Xbox’s next-gen hardware is shaping up as a high-priced, multi-device play.
A new Fortune profile of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma details Microsoft’s plans for Project Helix, the codename for its next-generation “family of devices.”
Internally, the main console is projected to cost consumers $1,200–$1,800 unless Microsoft subsidizes it—driven largely by soaring component costs (especially memory and storage) from the AI boom.
Timeline from the report:
- Next-gen handheld: Holiday 2027 target.
- Main Project Helix console (Xbox + PC games hybrid): Holiday 2028 target.
Sharma has previously described Helix as a family of devices rather than a single box.
There’s also reported internal debate over the handheld’s OS (Xbox team largely controlling direction vs. a trimmed Windows Home approach).
Beyond hardware, Fortune notes further Xbox cuts are planned—as early as this month, plus additional waves in November and January—on top of earlier reductions (part of a larger ~3,200-role plan).
Game Pass is also headed for a major overhaul toward a more à la carte model, with optional add-ons for console-only games, cloud gaming, and multiplayer on top of tiered plans.
Microsoft has not officially confirmed the pricing, exact windows, or Game Pass changes.
The numbers reflect internal projections that can still shift if the company absorbs costs.
Current-gen Xbox hardware has lagged PlayStation 5 in unit sales, and component inflation is hitting the entire industry.
