Xbox: Is Microsoft Preparing a “Buy Now, Pay Later” Program?

General news News Xbox Xbox News 06/16/2026

0 57 Views

As consoles slowly become almost unaffordable, Microsoft is trying to expand its user base with a bridging solution.

It seems a data miner has found the element Asha Sharma, CEO of Xbox, referred to when discussing how next-generation Xbox consoles could be made accessible to players, including next-gen hardware codenamed Project Helix. A data miner active on Twitter found details in the backend of the Xbox website about a “buy now, pay later” program. Redphx found the reference to the payment program alongside mentions of payment providers such as PayPal and Klarna. The obvious assumption is that such a program would primarily be tailored to upcoming Xbox hardware, although at least based on the information found, there is no sign that it would be limited exclusively to Xbox hardware.

The Xbox website will have the “Buy now Pay later” feature via Paypal & Klarna pic.twitter.com/ZdVnKOtOFi

– red // Better xCloud (@redphx) June 15, 2026

Of course, it is worth noting that Xbox has not announced an official payment program or anything similar, although it is easy to imagine Xbox turning to such a new system to help players enter the world of next-generation hardware. While payment plans offer an option for players who cannot pay the full price upfront for what will probably be an incredibly expensive next-gen console, they may ultimately end up costing more than the original one-time payment.

It is not the cleanest solution, but in reality nothing is, especially when it comes to how Xbox can climb out of the hole it has dug for itself over the past decade. We will probably see Sharma and her new leadership try many things the previous leadership did not, while also deploying a few old classics, meaning we should prepare for mass layoffs and the closure of award-winning studios.

But think about it: if consoles were not this expensive, with even the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2 becoming more expensive since launch, there would be no need for such a program. Artificial intelligence is certainly to blame for that.

Source: WCCFTech

Angyal Anikó

Anikó, our news editor and communication manager, is more interested in the business side of the gaming industry. She worked at banks, and she has a vast knowledge of business life. Still, she likes puzzle and story-oriented games, like Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments, which is her favourite title. She also played The Sims 3, but after accidentally killing a whole sim family, swore not to play it again. (For our office address, email and phone number check out our IMPRESSUM)