Xbox and AMD Team Up for the Next Generation of Gaming Devices | Video games to play online | Next gen console vs pc ps5 specs | Sony gaming market share | Turtles AI

Xbox has announced a multi-year partnership with AMD to co-design chips for consoles, handhelds, PCs and the cloud. The new hardware will be compatible with the current Xbox library, integrate AI graphics capabilities, run on Windows and support multiple stores.

Key Points:

• Multi-year strategic partnership between Xbox and AMD for custom chips
• Cross-platform support: console, portable, PC, cloud
• Backward compatibility guaranteed with existing Xbox games
• Devices not tied to single stores, Windows integration

Microsoft, through Xbox president SarahBond, has formalized an extensive collaboration with AMD to create the “next generation” of Xbox devices: not just home consoles, but also portables, Windows PCs and cloud services. The goal is to create a hardware ecosystem characterized by custom chips from AMD—the same supplier as the current SeriesX/S—strong in energy efficiency, quality graphics and integrated AI, while maintaining full support for the library of games already purchased. The innovative element lies in the openness of the platform: next-generation Xbox devices will not be limited to a single store, but will allow access to multiple digital stores, while the entire ecosystem will always be based on Windows, considered the “number one platform for gaming”. The strategy is not limited to consoles: Microsoft intends to bring the Xbox experience “always with you”, with portable devices already in development, such as the “ROG Xbox Ally” model in collaboration with ASUS, based on Windows and equipped with AMD Ryzen Z2 chips, with up to 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Despite rumors about possible ARM architectures, reliable sources exclude a Qualcomm flash in the next Xbox, maintaining the x86 architecture to ensure backward compatibility and performance. According to experts like Tom’s Hardware, the arrival of this new generation is expected for the Christmas season of 2026, following previous launch cycles such as Project Scarlett/SeriesX at E3 2019. This confirms the rumors of a unified Xbox hardware portfolio that includes traditional and handheld consoles, with chips designed jointly by Microsoft and AMD, aimed at increasing GPU and CPU performance (presumably with RDNA5 and Zen6), ensuring constant compatibility with previous titles. The move also takes into account Sony’s competing strategy: PS6 will bring with it AMD chips for backwards compatibility, giving continuity to the GPU partnership with AMD.

Microsoft no longer uses high-sounding phrases such as “the greatest technological leap ever”, leaving room for interpretation on the real performance. However, the choice to skip an intermediate update (such as the PS5 Pro) suggests a pipeline that points directly to the next generation, with a margin ahead of the competition. Rumors point to a launch planned between late 2026 and early 2027.

The official debut of the Xbox-AMD partnership outlines a future hardware centered on custom chips, multi-platform ecosystems and backwards compatibility, marking a strategic evolution of the offer without drawing conclusions.