Xbox Plans New Console Project Helix and Handheld Device

Xbox is preparing a new gaming console called Project Helix, according to Engadget. The console will also be able to play PC games. Engadget reports that Fortune published a profile of the new Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma, at the same time.

Fortune reported that Project Helix is currently projected to cost between $1,200 and $1,800. That price could be lower if Microsoft subsidizes the hardware, which means it helps cover part of the cost. In August, Sharma hinted that Project Helix would be a family of gaming devices rather than a single machine.

The next Xbox hardware release is reportedly a handheld device. It is slated for the 2027 holiday season. The full console is expected to arrive during the 2028 holiday season.

Rising prices for RAM, which is the memory a device uses to run programs, and other components are driven by AI development. Engadget notes that these higher costs are part of the reason device prices are changing.

Sharma's goal is for Xbox to reach more than 1 billion people daily. Xbox reportedly has 100 million daily active users today. A daily active user is a person who uses a service on a given day.

Unnamed insiders told Engadget that Game Pass may move to a la carte pricing. Under this plan, players would pay for add-ons for console-only games, cloud gaming, and multiplayer, instead of paying for one bundle.

Further Xbox layoffs are expected this month. Additional cuts are planned for November and January.