Xbox's Project Helix Could Cost Up to $1,800, With a Handheld Due in 2027

Microsoft's next-generation Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, may cost far more than most players expected. Reports put the top price at around $1,800, while another summary of the same story estimates a figure closer to $2,000. The exact number is still unsettled, and both figures come from reporting rather than an official announcement from Microsoft.

The bigger structural detail is that Helix is reportedly arriving as two devices instead of a single console. One of them is a handheld that the reports place in 2027, with the full platform release following in holiday 2028. A staggered rollout like that would give Microsoft a portable product to gauge demand before the main hardware lands, though it also means buyers could face a choice between two machines rather than one.

A price in this range would be a sharp break from recent generations. Console makers have traditionally sold hardware at or near cost at launch and made their money back through game sales, subscriptions and accessories. A high sticker price puts more pressure on the business model, and it raises the question of how many players will pay that much up front, particularly when they can also buy a capable gaming PC or a cheaper handheld.

Hardware pricing is also tied to component costs, which have been a pressure point across the electronics industry. Whether Microsoft can keep the price down will depend on how those costs develop before launch, and on whether the company decides the premium is worth the performance it delivers.

For now, the safest reading is that Helix is expected to be expensive, with two devices planned and a timeline that runs through 2028. Until Microsoft confirms pricing and specifications, the dollar figures should be treated as estimates.