Xbox May Scale Back Project Helix Openness as $150 Console Losses Meet 2% Store Conversion
Updated
Updated · TweakTown · Jul 29
Xbox May Scale Back Project Helix Openness as $150 Console Losses Meet 2% Store Conversion
3 articles · Updated · TweakTown · Jul 29
Summary
Internal data cited by Windows Central shows only 2% of Xbox Ally owners without an Xbox console bought anything through Xbox’s PC store, undercutting hopes that an open Project Helix would feed Microsoft’s ecosystem.
That weak conversion matters because Xbox is already losing about $150 on each Series X|S, with the report saying losses will continue even after an August 2026 price hike driven by memory costs.
The same documents show stronger subscription uptake than store spending: about 75% of Xbox Ally owners also take Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass, but only 25% of owners who also have an Xbox console made Xbox PC purchases.
Project Helix had previously been pitched as a next-gen system able to run Xbox and PC games across multiple storefronts such as Epic Games Store and GOG, but new leadership and rising hardware costs appear to be pushing a rethink.
If Microsoft keeps the device open like a Steam Machine, the report argues, many buyers could use it mainly for Steam—making it harder to justify subsidizing a console that no longer reliably drives Xbox software sales.