With Xbox Project Helix and DLSS 5, the Next Generation Of Gaming Is Going To Be Expensive and Weird

I person been connected abrogation oregon sick for astir of the past 2 weeks. In that time, Microsoft soft-announced its adjacent console, Valve gave much accusation astir what the Steam Machine volition beryllium capable to do, and Nvidia previewed DLSS 5 way earlier it was ready. Needless to say, a batch of crap has gone down.

When you enactment each of it together, it starts to overgarment a representation of the adjacent procreation of gaming hardware that looks wholly antithetic than thing we’ve seen before. Rather than the akin x86 boxes that we got from the PS5 and the Xbox Series X, it seems similar each level is going to beryllium doing its ain thing.

That’d beryllium awesome successful mean times, but the times we’re surviving done are decidedly not normal. RAM and different hardware shortages are causing skyrocketing prices and delays aplenty, and present I person to inquire the question: Even if the adjacent procreation of gaming is awesome, however galore radical are really going to beryllium capable to participate?

Will the RAM Shortage Last Until 2030?

With truthful overmuch accusation astir next-generation hardware coming out, usually that’d mean that caller consoles and graphics cards are close astir the corner. But close now, the RAM shortage is throwing a wrench into that emblematic series of events.

Even conscionable for PC gaming, the configuration I’d urge to astir radical is 32GB of DDR5 RAM, conscionable to springiness yourself capable breathing room. Last year, a 32GB kit of RAM whitethorn person outgo you astir $100, but successful 2026, the terms has ballooned. For instance, the RAM I usage to trial hardware, a 32GB kit of G.Skill Trident Z5 Neo, volition acceptable you backmost $489 connected Newegg.

That would beryllium atrocious capable if this was conscionable a impermanent shortage, but we're astir apt going to person to strap ourselves successful for the agelong haul. As aboriginal arsenic January, I was being told that the shortage would past done 2027, and it turns retired that was the optimistic take.

Instead, SK Hynix Chairman Chey Tae-won has suggested that the RAM shortage could past done 2030, according to a study from Reuters. If that holds true, hardware is going to trickle retired astatine an highly dilatory complaint for the adjacent fewer years and it's going to beryllium overmuch much costly than it different would be.

To beryllium clear, this isn't conscionable going to interaction gaming PCs. DRAM is needed for each gaming hardware, truthful this volition interaction Xbox Project Helix and the Steam Machine arsenic overmuch arsenic it volition DIY PC builders.

Either caller consoles and graphics cards are going to beryllium delayed into oblivion, oregon they're going to beryllium truthful costly that astir radical won't beryllium capable to bargain them. And, well, some options benignant of suck!

The Xbox Project Helix Curveball

While each of this uncertainty has been cooking successful the background, Microsoft came retired and gave immoderate aboriginal accusation connected the adjacent Xbox, Project Helix. I’ve been saying for a twelvemonth present that the next-generation Xbox was astir apt going to beryllium a glorified PC, and it seems similar I was connected to something. The adjacent Xbox volition beryllium capable to tally each of your PC games, which means it's moving connected immoderate signifier of Windows 11 (or possibly adjacent Windows 12?).

A twelvemonth ago, erstwhile Phil Spencer archetypal teased this attack astatine Summer Games Fest, I was ecstatic. An Xbox that was besides a gaming PC would beryllium a large mode to make a benignant of baseline for PC games that developers could optimize their games around. Incidentally, that’s besides wherefore I’m inactive looking guardant to the Steam Machine. It doesn’t truly substance excessively overmuch to maine how powerful either of these boxes are, due to the fact that the existent work is mounting the baseline for what games should beryllium capable to tally on.

However, present that we’re successful the mediate of this seemingly unending RAM crisis, a gaming PC / console hybrid seems much similar a liability than it did a twelvemonth ago. If Microsoft wants this happening to tally immoderate PC game, it volition person to beryllium an unfastened platform, conscionable similar the Steam Machine. That’s definite to beryllium large quality for anyone who buys it, but it besides means that erstwhile it comes out, it’s going to beryllium importantly much costly than a closed-off Xbox Series X followup different would be.

That’s due to the fact that successful a closed strategy like, say, the Xbox Series X, each crippled income spell done Microsoft, which takes a chopped disconnected the top. That helps subsidize the outgo of the hardware, which is typically sold astatine a loss. A gaming console that besides lets you play games done third-party stores won’t person that guarantee, truthful it’s mode much apt that Microsoft volition merchantability the hardware to marque a nonstop nett from it, making it much expensive.

It’s inactive mode excessively aboriginal to cognize what benignant of hardware is going to beryllium successful the Helix-Box, but Microsoft made immoderate lofty claims astir its capabilities astatine GDC 2026 past week. Namely, that the caller console is going to beryllium capable to instrumentality vantage of Neural Rendering techniques – overmuch similar DLSS 5, which debuted earlier this week.

Whatever Microsoft and AMD person cooking up successful the mode of Neural Rendering, the adjacent Xbox is apt going to beryllium a spot less… utmost than what Nvidia showed off, but nary substance what it is, it’s going to beryllium demanding. That DLSS 5 demo, whether you emotion it oregon hatred it, took up a batch of VRAM, needing 2 RTX 5090s to tally it, according to Digital Foundry. For context, 1 RTX 5090 has 32GB of GDDR7 video memory, doubly what’s recovered successful the Xbox Series X, and that’s connected apical of strategy memory.

If AI is going to beryllium halfway to the adjacent Xbox, it’s going to request immoderate superior hardware, and with hardware prices being what they are now, it’s precise imaginable that Project Helix is going to outgo upwards of $1,000. That’s a large terms to wage for a crippled console, and astir $400 much than the existent basal exemplary of the Series X.

Schrödinger’s Generation

With each the rumors and merchandise teases swirling astir the internet, it benignant of feels similar the adjacent procreation of games is close astir the corner. The tech is surely there for it, but alternatively of feeling assured that we’re going to spot the adjacent consoles by the extremity of adjacent year, it alternatively feels similar we’re successful a hardware paradox and it each comes down to the RAM shortage.

Thanks successful ample portion to the AI that’s going to play a immense relation successful upcoming graphics technology, the hardware that powers it is much costly and scarce than ever before. So, we’re successful a holding pattern, waiting to spot whether the prices are going to spell down capable to marque releasing caller consoles and graphics cards astatine an affordable terms is going to beryllium possible, oregon whether oregon not the manufacturers are conscionable going to accidental screw it and merchandise incredibly costly hardware.

The world is that it’s astir apt going to onshore determination successful the middle, with costly devices that are delayed a fewer months. And, really, I’ll beryllium keeping my oculus connected the Steam Machine to springiness a clearer representation connected what absorption things volition beryllium leaning.

Jackie Thomas is the Hardware and Buying Guides Editor astatine IGN and the PC components queen. You tin travel her @Jackiecobra