Microsoft reportedly projects $1,200 to $1,800 price for 2028 Project Helix
Xbox maker is also apparently planning its own gaming handheld for next year.
Xbox maker is also apparently planning its own gaming handheld for next year.
The short version
- That future console price range is based on what has “internally been projected” at the company, according to Fortune.
- But the price for consumers could come down if “Microsoft decides to subsidize the cost,” the outlet says, as many console makers have done in the past .
- This year, the Steam Machine broke the $1,000 starting price , while the 2-year-old technology in the PlayStation 5 Pro is now going for $900 , and the 6-year-old Xbox Series X now starts at $750 .
What happened
Fortune cites “people briefed on the clash” in reporting that one high-level executive threatened to cancel the handheld altogether if they were forced to use Windows. That threat seemingly helped lead to the current situation with the Xbox team “now largely controlling the direction of the operating system for the project, Fortune writes, though Sharma said the two groups are still working closely together.
Why it matters
Fortune also reports that Microsoft has pressured the hardware team to move up the timelines for Project Helix hardware “by at least several months,” in part by using AI tools where applicable.
Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.