Xbox's Project Helix locks in next-gen launch plans, not that any of us will be able to afford it

Xbox Project Helix seems to be ushering in the end of console gaming, as the price alone is enough to turn people away.

The next-gen Xbox is still shrouded in secrecy, but we’re learning more and more about the console as time goes on.

Unfortunately, we’re hardly hearing anything good…

Fortune recently published an enormous report on the future of Xbox, Asha Sharma’s plan for the business, and of course, details on Xbox Project Helix. As always, take it with a pinch of salt, but the writing looks to be on the wall.

Xbox Project Helix will not be an affordable console; gaming is dead

According to Fortune, via Wccftech, the plan for Xbox Project Helix is to launch the console sometime in late 2028. That’s probably when we’ll see the PlayStation 6 surface as well.

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Personally, I’m keen to push the release date back as far as possible. I’m of the opinion that the current generation of console gaming has hardly gotten started…

And yet when you continue to read Fortune’s report, it becomes more and more clear that the next console generation will be more than just a new beginning; it’ll be the end.

Xbox Project Helix is currently projected to cost $1,200 to $1,800 due to rising hardware costs. It’s believed Xbox could subsidise this if necessary.

Without trying to sound dramatic, a video game console with a quadruple-digit price tag would essentially herald the end of the hobby for millions of gamers. Many were appalled when the next Xbox was rumoured to cost $1,000, though now it’s speculated to cost nearly double that in the worst-case scenario.

For me personally, it’d completely kill my love for the game. Consoles are meant to be the cost-effective, casual alternative to PCs. The hardware isn’t as advanced as a high-end gaming rig, but that’s reflected in the price.

At this point, you might as well pay the money for a decent PC. At least then you’ll have more options for where to buy games and added benefits like emulation.

It seems like Xbox knows the price won’t go down well too, as it’s actively trying to pass further savings onto its users.

Rumours claim Xbox owners will soon be able to choose which services they’d like to have access to, and have that reflected in the price they pay via Game Pass. If you just want the game library, you’ll just pay for the game library, but if you want an added bonus like cloud-streaming on top of that, you’ll of course pay more.

While that’ll save you money in the long run, though, it still won’t make Xbox Project Helix look like a good investment.

Again, take the rumours with a pinch of salt, but if it turns out to be true, next-gen consoles could be the death of casual gaming.

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