Xbox Project Helix could cost up to $1,800, and gamers are already calling it

The next Xbox console, codenamed Project Helix while in development, is on the way. Gamers have been eagerly awaiting the follow-up to the Xbox Series X|S, along with the next PlayStation. Whenever a new console generation arrives, it can bring things we’venever seen before. For example, the PlayStation 5 can do things we never dreamed of with the PS4.

New games are also being developed to match the console’s power, and Project Helix will likely have fun capabilities and strong games that take advantage of those new features. It’s the highlight of every generation.

We don’t know much about Xbox’s Project Helix. We have estimates on the launch period and a potential cost, and neither is particularly encouraging. In fact, some gamers are saying the console will fail based on the rumored price tag.

Xbox Project Helix’s rumored price point has gamers burying it before it’s even revealed

The cost of gaming keeps rising. Even with consoles that have been out for over half a decade, prices keep rising. A standard PlayStation 5 costs up to $649 right now. At launch, it cost at most $500. Six years later, the price has increased, even though historically, the longer something (a game or console) is out, the cheaper it gets.

So, it’s no surprise the next round of consoles will be expensive. How expensive it will be remains to be seen, but early reports suggest Xbox’s Project Helix could cost up to $1,800. It’s expected to cost at least $1,200 and release in 2028.

That report has gamers claiming the console won’t do well before it has even been revealed. We don’t know a single feature of this console or even what it looks like. Yet, that astronomical price point has fans burying the console already.

Redditors make their voices heard

On Reddit, gamers are voicing their complaints. “Next gen is shaping up to be the worst console generation of all time for both consoles. I don’t see how either will be financially viable for consumers to adopt,” u/BenEWhittle wrote.

u/MH-BiggestFan believes this will prevent Sony or Microsoft from making exclusives. “I sincerely doubt there’ll be Helix/PS6 exclusives. Next gen will likely be cross-gen their entire lifetime due to the cost and inevitable slow rate of adoption,” they wrote.

Others pointed out that the Nintendo Switch 2, which, when adjusted for inflation, costs barely more than the original Switch at $500, is a nonstarter for many gamers. If that’s too expensive, then the next Xbox, at more than three times the price, is impossible for gamers to buy.

u/Butts_The_Musical pointed out that owning a console is becoming pointless compared to a PC. Unless there’s a change of heart, physical console libraries, and they’re not going to be much more affordable than a PC. Why buy a PlayStation 6 and Project Helix for probably $3,000 when a PC costs that much or less?

u/biscuitsalsa summed it up best, writing, “Dead on arrival. After next year, gaming will take a huge hit. It might not decline, but it will stop growing like it has for the past 30 years. New games will become more and more of a niche targeted at those with money.”

Whether that price is what the Project Helix Xbox will cost remains to be seen, but unless it’s a whole lot cheaper than reports suggest, many gamers will be officially priced out.