# I Hope Xbox Project Helix Is Still a Gaming PC When It Launches

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/i-hope-xbox-project-helix-is-still-a-gaming-pc-when-it-launches/
- Published: 2026-08-04T20:36:01+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-04T23:24:23+00:00
- Original publisher: IGN
- Original article: https://www.ign.com/articles/i-hope-xbox-project-helix-is-still-a-gaming-pc-when-it-launches
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming

## Key points

- Writer hopes Xbox's Project Helix stays an open gaming PC, not a closed console.
- Rising hardware costs may push Microsoft to scale back Helix's openness.
- PS6 unlikely before 2028; pricing for both consoles remains uncertain.

## Summary

IGN writer Jacqueline Thomas argues that Microsoft's next-generation Xbox, codenamed Project Helix, should remain a true gaming PC rather than being scaled back into a more closed, console-like device. The piece follows weekend speculation, sparked by Jez Corden's Xbox Two podcast and later addressed on Windows Central, that Microsoft might distance itself from Steam; while a full withdrawal seems unlikely, rising hardware costs could push Microsoft to abandon the open, PC-like nature originally pitched for Helix in March, since an open platform is harder to subsidise.

The author points to Valve's Steam Machine, which carries a four-figure price tag because its open design prevents subsidy, as a cautionary example, and expects Helix's "next-gen" hardware to be even pricier. She suggests Microsoft could instead follow its Surface strategy: build Helix as a premium, top-end halo product while letting third-party manufacturers or PC builders cover cheaper entry points. With the PS6 not expected before 2028, and analyst Piers Harding-Rolls doubting it will reach $1,000 given Sony's stronger supply chain, the article stresses that Helix's final price and design remain speculative for now.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.