Xbox Project Helix price rumours cause stir online as fans question the new console's cost

Like everything else in the world, gaming is becoming more and more expensive, and the upcoming Xbox Project Helix looks like it's going to be a big part of that.

While the death of the Xbox console had been widely speculated over the last year, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma recently announced the development of the next Xbox console.

A console and PC hybrid, the console we currently know as Project Helix is being developed in tandem with AMD, and will be the most powerful console on the market – assuming the PS6 isn't out by then to compete.

But all that power comes at a cost, and the next Xbox could be far and away the most expensive home console we've ever seen.

According to noted insider Moore's Law Is Dead, Project Helix could cost between $900-$1200 (~£680-£900), with a $999 (~£750) price point perhaps being the most likely.

This comes down to a collection of factors, such as the price of the new AMD GPU, as well as the skyrocketing RAM costs that have already impacted upcoming Valve hardware like the Steam Machine and Steam Frame.

This is, of course, just a prediction, but considering the track record of Moore's Law Is Dead, it's certainly a worthwhile point of view to take into consideration.

And taking it into consideration is exactly what the internet has done, sparking widespread complaints at the idea of dropping a cool grand on a new console – nearly double the current price of current Xbox Series X.

One post from X user @TheEggman64 laments the price increase, and questions whether or not Xbox would be pricing the casual market out of its console.

"My worry with Xbox Helix is that, at $1,000, for every person you attract with the appeal of a hybrid PC, you'll lose two more casual players who'll switch to Switch 2 or PS6.

"Most gamers just play Fortnite, CoD, GTA, FIFA; Helix won't be a good option for those."

It would seem a baffling change of tact from Xbox from the current generation, in which the company made a point of appealing to a casual audience with the cheaper and less-powerful Xbox Series S.

In a world in which the casual player is looking to spend less on their consoles, and the enthusiast already has a gaming PC – not to mention the presence of the Steam Machien in the market – it's easy to feel as if Xbox is setting itself up for a rather spectacular failure if Project Helix doesn't land.

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