Reports have surfaced that Microsoft (MS)'s next-generation Xbox, 'Project Helix,' is targeting a release in the 2028 holiday season. In particular, internal price estimates reach up to $1,800 (approx. 2.39 million won). This suggests that purchasing a next-generation console could cost significantly more money than it does today.
U.S. business publication Fortune reported this on the 20th local time in an article profiling Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. Under Sharma's leadership, who succeeded Phil Spencer last February, a handheld device will arrive first in the 2027 holiday season, one year ahead of the console. The price is estimated internally at $1,200–$1,800 (approx. 1.59 million to 2.39 million won) under the assumption that MS will not subsidize hardware costs, and it is not a figure directly disclosed by Sharma.
There are also reasons why lowering prices is difficult. Xbox is a $21 billion business, but its profit margin hovers around 3%, with consoles accounting for 80% of revenue. Having already raised Series X|S prices by up to $150 due to surging memory costs, Sharma highlighted console hardware as being in a state of crisis.
The situation is similar for the PS6. Analyst Michael Pachter projected the launch price of the PS6—which has not yet been officially revealed—at $1,000 (approx. 1.33 million won), and leaked information even suggests that the bill of materials for memory and storage alone exceeds $680 (approx. 900,000 won). Sony's position is that it has no intention of selling hardware while taking on major losses.
Of course, there are optimistic outlooks as well. Some predict that if memory prices stabilize by 2028, Helix and the PS6 could launch at $600–$800 (approx. 800,000 to 1.06 million won). On the other hand, Ampere Analysis warned that if both devices launch at $1,000, cumulative 5-year sales could drop by up to 38% compared to the current generation.
Meanwhile, prices for current-generation hardware have already risen above their launch levels. The PS5 Pro, which launched at $700, is currently $900 (official price in Korea is 1.298 million won), while the Xbox Series X starts at $750 (approx. 1 million won). Schedules have also changed. MS officially announced Project Helix last March and previewed at GDC 2026 that it would distribute alpha kits for developers starting in 2027. In this report, the schedules for the handheld and console were separated, and the development deadline for Helix has been moved up by several months.
Reports of internal conflict have also surfaced. Xbox reportedly clashed with the Windows team over the handheld device's operating system. The Windows side wanted to apply a lightweight version of Windows Home, while the Xbox side insisted on its own software, even raising the possibility of scrapping the handheld project altogether. Currently, Xbox is leading the direction of the operating system.
However, Xbox drew the line regarding rumors of conflict. Xbox CTO Scott Van Vliet stated on his X account on the 20th local time that "the Helix OS is being built on a Windows foundation, and the Xbox and Windows teams are working closely together for the next-generation device". He explained that the report misrepresented both the technical work and the relationship between the two teams.
Meanwhile, Microsoft management's stance on sale rumors is clear. Judson Althoff, who heads Microsoft's commercial business, praised Sharma as one of the company's top leaders, emphasizing that "we would not have put her on a business we intend to sell".
MS has not yet officially announced the launch schedule or pricing for Helix.
