Microsoft is “deep into architecting” their next Xbox Console

During their E3 2018 Press Conference, Microsoft announced that they are working on their next generation of Xbox consoles, with Phil Spencer stating that their hardware teams are “deep into architecting” their next-gen systems.

With their Xbox One X console being less than a year old, it is likely that Microsoft’s next Xbox remains in its planning stages, a time where Microsoft asks both first party and third party developers what kind of hardware they want within their next generation of consoles. 

Developers are likely to ask for hardware that is easy to work with and additional CPU horsepower, maintaining Microsoft’s PC-like architecture on Xbox One while delivering some extra raw power outside of the GPU space. Limiting factors within the Xbox One will be discussed as well as ways to mitigate these shortcomings, granting developers the ability to create bigger and better games in the future. 

The easiest thing that Microsoft could do is release their next Xbox with GDDR6 memory and AMD Zen-based CPU cores, offering a significant increase in both memory bandwidth and raw processing grunt, which combined with GPU and process node advancements should allow Microsoft to create a compelling Xbox 2/Nextbox console. Microsoft is not likely to shift away from AMD/Radeon for their next-generation of console hardware. 

During their E3 press COnference, Microsoft has also expressed interest in creating a game streaming platform to deliver gamers console-quality visuals on a variety of devices, pointing towards a potential move towards a streaming-only distribution model in the future. Some developers have already called the next generation of consoles the “last” generation of consoles. 

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