Xbox Project Helix will offer performance comparable to a $3,000 PC, says insider

Xbox's next-gen Project Helix console has everyone on edge with its exciting proposition. Microsoft CEO Asha Sharma has suggested that the system could play both Xbox and PC games, pointing to a more hybrid approach. However, the rumored $1,200 price tag hasn't gone down well with many gamers, especially former Xbox owners, considering it is more than double the Xbox Series X's $500 launch price. Still, some insiders believe the premium could be justified.

In the latest episode of the Broken Silicon podcast, leaker Moore's Law Is Dead claimed Project Helix justifies its $1,200 price tag by offering performance comparable to a $2,000 to $3,000 gaming PC. He emphasized that this level of performance could disrupt the console space, much as the MacBook Neo disrupted the laptop segment, by offering premium capabilities well beyond traditional consoles.

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According to the leaker, while it won't match ultra-high-end PC rigs, it is expected to surpass the performance of your average console. The hardware is said to be similar to a high-end PC, reportedly using silicon comparable to AMD's RDNA 5 70- or possibly 80-class GPU. The APU is described as the biggest in console history, built on "something insane at 3 nanometers."

Previous reports from insider Kepler_L2 had already suggested the new Xbox could be more powerful than the rumored PlayStation 6, though any performance advantage may not be particularly noticeable in actual games. Kepler_L2 also said that Project Helix could see ASUS and MSI build their own Xbox-style consoles, something Microsoft has yet to confirm.

A $1,200 price point would make Project Helix one of the most expensive consoles ever released, but its final price remains uncertain amid ongoing RAM and SSD shortages. But if MLID's comments are anything to go by, even at a high price, the console could do to mid and high-end prebuilt PCs what the MacBook Neo has done to the budget laptop market.