Xbox and Windows clash over OS for next-gen Helix console, due in 2028

Fortune reports Microsoft will ship a handheld in 2027 and the full Project Helix console in 2028. Xbox and Windows teams disagreed over the OS, with Xbox now largely controlling its direction, and the console is expected to cost $1,200–1,800.

• Xbox handheld expected in 2027, Helix console in 2028
• OS dispute: Windows wanted a desktop build, Xbox a bespoke one
• Console price expected at $1,200–1,800, possibly subsidized to ~$1,000
• A senior Xbox exec threatened to scrap the handheld over the OS