The RAM shortage crisis also affects Xbox: they rethink their next ‘Project Helix’ console to make it affordable

The global RAM crisis is forcing Xbox to review the development of its next console known as ‘Project Helix’given that although they maintain their commitment to launch it, they recognize that they will have to adapt their strategy to ensure that it is “affordable and flexible” in terms of performance, price and availability.

The video game company shared in March the first details of your next video game console, announcing that it has the code name ‘Project Helix’ and that it will be a “performance leader”, offering a hybrid model of playing games from both Xbox and PC to continue betting on multiplatform.

Within the framework of the Games Developer Conference, the company also assured that the first units of ‘Project Helix’powered with a custom chip developed by AMD, would begin to reach the developers in 2027 so that they can test their capabilities.

However, the situation of RAM memory shortage facing the technology sector for several months and that is forcing product prices to rise, It is also affecting the video game giantyou are having to rethink the development of its next console ‘Project Helix’ to adjust to the consequences of said crisis and the needs of the players at the same time.

This was reflected by Xbox’s director of strategy, Matthew Ball, in an interview on The Game Business Live, where despite confirming that ‘Project Helix’ is a console that they are “committed to launch”, has also reflected that they must make sure it is “affordable and flexible.”

Specifically, Ball has pointed out that Xbox is already facing problems meet demand for your current consoleswhich exceeds the supply capacity. “Many people complain about the lack of Xbox supplies,” he noted, while indicating that they are making their consoles available to users “in as many stores” as possible, as well as producing “as quickly as possible.” “There is a severe limitation on how quickly we can do it“, he declared.

This is because the RAM shortage crisis has worsened since the beginning of the year. “I underestimated how bad it was in February,” Ball said, adding that it is a bad situation for both players and platforms and that “the crisis still not getting better.”

RAM SHORTAGE AFFECTS ‘PROJECT HELIX’

With all this, the panorama extends to the development of its next consolewhich is causing Xbox to have to rethink your development approach. “We are working hard to rethink what the console model can be like, not in an exclusive way, but in an additive way,” he said.

As explained, this rethinking has to do with the side effects that high costs can have memory for the business during the nearby two and a half years. In addition to what it may mean in terms of price for players.

However, he has indicated that they intend to find “the best way” to create a device that ““don’t demand too much from the players” but what also do not subtract from “other investments” that the company wants to use in its console, although it has not gone into details about it.

It should be remembered that the RAM memory shortage is expected to last for the next few years given that, according to Nikkei Asia, the main global memory manufacturers will only be able to cover 60 percent of demand by the end of next year 2027.

This situation has worsened, in part, due to the high demand for artificial intelligence (AI), which is causing technology companies to prioritize the manufacturing and supply of high-performance memories for data centers, instead of RAM memories for consumption.

PRIORITIZE CONSOLES OVER OTHER PLATFORMS

Finally, Ball has also reflected the intention of Xbox to prioritize “resuming the console business,” although it has recognized that they also have to grow on other platforms such as PC and mobile.

“Probably the PC and mobile will be where the business will grow in the long term,” he stressed, but he also clarified that what is important for the company is restore the console business “before looking beyond those other platforms,” where their technology “is insufficient.”

To prioritize consoles, Ball has indicated that they will bet on exclusive games. Despite all this, he has also added that Windows is “where the world plays” today and, therefore, “it is a very important slogan for the company.”