Microsoft targets Xbox handheld for 2027, console for 2028

Microsoft is targeting a next-generation Xbox handheld for the 2027 holiday season and a new home console for the 2028 holiday season, according to reporting about the company’s plans. The release windows and a projected console price have not been formally confirmed by Microsoft. The console, known as Project Helix, is internally projected to cost consumers between $1,200 and $1,800, according to the reporting. That estimate depends on whether Microsoft subsidizes the hardware; no final retail price or subsidy decision has been announced. The reported targets place the handheld’s expected arrival a year before the home console. The handheld’s maker and product identity have not been specified, so it is not clear whether Microsoft will produce it itself or work with an outside manufacturer. The reporting also describes disagreement between Microsoft’s Xbox and Windows teams over the operating system for the devices. Windows leaders favored a modified desktop Windows build, while Xbox leaders wanted software more specifically designed for gaming. According to people briefed on the dispute, a senior Xbox executive threatened to abandon the handheld rather than use the Windows...