The generation of the Xbox Series (launched in 2020) is preparing for an update as early as 2026. Microsoft is reportedly speeding up the launch from the originally planned 2028 to 2026. This is how Microsoft should respond to the launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro, which is rumored to be launched in the 4th quarter of next year.
The strategies of Microsoft and Sony may no longer coincide with each other. Companies must now prioritize their roadmaps over what silicon and intellectual property vendors such as AMD have to offer. New rumors suggest that the next-generation Xbox will use the Zen5 and RDNA5 architectures, and its launch will take place as early as 2026, reports Videocardz.
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Microsoft itself confirmed that the RDNA5 graphics architecture is indeed planned for the next Xbox console, this information was part of a leaked presentation during the court case against the FTC. The document also mentioned that the company is debating whether to use an ARM64 architecture or to use an AMD x64 Zen6-based core design. Also discussed was whether Microsoft should develop its own silicon or license the entire GPU architecture to AMD. This document outlined Microsoft’s plans to integrate the NPU (Neural Processing Unit).
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So it seems that pushing the console’s launch to 2026 will lead to the use of the Zen5 architecture instead of Zen6, but it will allow Microsoft to release a next-generation product on the PlayStation 6.
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