Next-Generation Xbox Console Could Cost Rs 1.7 Lakh: Report

A couple of weeks after succeeding Phil Spencer as Microsoft Gaming CEO, Asha Sharma announced the next-generation console under the codename ‘Project Helix’. While the console’s specs and its progress remain under wraps, a report in Fortune has hinted that the new device, confirmed to play both Xbox and PC titles, may cost consumers anywhere between $1,200 (Rs 1.13 lakh) and $1,800 (Rs 1.69 lakh).

The price range for the future console is based on what has been ‘internally’ projected at the company. The final price, however, could come down, if Microsoft decided to subsidise the device.

“Active console usage has rebounded year over year, compared with the previous year’s decline, and Sharma said she expects financial improvements to start showing in Microsoft’s fiscal 2027,” the report stated.

“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 subsidize the cost.”

The steep rise in console prices marks a new normal, primarily driven by global inflation, escalating manufacturing costs, and severe component shortages triggered by the AI boom. The prices could shoot up further in India, where gamers often have to pay a premium on the prices. For example, the PS5 Slim that retails at $599 (Rs 56,557) in the US is currently selling for Rs 70,000 in India.

With the Steam Machine crossing the $1,000 threshold, next-gen consoles are almost guaranteed to be more expensive.

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What We Know About Project Helix

Xbox revealed the first details about Project Helix at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March, earlier this year. In his keynote at the conference, Jason Ronald, VP of next-generation at Xbox, said Microsoft was “hard at work” on the successor to the Xbox Series S/X. He added that the next-gen console would deliver “more realistic, immersive, and dynamic worlds for players.”

At GDC, Ronald also confirmed that Microsoft would start sending out alpha versions of the next-gen Xbox to game developers in 2027, suggesting the company intends to launch the console sooner rather than later despite concerns about delays due to the ongoing memory and storage shortages.