Insider: Microsoft Reconsiders Next Xbox Concept. Project Helix Risks Becoming a Regular Console

Microsoft may abandon Steam and Epic Games Store support in Project Helix due to console economics and a low share of purchases in the Microsoft Store.

The next Xbox may turn out to be a less open platform than previously thought. According to Windows Central journalist and insider Jez Corden, the ability to launch games from Steam and the Epic Games Store is still in question.

According to him, the main reason is economics. A high-performance console that Microsoft wants to release is unlikely to cost less than $1000 under current conditions. Therefore, the company will likely have to sell the device at a loss, hoping to make money from game sales.

However, the situation with portable ROG Xbox Ally showed the opposite. According to Corden, among users who do not own an Xbox Series, only 1 out of 50 people make purchases in the Microsoft Store. The rest prefer Steam and other stores.

Because of this, Microsoft may limit PC game support in Project Helix only to projects purchased from the Microsoft Store. In essence, this will change little for players compared to the Play Anywhere program, but developers will not have to create separate game builds for Xbox and PC.