Xbox Leak Points To 24-Month Klarna And Paypal Financing For Project Helix

Microsoft’s Xbox gaming division is being transformed under the leadership of new CEO Asha Sharma. The company is rethinking all aspects of its business as it attempts to reinvigorate the Xbox brand in preparation for the launch of its next generation console, currently dubbed Project Helix. A snippet of code indicates that part of this effort includes offering gamers more payment options.

A user on Twitter/X spotted some code on the Xbox website that details new ways for interested Xbox gamers to pay for their purchases. In an image shared by @redphx, several lines of code show that there will be an option to use PayPal’s Pay Later system that allows buyers pay over “4 interest free, bi-weekly payments, or spread payments up to 24 months.” Payment through Klarna may also be available, which splits purchases “into three payments, once at purchase and then every 30 days."


This wouldn’t be the first time Microsoft has helps gamers finance purchases. It used to offer the Xbox All Access plan, which gave fans the ability to purchase an Xbox Series S and X with a Game Pass subscription, with monthly payments spread out over the course of 24 months. Though this plan was discontinued after a few short years.

This likely won’t be the only move team Xbox makes, either. Ad-supported hardware similar to Amazon’s Kindle devices also seems on the table to as a way of making its gaming consoles more affordable. Creative partnerships with companies such as Netflix might also serve as another way to keeping pricing in line with buyers' expectations.

The ongoing memory and NAND shortage is hitting gaming hardware particularly hard. In fact, the current console generation is the first one where players have seen the cost of consoles increase rather than decrease over time. Having options like this for potential buyers could help put current generation Xbox consoles in more living rooms, and next generation boxes like Project Helix, too.