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Xbox Handheld and Project Helix Roadmap Reportedly Takes Shape
Microsoft reportedly plans to launch its own next-generation Xbox handheld during Holiday 2027, followed a year later by Project Helix, its next home console. The details come from an extensive Fortune profile examining Xbox CEO Asha Sharma’s plans for the business, which sheds considerably more light on Microsoft’s hardware roadmap, internal development tensions and potential changes to Game Pass.
Microsoft has confirmed that Project Helix will play both Xbox and PC games, but has kept details such as pricing and a release window under wraps so far. The new report suggests players could be waiting until Holiday 2028 for the next-generation console.
First-Party Xbox Handheld Reportedly Targets Holiday 2027
Before Project Helix arrives, Xbox reportedly intends to release a next-generation handheld in Holiday 2027. That would mark a significant shift in Microsoft’s handheld strategy. The company entered the market through its partnership with ASUS on the ROG Xbox Ally range, which combines Windows 11 with an Xbox-focused interface rather than being developed entirely in-house.
According to Fortune, development of the new handheld has also reignited disagreements between Microsoft’s Xbox and Windows teams. Windows leadership reportedly favoured a stripped-down version of Windows Home, while Xbox wanted greater control over the software and interface to maximise gaming performance.
The disagreement reportedly reached a point where a senior Xbox executive threatened to cancel the handheld rather than adopt the proposed Windows build. Xbox is now said to have greater control over the operating system’s direction, although Sharma stressed that the teams continue to work together
Project Helix Could Be a Very Expensive Xbox
Price could become another major talking point. Fortune reports that Project Helix is internally projected to cost consumers between US$1,200 and US$1,800 if Microsoft chooses not to subsidise the hardware. That is not a confirmed retail price, and the figures could change significantly before a reported Holiday 2028 launch.
Microsoft has previously described Project Helix as a performance-led system capable of running Xbox and PC games, suggesting the company is moving closer towards premium PC-style hardware rather than simply building a conventional console successor.
Game Pass Could Move Towards À La Carte Subscriptions
Hardware is not the only part of Xbox being reconsidered. Microsoft is reportedly exploring a major Game Pass overhaul that would let players select features à la carte, including console games, cloud gaming and multiplayer access, while retaining an underlying tier structure.
Such a move would continue the changes the service has already made this year, following Game Pass price reductions and changes to day-one Call of Duty access. Microsoft has not publicly confirmed any of the reported launch windows, pricing projections, or Game Pass restructuring plans.
For now, they offer the clearest indication yet of how Xbox’s next hardware generation could unfold, with a dedicated handheld potentially arriving first and Project Helix following in 2028.
