Handheld: first-party, targeted by holiday 2027
- Source: Fortune, October 20, 2026; Microsoft hasn't confirmed
- For scale: PS5 Pro $899.99; Asus ROG Xbox Ally X $999.99
What about the handheld?
Fortune reports Microsoft's Windows and Xbox leaders clashed over its software. The Windows side wanted it to run a trimmed-down version of Windows Home, Sharma's team wanted its own software for better gaming performance, and a senior Xbox executive reportedly threatened to scrap the project. Xbox is now largely steering the operating system, per the report, and Sharma told Fortune the teams still work closely together because Xbox can't build Helix alone.
Unlike the Asus-built ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X, which launched in October 2025 at $599.99 and $999.99, the new handheld would be made by Microsoft itself.
Where does this leave Xbox?
The report lands mid-restructuring. Fortune says Xbox plans to cut 3,200 developer jobs, with 1,868 cut so far and more rounds set for October, November and January, according to GamesRadar. Microsoft also set up Xbox Labs this month to explore AI agents, browser-based gaming and cross-hardware porting. Analysts had already floated $1,000 next-gen consoles; the reported Helix range starts $200 above that.
The cheapest version of this rumor is still $300 more than a PS5 Pro.
The next Xbox could cost $1,200 to $1,800. Where's your ceiling?
You tell us — tap to vote
Sources (6)
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Sources (6)
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