Xbox's next console may reportedly cost as much as $1,800

According to a report from Fortune profiling Asha Sharma, who replaced Phil Spencer as head of Xbox in February 2026, Microsoft's next console, codenamed Project Helix, is reportedly targeting a holiday 2028 release. Internally, its price is said to be projected between $1,200 and $1,800, unless Microsoft decides to subsidize part of the hardware cost.

A price range, not a set price

Fortune presents this figure as an internal projection, not a final, locked-in price. The report explicitly notes the number could come down if Microsoft chooses to absorb part of the manufacturing cost, as the company has done with past consoles. Nothing is fixed yet, and Microsoft hasn't officially announced a price or date for Project Helix.

A timeline shift from earlier rumors

This late-2028 timeline contradicts earlier rumors that pointed to 2027 for the console. Per the same report, a next-generation handheld device would arrive first, as early as holiday 2027, ahead of the console itself.

Why such a high price would even be on the table

Microsoft already raised Xbox Series S and X prices by up to $150 this year, and has said it needs new business models to offset rising component costs. The report also cites PlayStation 6, where memory alone is estimated to cost over $680 per console in a separate projection. Analyst Joost van Dreunen (Aldora) separately expects next-gen consoles across the board to likely exceed $1,000.

What else Microsoft is reportedly considering

Still per Fortune, Microsoft is reportedly weighing an overhaul of Game Pass into an à la carte structure, with separate paid add-ons for cloud gaming and multiplayer. The Xbox and Windows teams are also reportedly at odds over the handheld's software: Windows leadership wants a trimmed-down version of Windows, while Sharma's team reportedly wants its own system built for gaming performance.

A reliability caveat

Wccftech, which also covered this report, rates its own corroboration score at just 3/5: the information comes from a single source (Fortune) and hasn't yet been independently confirmed by other matching leaks.

Sources

• Video Games Chronicle: Report claims next Xbox is targeting 2028 and could cost between $1,200 and $1,800
• Wccftech: Xbox Project Helix Won't Arrive Until Holiday 2028, Internally Projected to Cost $1,200 to $1,800

The bottom line

A Fortune report, not officially confirmed by Microsoft, puts Project Helix's internally projected price between $1,200 and $1,800, now targeting late 2028 rather than 2027. A next-gen handheld would arrive first, as early as late 2027. Treat this as an internal projection that could still change, not a final price.