Xbox’s next console, currently-codenamed Project Helix, faces a steep uphill battle to launch. After years of downturn for the Xbox brand, hurried along by a lack of major exclusive video games and a concerted push to downplay the importance of console gaming, Helix will need to be a total reinvention.
To succeed, it will need to redefine Xbox’s commitment to a player base that has been offsided by various developments over the years, and initiate significant change for the brand.
An additional challenge could be just over the horizon, as Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has admitted Project Helix’s availability and pricing will likely be impacted by a global memory shortage, possibly placing the console out of reach for some Xbox fans.
Xbox’s Project Helix plans – quick links
What we know about Xbox’s Project Helix console
It’s no secret that much of the world is currently facing a cost of living crisis. Global wars have pushed up the prices of groceries and petrol, with many supply chains impacted by conflict. Pair this with rising concerns about job stability and security, stagnating wage growth, and inflation, and it’s fair to say gamers – as much as anyone else – are holding their wallets tighter than ever.
The prospect of measuring appetite for a new console is a tricky one. In March 2026, Xbox confirmed its next console, Project Helix, was in development. At the time, it revealed the console would be able to play both Xbox and PC games, as a hybrid device designed to meet player needs and be an all-in-one gaming companion.
Some developers reportedly got hands-on with this device at the 2026 Game Developer Conference, although no details about its form, functionality or performance were shared publicly. All we know is that it’s in development, and that Xbox is enthusiastic about a brighter future.
However, as Sharma shared in a recent interview, that future won’t be entirely challenge-free.
A supply chain in flux
Speaking to Game File (via Game Developer), Sharma discussed concerns that Project Helix would be negatively impacted by ongoing demand for memory hardware.
Since generative AI became the hot topic in investment circles, touted for its potential to reduce costs and improve efficiency by making jobs redundant, various companies have scrambled to acquire memory chips to power ever-growing data centres.
Strong demand has naturally led to scarcity, as well as high prices from producers.
Like other hardware, Project Helix will depend on streamlined memory chip supply – and right now, availability is not a certainty.
‘Memory costs will impact pricing, [which] will impact availability,’ Sharma told Game File.
‘As we think about being where the world plays, we will take that into consideration. So we’re not ready to share a launch timeline right now. The world’s pretty dynamic.’
Pricing concerns and market positioning
As Sharma outlined, there are plenty of questions about how hardware products will fare in an era where memory is becoming increasingly harder to come by, and far more expensive. Costs must be passed onto consumers to justify hardware production, and so gamers will likely be impacted by these developments, regardless of when Project Helix is planned to launch.
Already, we’ve seen current generation consoles having their prices increased to account for memory supply issues. A PlayStation 5 is now significantly more expensive than when it first launched in 2020, which is staggering.
When the PS5 launched in Australia in 2020, it was just $749.95. Now, it costs $999.95.
Also taking into account increased capacity and performance, new generation consoles currently in development are more than likely to arrive at much higher prices than their predecessors. It would be unsurprising to see Project Helix launch at a price closer to $1500.
At that point, however, it’s hard to see how a console would be more appealing to buyers than a more fully-featured PC – but of course, there are still plenty of unknowns about Project Helix.
