Microsoft is no longer making any secret of its new Xbox strategy: no more exclusives, games must be sold to as many people as possible, including players on rival platforms. This is why the major franchises historically attached to Xbox—the racing simulation Forza yesterday, the tactical shooter Gears of War this summer… and soon Halo?—are crossing the Rubicon to PlayStation (the Switch 2 is certainly in Microsoft's sights).
AMD remains in control
In this changing landscape, there isn't much space left for Xbox consoles themselves. Microsoft is the first to demonetize the platform, loudly proclaiming that "everything is an Xbox," the slogan of the latest marketing campaign. A smartphone, a smart TV, a VR headset, a PC, a Mac... When everything is an Xbox, why buy an Xbox? After all, all you have to do is log in to the Xbox app or website to access Game Pass cloud gaming.
Despite everything, Microsoft isn't abandoning the hardware market. Xbox president Sarah Bond announced a multi-year "strategic partnership" with AMD for "future Xbox consoles," plural. The two companies promise to deliver "an Xbox experience that isn't locked to a single store or device."
There's a lot of information in this statement! First, Microsoft confirms that there will indeed be a new generation of Xbox consoles. The CEO had already assured in the past that this would be the case, but it's better to say it. Microsoft and AMD will jointly develop chips that will power "a set of devices," including future Xbox consoles. Everything suggests that this silicon could also be found in other terminals.
And why not in the successors to the ROG Xbox Ally? Asus's new portable consoles unveiled a few days ago already run on AMD chips (Ryzen Z), and they're the first of their kind to feature Windows optimized for mobile gaming. The interface is none other than the Xbox app adapted for small touchscreens... and it allows access to games from competing stores, Steam in particular.
It's only a small step from thinking that the next generation of Xbox will be nothing more than a Windows PC with a mustache. A PC that will be able to play Xbox games, of course (including older ones), but also those from other stores (Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG, Battle.net, etc.).
AMD isn't a very surprising choice. The American manufacturer's chips already power the Xbox One and Xbox Series S/X, as well as the PS4 and PS5. In fact, AMD and Sony are also working on the PS6. Why change a winning team? Keeping AMD will also make it easier to keep older games backward compatible with newer consoles.
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