Microsoft is planning an Xbox handheld by the 2027 holidays and targeting a Project Helix release by the 2028 holidays, Fortune reported, as rising component costs complicate its hardware strategy.
The consumer release dates are reported targets. Fortune cited an internal projection that Project Helix could cost buyers $1,200 to $1,800 if Microsoft does not subsidize it. The outlet identified higher hardware costs, including memory shortages, as a challenge.
Microsoft says Project Helix will support games for both Xbox consoles and PCs. Jason Ronald, Xbox vice president of next generation, said March 11 that it will use a custom AMD system-on-chip. Microsoft plans to ship alpha versions of the hardware to game developers in 2027, he said. That developer plan applies to Project Helix, not the proposed handheld.
Microsoft and partners ASUS and AMD have already developed two handhelds, ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. Both run Windows, giving players access to Xbox games and titles from PC storefronts on handheld devices.
Fortune identified Microsoft’s October earnings as the next test of Xbox’s broader turnaround.
