Rumor: Project Helix Xbox could reportedly cost $1,200 to $1,800 without subsidies

Fortune reported that Microsoft has internally projected the Project Helix console would cost consumers between $1,200 and $1,800 unless the company subsidizes it. The report notes Microsoft has traditionally subsidized hardware more than Nintendo and Sony, and that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has called affordability a key challenge for the project as the AI race absorbs memory and storage supplies. It also says the PS6 faces similar pricing pressure and that memory makers expect component prices to rise further in 2027 and 2028.