MICROSOFT PROJECTS NEXT XBOX CONSOLE PRICE AT UP TO $1,800

Microsoft has internally projected a price of $1,200 to $1,800 for its next Xbox console, according to people familiar with its plans. The company plans to release the console in late 2028, following a handheld gaming device in late 2027. Microsoft announced Project Helix in March as hardware that would “play your Xbox and PC games”. The projected price could change if Microsoft decides to subsidise the console.

The handheld and console form part of Microsoft’s plans for a new generation of Xbox hardware. People briefed on internal discussions said Microsoft teams disagreed over whether the handheld should use a reduced version of Windows Home or an operating system controlled by the Xbox group. One senior executive threatened to cancel the handheld if it had to use Windows, according to those people. The Xbox team now largely controls the direction of the handheld’s operating system, while Asha Sharma said the Xbox and Windows teams continue to work closely together.

Microsoft has pressed its hardware team to bring Project Helix releases forward by at least several months, including through the use of AI tools where applicable. The company is also considering changes to Game Pass that would offer separate charges for console-only games, cloud gaming and multiplayer, according to unnamed people familiar with the plans. Neither the projected console price nor the proposed Game Pass charges constitute announced consumer prices. Microsoft has not given a final price for the console.