Xbox and AMD to Partner on Multiple Devices, Including Next-Gen Xbox Consoles - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 17 June 2025 / 6,897 Views
Xbox president Sarah Bond in a newly released video announced Microsoft and AMD established a multi-year partnership to co-engineer the silicon for multiple devices, including next-generation Xbox consoles.
"At Xbox, our vision is for you to play the games you want, with the people you want, anywhere you want," said Bond. "That's why we're investing in our next-generation hardware lineup, across console, handheld, PC, cloud, and accessories.
"I am thrilled to share we've established a strategic multi-year partnership with AMD to co-engineer silicon across a portfolio of devices including our next-generation Xbox consoles, in your living room, and in your hands."
She continued, "Together with AMD we're advancing the state of art in gaming silicon to deliver the next generation of graphics innovation to unlock a deeper level of visual quality and immersive gameplay and player experiences enhanced with the power of AI, all while maintaining compatibility with your existing library of Xbox games.
"This is all about building you a gaming platform that's always with you, so you can play the games you want across devices anywhere you want, delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device. That’s why we're working closely with the Windows team, to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming.
"The next generation of Xbox is coming to life, and this is just the beginning. We can't wait to show you what's next."
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
More Articles
"Delivering you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device. That’s why we're working closely with the Windows team, to ensure that Windows is the number one platform for gaming."
Windows is already by a landslide the number one OS for PC gaming. Lowkey feels like confirmation that Xbox is getting unified with Windows, and the next-gen Xbox console will be a Windows-based device with the Xbox UI.
Which tbf, that was the vision Bill Gates was literally sold on when he agreed to create the Xbox platform lol. Bring Windows to a console. Finally coming full circle after 25 years.
I'm thinking the same, but maybe even bigger. If, at the end of the day, next-gen Xbox is running full Windows under the hood, that leads evidence to another rumor that MS is working on full Xbox emulation for Windows. Meaning: all Xbox OG and Xbox 360 backwards-compatible titles, all Xbox One titles, all Xbox Series titles - can run on any Windows 11 (12?) computer so long as you have enough hardware for the "emulation." I say emulation that way because technically, since the OG Xbox, the Xbox OS is actually just a Windows CE kernel (and later the "real" Windows kernel in Xbox One/Series) and the DirectX API dev environment. It is already more than halfway there in a sense to running on Windows as is.
Definitely! This may have been the reason why Sarah Bond reinstituted the backwards compatibility team like a year or two ago. To help ensure an easy transition from Windows and Xbox being separate platforms to being one unified platform.
I'm lowkey hoping that more titles from the OG Xbox and 360 era are brought in as well through this process!
I wish they would add more Xbox 360 titles to backwards compat.. And finish the OG Xbox library, the Xbox 360 supports more OG Xbox Games than the Xbox One/Series...
I think we are at the point now where consoles have enough resources that they can run Windows without to much compromise or performance degradation and that would bode well for backwards compatibility and us PC gamers.
If I could run an old Windows 98 game on the next-gen Xbox like Freespace 2, I will be extremely happy. (Unlikely to happen though)
Bruh, that last sentence there would be a GOD SEND! I have my collection of PC games, many of which aren't available on the likes of GOG that are just a nightmare to try to get to work on modern hardware without having to get a Windows 95 or 98 PC. Boy would I love for that day to come.
@Pemalite: I actually didn't realize that, bravo to MS to keeping support for CDs. I still have my entire CD collection of albums, but it has honestly been like 10+ years since I have taken a disc out of the case lol
OG Xbox was on point though. So many games stuck on PC finally came to a console and those games in turn did better profit. Back in the early 2000's a gaming PC was insanely expensive compared to a console and PC games were incredibly niche. OG Xbox pushed Sony into getting PC games on PS3, which resulted in the PS4 dominating. Man I miss the days when MS actually competed instead of spreading BS.
No I completely agree from a consumer standpoint, but from a business standpoint, the reason the OG Xbox only lasted 4 years on the market was because it lost Microsoft $4 billion in just a few years. No business, including Sony (who lost just as much money during the entire 7 year run of the PS3 generation) is going to tolerate returns like that for too long.
I think a lot of those losses were intentional though. XBL doesn't build itself overnight. Making an entirely new platform and brand from scratch costs money. I think they did a fantastic job up until around 2010 when the 360 just petered out in terms of good exclusives.
Agreed! Peter Moore left in 2007, which Don Mattrick then took over, and the next couple of years put heavy emphasis into the development of making the Kinect. Unironically releasing in 2010. The rest is history.
This all has the potential to end in disaster. Windows is a notoriously heavy operating system, and if the "Xbox and Windows" combination isn't done right, the next Xbox will be a console in name only.
A glorified PC, without the optimization advantages of consoles, perhaps even inferior to "normal PCs", since Steam OS/Linux are starting to deliver better performance than Windows for gaming.
Potentially, yes. Especially if they don't get the messaging right. Which, Microsoft is notorious for. But, did you not see the ROG Xbox Ally and how it works? That's the preview of how this is going to look.
Yeah, the ROG Xbox Ally will be a good preview of how this might work. Microsoft said that while in the "Xbox Experience" fullscreen mode, it is supposed to suppress all non-essential Windows functions, pause things like updates, notifications, and essentially be Windows running the best it can without any interruptions. Granted, I am sure it will never be as good as a full console OS, that bare-to-the-metal optimization that you get. But with how much power systems have now, and how much power the next Xbox will have, losing a little bit of that perf optimization to have the full freedom of playing ANY Windows game on ANY digital storefront is a tradeoff well worth doing, in my opinion.
IMHO,
I think they're going to fail hard.
I see some people on the internet saying "there's going to be a Playstation game, GamePass and access to Steam, the best console...".!
I don't think it's going to be like that. The hardware is going to be very expensive, with no subsidies. Also, the Xbox store is going to be crushed by Steam. Maybe I'm wrong, but I predict a disaster.
Mixing Xbox brand with PC, with efficient hardware that supports Steam and other stores is a HUGE win for Microsoft. Backs Sony into a corner, because their PC releases will now be fully compatible with Xbox hardware- and they don't want ton stop that momentum now.
I see some discussions if we will track the next-gen Xbox if it is more of an open platform like a PC with support for other stores like Steam and Epic Games Store. The short answer is, yes.
It comes down to 2 things
Is the device dedicated to gaming?
Is there enough data available for us to do decent enough estimates?
If both are yes we'd likely track it.
For example, the Steam Deck is dedicated to gaming, but we have no way of tracking it as Valve doesn't share sales figures with us or any other tracking firm (Circana/NPD, Famitsu, GfK, etc.). If we ever get data for Steam Deck we would add it to the "Platform Totals" page.
How would we track the Xbox OS devices? We would (likely) just track the Microsoft devices and ignore third-party ones like the ROG Xbox Ally.
Full confirmation MS is releasing more console hardware, even though they have said this already. Looks like MS will continue down the path of supporting and making hardware with multiple store fronts like with the ROG Xbox Alley.
Hate when they do that, talking up next gen and can't even get current gen to where it should be.
They're just letting this generation play out however it plays out while they're building up to what their long term plan is. If they were concerned about getting this current gen going, they wouldn't have raised the prices of their consoles as drastically as they did when sales have been struggling the way they have been.
This may have also been a message to those who believe they were ditching consoles.
Where are all the guys who said Xbox is dead? We are still waiting. Countless debates and yet here we are again. Leading into 30 years.
Also love if its the PC/Console hybrid system. The Asus Xbox ROG Ally is sure a test of their new updated OS.
One last comment. If this thing launches by 26 or sooner then Series won't even make it to 40 mil.
You made 4 separate comments within 7 minutes complaining about MS and a console that hasn't been announced. 😬
I dont think MS care
Exactly. They are abandoning Xbox and switching to PC + 3rd party with a token piece of plastic for the fanboys. Give it another console generation and they'll scrap Xbox consoles entirely. Also it's funny how you are so close yet so far away. +1 for being a Selfawarewolf once again.
Xbox is also PC, so its fine. Its 1 big Ecosystem.
Maybe I'm getting old, but I remember when you had something to show when announcing a next gen console. Not, an announcement of an announcement.
"To bring you an Xbox experience not locked to a single store or tied to one device." Translation: We're going 3rd party all the way, and the next Xbox will have multiple storefronts, including Steam.
"enhanced with the power of AI! Translation: We look forward to replacing all our talented devs with AI.
"That's why we're working closely with the windows team to ensure windows is the #1 platform for gaming". Translation: We will always make a poorly selling piece of plastic for fanboys to buy, but we hope everyone moves to PC soon.
You're thinking too much from a traditional standpoint. Toss that mindset out the window. Going forward it's going to be Windows is Xbox and Xbox is Windows. The success of Xbox in hardware is no longer tied to a single piece of plastic selling well.
Yeah, yeah, Windows is an Xbox and my phone is an Xbox and so is my Toaster too! And Windows is Mac, and Cars are Trucks, and Up and is Down and Left is Right. There Is No War In Ba Sing Se!
What kind of rhetoric is that? xD
Either way, you may not like it, but that's Microsoft's bet. Because like you alluded to, they can't rely on a poorly selling piece of plastic. I know I'll be installing this new version of Windows on my PC the second they make it available for download. I love gaming on PC, but Windows itself was always the problem. This new version of Windows with the Xbox UI will solve that issue since all the productivity aspects of Windows will be shut off. Freeing up horsepower exclusively for gaming processes.
I would use SteamOS, but Linux is such a crutch in Valve's ambitions. Microsoft taking what Valve is trying to do, but with Windows, can be a game changer.
If 3rd party means having 1 console play everything, count me in.
1 Console does play pretty much everything besides Nintendo games. It's called a PS5. Upvoted you for being such a selfawarewolf.
Mate, PS5 still doesn't play all the Xbox titles and never will.
It plays all the relevant ones. Halo and Gears became zombie franchises years ago like Pokemon. If I want to enjoy either I'll boot up my 360 and remember when Xbox actually tried.
Let me make this easier for you. PS5 has around 4000 games available. Xbox with just Steam alone has over 100000+ games. No one is going to care about accouple games not releasing on Xbox when they will have access to so much more.
Any new Xbox systems will have Game Pass, Xbox store, Steam(playstation titles), Epic store, etc. It will likely allow emulation app and go into dev mode like the Series X|S. This all means it will be able to play more games than the ps5 and Switch. Not bad, right?
The moment Xbox gets Steam Sony will stop publishing their games to it. No console maker is dumb enough to let a direct competitor have its in-house games besides MS. And emulation blows compared to modded original hardware.
I'd rather have a console that has an actual disk drive and discs that are not just a download key. Microsoft has gone out of their way to make sure that most of their disc based games aren't really on the disc. At least with Sony I get a vast majority of games complete on disc. With Nintendo I get 1st party games on cart.
You can keep your all-digital PC for broke children who don't have the money or knowledge to build an actual rig.
There is no chance sony stop publishing on steam. They need the money.
As libara said, Sony isnt going to stop putting games on Steam because of console wars. That box has already been open and Sony enjoys the extra money too much.
Xbox still supports disc's and the only console that still supports CDs.
As far as digital goes, MS is a step ahead of Sony and Nintendo, but those 2 are not far behind and will soon follow.
The revenue from third-party royalty fees, PSN, and first-party games sold directly to PS owners dwarfs any PC revenue Sony gets. Putting Sony games on Xbox would directly undermine that revenue stream. Even publishing their games to PC is something that gives short-term profits and long-term disaster. They will just make a Sony Store on PC and pull their games from Steam to keep them off Xbox. It's not that hard. Sony started throwing their games on PC only because they weren't seeing high profits. But they weren't seeing high profits because they wasted billions chasing GaaS stuff like Concord, Bungie, and cancelled NaughtyDog games.
Xbox supports fake discs that are missing over 50% of the data needed to play said game. Doom 3 for example is just an 80 MB stub. Series versions of XB1 games need to download the Series version data off the internet because the disc is just a repackaged XB1 disc.
What are you talking about? MS has been at the forefront of anti-consumer anti-physical since 2013. Sony still offers a disk drive and sells Anime Blu-Rays on Crunchyroll so they need a disk drive option for their systems. Nintendo already stated that they have no intention of making their 1st party games Key-Cards.
More desperate misinformation.
Another pointless arrogant one-liner that refutes nothing. Add something of substance to the conversation for once.
If you added anything of substance yourself instead of corporate worshiping ideology then I would.
I did add something of substance. You simply refuse to engage with it in a vain attempt to appear superior. That's ok. History is full of idiots that refused to bother with people who ultimately wound up being right.
Playing the victim card in a vein attempt to defend your biased corporate worshipping takes is actually hilarious.
Phsychological projection is a defense mechanism where others attribute their own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others. Your statements are textbook example of it. I own 14 different consoles across all brands. You on the other hand?
The amount of consoles you say you own means nothing, your history of corporate worshipping does.
Uh huh. You are the one with the history of corporate worshiping and you know it. Keep projecting dude.
The typical "not me but you" argument without any actual factual argument is hilarious, keep pushing a fake desperate narrative that worships sony.
"Without any factual argument" he says, as he simply continues to do nothing but lob insults. Say something of substance or STFU. Why don't you actually engage with my "fake desperate narrative" and prove it to be exactly that? Oh wait, I know! Because you have all the logical prowess of a Trump supporter on crack.
Ps5 is selling as well as the ps4 and this is with Steam releases. Sony's profits and revenue is higher now than any previous gens with Steam releases. I'm not sure what you mean by playstation not having high profits because they are doing better than ever before, even with their GAAS failures. Nothing is being undermined. You're putting way too much stock into playstation 1st party games making the consoles relevant. It's always been 3rd party games that push the vast majority of console sales and engagement. Look at the ps5 now, 1st party games have been sparse since 2023. Its been 3rd party games doing the heavy lifting and console sales are have been great regardless.
Most consumes don't care about physical releases anymore. I don't think it's good that physical dies off, but Xbox is following the digital trend for a reason. Consumers made this evident with 90% of games sales on Xbox are digital, maybe even higher. Nintendo is essentially follow this with their push of 3rd party games being mostly digital key cards. As you said before, 3rd party sales is where the money is for consoles and Nintendo wants those sweet digital sales. Don't be surprised when Nintendo eventually has their own 1st party games be digital key codes. Just give it time. Same with Sony.
Back on track of the article, Xbox new direction is great because it gives the consumer freedom to buy games from whatever store front they desire. Many get caught up with the logo on the box. I will always believe all games should be available on as many platforms as possible. I care about the consumer and what we get, not these tech gaints bottomline.
Sony picked up more sales this gen due to Xbox falling even lower. That is masking the losses from releasing games on Steam. Check their latest financial reports. I believe they were sitting at 6% which is good but not what the delirious investors expect. For 2023 and 2024 they had 3 1st party games in total. That's only 1 less than the expected 2 a year and FF7 Intergrade and other 3rd party games that don't show up on Xbox more than make up the difference. PS5 and Series sales don't match up to PS4 and XB1 sales on an aligned chart. The two big-box consoles are losing ground to Switch and PC. Especially Switch and Switch 2 which has the best 1st party output. It's like you have the evidence that 1st party drives sales right in front of you but refuse to admit it because Nintendo. ¯(ツ)/¯
Yes, I know that most consumers don't care about physical anymore but that is not the point. The point is that destroying physical is anti-consumer. Due to the speed needed for Switch 2 carts they cost $16 each to make and have a minimum size of 64 GB. The last time game carts cost so much to produce for a Nintendo system was N64. 3rd party devs fled N64 due to those high manufacturing costs. Game-Key-Cards aren't a push for digital by Nintendo but rather an attempt to prevent a mass exodus of 3rd party akin to N64. They will always have physical copies, especially since those 3rd party key-cards have sold poorly so far. Nintendo customers are 50% or more physical. Sony needs physical to support their Anime business and physical disks are cheap to produce.
The new direction is just a giant smokescreen for Xbox being phased out and replaced with Windows PCs. Xbox giving up their 3rd party revenue to Steam would mean that they are unable to subsidize consoles, which would make next gen Xbox be $800 and less powerful than a PS6. Who cares if everything (hypothetically) comes to one platform when that one platform costs nearly as much as simply buying the other two platforms needed to play games?
"Sony picked up more sales this gen due to Xbox falling even lower. That is masking the losses from releasing games on Steam."
Any hard evidence to back this up?
3rd party exclusives holding up Ps5 doesn't change the fact Sony's own 1st party has been sparse since 2023. Even Sony fans recognize this. You know Xbox is getting 3 previous ps5 exclusives this year? 3rd party exclusives are not really a thing anymore.
"It's like you have the evidence that 1st party drives sales right in front of you but refuse to admit it because Nintendo."
I'm not refusing anything. I'm aware Nintendo 1st party does the heavy lifting, but we aren't talking about Nintendo. Your knack of making Nintendo some kind of victim is...something.
Smoke screen or not, if the new Xbox systems work as intend, it doesn't matter if its replaced by Windows. Having a more unified games across PC and consoles is a good thing and makes everything more seamless. Xbox is focusing on its strengths and knows its not worth to keep focusing on consoles sales only.
I dont really care about your excuses why Nintendo is focusing on key cards for 3rd party. It doesnt change the end product. Maybe you shouldn't cry about death of physical while making excuses for Nintendo.
The only way that Sony didn't pick up console sales from Xbox this gen while also having fewer console sales than last gen is if the console market is shrinking. But the success of Switch proves that it is not.
Nintendo had sparse 1st party releases from 2018 to 2019. They picked up soon after that. Not everything comes in a steady reliable release date. Yeah Xbox will get a few 3rd party games. And once those 3 release 3 more will be out on PS5. Xbox is eternally behind in games.
You said "It's always been 3rd party sales that push console sales and engagement."
I guess you only want a Sony example of 1st party driving sales. But that completely ignores the fact that people have to choose between two systems when deciding what to get for a non-Nintendo system. Both systems were priced the same so the deciding factor would have been games.
It doesn't matter if the new Xbox is an $800 unsubsidized device that doesn't have discs and is weaker than a PS6?
Calling explanations for how the industry works, excuses is not a valid argument.
We know the console market isnt getting bigger and has been stagnant for the last few generation. It could also be shrinking with more people opting for other options like PCs, phone games, dedicated gaming handheld, streaming. People like flexibility and this is one reason Xbox is pivoting to be an open platform with varies kinds of hardware, streaming, etc.
Xbox 3rd party support this generation is a lot better than what you are suggesting. It gets the vast majority of 3rd party games and this gen has easily been Xbox's best when it comes to support from Asian developers and developers in general. Sure, some games skip it, but certainly not a lot and especially the important ones except if there is some kind of in place.
The deciding factor for a lot of people to pick ps5 over Xbox is brand awareness, especially outside of America. Ps5 isn't necessarily a better system, and Xbox has certainly some advantages over it, but brand power goes a long way. It's one reason Xbox is shifting away from traditional consoles and focusing on publishing.
We have no idea how powerful the next Xbox will be or if it will get rid of disc completely or not. It could be expensive, but rumors suggest there is going to be multiple variants of consoles and handhelds from 3rd party hardware makers and from MS themselves.
Give me a few days and I'll make a thread on why exactly the console market has not shrunk and is in fact getting bigger. Long story short you need to count actual customers and not individual console sales.
As for the rest you know I disagree, but discussing it in the comments section is lame compared to making an actual thread.
