Should you wait for Microsoft's next Xbox if Project Helix may cost $1,200 to $1,800?

Ars Technica reported on October 20, 2026 that Microsoft reportedly projects a $1,200-$1,800 price for its 2028 Project Helix console — a reported projection, not a confirmed price. Here is how to decide whether to buy a current console now or wait, how Game Pass and backwards compatibility change the math, and the total-cost checklist to run first.

The next Xbox might cost as much as a decent gaming laptop — if a reported projection turns out to be anywhere near right. Short answer: Ars Technica reported on October 20, 2026 that Microsoft reportedly projects a price of $1,200 to $1,800 for Project Helix, its next console, planned for 2028. Read that label carefully: it is a reported projection, not a confirmed price.

Microsoft has announced no price, and two years of component costs can move a number like that a long way in either direction before anything ships. Why console prices keep climbing: the parts inside them cost more than they used to. Memory and advanced chips are pricier, and tariffs and component costs in general have pushed hardware prices up across the industry.

A 2028 flagship built from premium parts was never going to be cheap — so the real question for buyers is whether today’s consoles, at today’s prices, already do what you actually want.1. If your current console is dead or dying, buy now. Two years is a long time to sit out gaming in order to save for a machine whose price is unconfirmed.2.

If your console works and your backlog is full, waiting costs you nothing. By 2028 the Helix picture — price, specs, launch games — will be real instead of reported, and you can decide with facts.3. Count Game Pass and backwards compatibility in the math.

A subscription library and your existing game collection carry their value forward, which softens the jump to new hardware — and also means a current console keeps delivering while you wait.4. Budget the whole bill, not the box. Console + a second controller + extra storage + a year of subscription.

On a machine in this price range, the extras are a real second bill, not pocket change.Pro tip: Do not pay scalper prices for current hardware “before prices go up” based on an unconfirmed 2028 projection. Paying a markup today to dodge an unconfirmed price tomorrow is the one move that loses money in both futures.Ad’s take: A four-figure console would redraw who a flagship machine is for — but a projection is not a price tag. If you need a console, buy the good one that exists; if you do not, 2028 will tell you the truth for free.