You don't change a winning team. Since the Xbox One, Microsoft has been using AMD processors. This was also the case for the Xbox Series S/X, and the next generation of consoles will also be equipped with an AMD chip. Sarah Bond confirmed this in a video, announcing a new multi-year partnership with the American manufacturer. This is not very surprising: AMD is also Sony's choice for the PlayStation, and has been since the PS4 (and certainly the PS6).
The future of Xbox is Windows
But the Microsoft CEO didn't stop there. She also outlined the broad outlines of this next generation of Xbox. With AMD, the idea is to develop "chips for a whole range of devices": not only future Xboxes, but also potentially for other console manufacturers.
The announcement is similar to the presentation of Asus's new portable consoles, the Xbox ROG Ally, at the last Xbox showcase. These devices, which integrate AMD chips (Z2A and Z2 Extreme), could quite easily be upgraded to new processors from the same manufacturer. Sarah Bond doesn't forget portable consoles in her message.
She continues: "Our goal is to build an always-on gaming platform, so you can play the games you love on all your devices, wherever you are — an Xbox experience that isn't tied to a single store or device." A very interesting statement: it first confirms Microsoft's message that "everything is an Xbox."
PCs, Macs, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, VR screens... You don't need to have an Xbox on hand to play Xbox games; you can just use the Xbox Cloud Gaming service! But it goes even further, as Sarah Bond reaffirms the "aggregator" aspect of the Xbox experience. ROG Ally Xboxes run on Windows 11 with an Xbox app in "Big Picture" mode, which can draw from the player's Steam, Epic Games Store or GOG libraries.
So it's a safe bet that this future Xbox will be first and foremost... a Windows PC. Sarah Bond, again: "we are working closely with the Windows team to make Windows the premier gaming platform." No need to develop specifically for the Xbox, a PC game will suffice. This will make life easier for developers and allow players to have all their games at hand.
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