In a profile of Xbox CEO Asha Sharma by Fortune, further details were revealed about Xbox’s next-generation console, codenamed Project Helix.
The new report revealed a target release window for Project Helix, as well as a release window for an Xbox handheld, but with all of these shiny new gadgets comes a demand for consumers to cover huge costs if they want to keep up with the latest in gaming.
As claimed in the report, Xbox plans to release "a next-generation handheld device by the 2027 holiday season" in what would be a first in handheld devices for the company.
As for Project Helix, the report states that this will see a release by the holidays in 2028, which is a year later than was previously speculated.
This release window for both the handheld and the console is quite soon, which I’m sure many Xbox loyalists will rejoice at – however, they may want to take a look at the eye-watering price.
"As it stands, the price of the Helix console has internally been projected to cost consumers between $1,200 and $1,800 unless Microsoft decides to subsidise the cost," Fortune writes.
These prices, bluntly, are wild. But it does align with what industry experts have been projecting for next-generation consoles amidst the rise of AI creating a massive shortage of hardware components, driving up costs across the board.
And, coupled with the fact the PS6’s memory alone could cost more than the entire PS5 on launch – again, largely due to AI data centres creating shortages – these extreme price hikes aren’t unforeseen.
But with AI seeing no pause in its development and actively being embraced by studios across the board from Xbox, Capcom and Konami, it seems these prices, for now, are here to stay.
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