Xbox Project Helix price will be affected by the memory crisis, new CEO admits
Even though there's no firm release date or price just yet
😬 New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has admitted that the upcoming Project Helix’s price will be affected by the ongoing memory crisis
📈 In a new interview, Sharma has stated that memory costs will impact both “pricing” and “availability” of the console
🤷♂️ She also refused to give a proper launch timeline for the device, given that “the world’s pretty dynamic”
💰 The ongoing memory crisis has severely affected the likes of Valve and Sony in recent months, with availability concerns of new hardware and price rises
New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has admitted that the price of Microsoft’s upcoming Project Helix, the codename for the next Xbox console, will be affected by the ongoing memory crisis.
In an interview with Stephen Totilo’s Game File (as spotted by Game Developer), Sharma was asked if memory shortages would impact the “timeline” of the next-gen hybrid console.
In response, she stated that memory costs will affect both “pricing” and “availability” of the console, and denied sharing a launch timeline for the device, given that “the world’s pretty dynamic.”
This news comes after an open letter from Sharma and Xbox’s EVP Matt Booty noted that one of the gaming division’s key goals is to “deliver Project Helix to lead in performance and play your console and PC games” as it mulls over how to revive Xbox’s fortunes with the potential return of exclusive games and more besides.
The memory crisis has already heavily affected the hardware industry, not only raising component prices for SSDs, RAM and GPUs, but having the knock-on effect of messing around with everyone from Valve to Sony.
For instance, it’s pretty well documented that it has played havoc with the Steam Machine’s price, plus Valve’s refusal to commit to a release date for both the Steam Machine and Steam Frame beyond the vague “2026” window.
Likewise, on the console side, Sony has cited “continued pressures in the global economic landscape” for its recent hefty PS5 price rise that saw the PS5 Pro rise to $900, and the PS5 Standard and Digital models rise to $650 and $600, respectively.
As well as affecting pricing, Sharma also stated that the memory crisis will affect the availability of Project Helix, which is why Microsoft hasn’t committed to a hard and fast release date or even a window just yet.
The hybrid console is currently tipped to release in either 2027 or 2028, by which time the memory crisis could leave hardware in an entirely different place, although we’ll have to wait and see as to how all of this affects Xbox’s grand hardware plan.
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Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.