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Xbox may have only just teased its next big console, but the company is already thinking about the future of its hardware lineup. Newly appointed Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently shared a brief teaser on social media about Project Helix, offering the first glimpse at what could become Microsoft’s next major gaming system.
While official details remain scarce, industry consultant Serkan Toto, founder of Kantan Games, believes gamers should expect a high price when the console eventually launches.
Toto points to the rising cost of gaming hardware as a major factor. Although global memory shortages could ease before the console enters mass production, he says it’s unlikely the device will come cheap.
“The PlayStation 5 Pro already costs around $750 in the US, while the Xbox Series X 2TB reaches about $800,” Toto explained. “There’s no reason to expect Project Helix to be cheaper.”
Based on those trends, Toto estimates that the base version of Project Helix could launch around $900, with a higher-end model potentially costing even more.
That prediction aligns with Microsoft’s recent pricing strategy. In 2025, the company increased the price of its premium Xbox Series X 2TB model from $599.99 to $799.99, signaling that next-generation hardware may continue pushing into higher price ranges.
Beyond pricing, the stakes for Xbox could be significant. Toto suggests Microsoft is under increasing pressure after Sony’s PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 outsold their Xbox counterparts in previous generations.
Because of that competitive pressure, Toto believes a 2028 release window for Project Helix is realistic. Whether that launch will mark a major comeback for Xbox hardware remains uncertain, but Microsoft appears determined to redefine its console strategy with this next-generation system.
Some analysts even argue that Project Helix could be a pivotal moment for the brand, suggesting it may represent Microsoft’s most important hardware launch in years.